Digital Commons Network^™

Mr. Wilkes' War: Captain Charles Wilkes And The West India Squadron, Christopher J. Pieczynski

History Theses & Dissertations

Although unintentional, no single individual had a larger, if not unrecognized, effect on American interpretation of international law and neutral rights in the later half of the nineteenth century than Charles Wilkes. During his command of the West India "Flying" Squadron, Wilkes used his own form of "gunboat diplomacy," contrary to the established American policy on maritime commerce and warfare, to disrupt Confederate commerce raiding, blockade running, and neutral support. These efforts created depredations on the rights of neutrals, primarily the British, that met with the tacit approval of his superiors. This was primarily due to the unwillingness of the …

An Analysis Of Tactical Military Airlift, James H. Donoho

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines tactical military airlift operations conducted during three historical battles - Stalingrad, Dien Bien Phu, and Khe Sanh. Aspects of tactical military airlift operations are identified from these scenarios. The list of important issues that results can be considered when employing tactical military airlift in the future. Using inductive reasoning, tactical military airlift operations in each scenario, and their success or failure, are examined to develop a pattern for recognizing and describing similar situations in the future. Experiences at Stalingrad, Dien Bien Phu, and Khe Sanh indicated that there are nine elements that should be considered when employing …

The Men Behind The Oath: A Profile Of The German Officer Corps In The Interwar Period, 1919-1939, Brian E. Crim

History Theses & Dissertations

The predominance of technocrats within the Reichswehr, the inability of the officer corps to reassert its elite status in the Weimar era, and the extensive interaction between the Reichswehr and a militaristic German society contributed to Hitler's successful absorption of military authority in the 1930s. The social and political upheaval resulting in part from the First World War diffused military authority and diminished the role of the officer corps in German society. The corps struggled to maintain its historic level of corporateness and consistently failed to fulfill its responsibility to the Weimar Republic. The Reichswehr's top officers worked to revitalize …

The Marine Corps In Vietnam: An Examination Of Cohesion And Effectiveness At Khe Sanh, Gregory L. Davenport

History Theses & Dissertations

The Marine defense of the Khe Sanh Combat Base in 1968 provides an isolated model to study combat cohesion and effectiveness. Focusing on Companies K and L of the 3d Battalion, 26th Regiment, reveals that cohesion and effectiveness were composed of four interlocking components: universal, cultural, institutional, and situational. Universal sources include the primary group, ideology, esprit de corps, small unit leadership, and social systems. Culturally, Marine recruitment images and pop-culture literature and cinema, which highlighted the Corps and combat as epitomizing manhood, influenced the Khe Sanh marines. Institutionally, the Corps used Marine history and gender manipulation during boot …

Abolishing Nuclear Weapons: Psychological Freedom Or Escape From Freedom?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the aspects of efforts to abolish nuclear weapons.

An Examination Of The Intelligence Preparation For Operation Market-Garden, September, 1944, Steven D. Rosson

Masters Theses

The Allied defeat at Arnhem, Holland in September 1944 marked the end of one of the most bold and audacious, ground and airborne operations ever undertaken. Many military historian have incorrectly labeled Operation MARKET-GARDEN an intelligence failure. This statement is true only in so far as the Allied intelligence structure failed to persuade their commanders to alter the planned invasion despite the voluminous intelligence data acquired. But did these commander have hidden agendas which made intelligence almost irrelevant?

The purpose of this research is to investigate the Allied, strategic and operational intelligence preparation for Operation MARKET-GARDEN and determine its adequacy. …

Josiah Gorgas And The Richmond Ordnance Industry: The Arsenal Of The Confederacy, J. Michael Moore

History Theses & Dissertations

This study determines that Richmond, Virginia was the center of the Confederate domestic ordnance industry, and Josiah Gorgas, the Confederate Chief of Ordnance mobilized the city's industrial potential. Richmond's government ordnance facilities and private companies manufactured artillery, shoulder arms, ammunition, tools, and other ordnance materials that prolonged the war. In addition, Richmond became the center for Confederate ordnance research. Despite serious logistical problems, Gorgas supplied the Confederate Army's demand for arms and ammunition until 1865. Finally, Gorgas's mobilization of Confederate industry remains instructive for any nation going to war. These conclusions are based on extensive research of the National Archives …

The Resurgence Of The Wehrmacht On The Western Front In The Fall Of 1944, Aaron S. Hamilton

History Theses & Dissertations

The resurgence of the Wehrmacht on the western front in the fall of 1944 was the product of the German Army High Command's attempt to overcome the severe effects of attrition by institutionalizing fanaticism and generating extreme self-sacrifice among its soldiers. The nature, form, and purpose of the Wehrmacht's resurgence in the west has never been fully explained and only examined in the context of operational histories. The Ardennes offensive has traditionally been used in the operational histories of the Allied campaign in Europe to demonstrate the Wehrmacht's physical ability to reorganize weapons, equipment and personnel effectively. The counter offensive, …

Moltke And The German Military Tradition: His Theories And Legacies, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

General Joseph Wheeler And The Mounted Rifles: Cavalry Proves Its Worth In The Chattanooga Area, Josh Correll

Honors Theses

There is a commonly held opinion among some historians that cavalry, men fighting from horseback, were obsolete by the time of the American Civil War. The problem with this perception is the definition of obsolescence. While it is true that cavalry as a charging, frontline force was mostly ineffective, this was not the kind of cavalry used in that conflict on a large scale. Instead, a new kind of cavalry, the Mounted Rifles, was put into practice by some of the commanders, most notably one of the Confederacy's youngest cavalry generals, Joseph Wheeler. Wheeler's cavalry instead worked within an army, …

World War Ii: On The Home Front - M. Francis Coulson Interview, Jenny Sonnenberg

Adams County History

Americans love anniversaries. The fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War has afforded citizens an opportunity to remember with pride the great men and events of a war that saved the world from totalitarian tyranny. Happily, memories of World War II have not been restricted to recalling battlefield heroics or diplomatic intrigues. Across the United States, public libraries and local historical societies have commemorated the Home Front during the war years with exhibits that recapture the texture of life on farms, factories, in classrooms, and at home during what Studs Terkel has labeled "the Good War." These …

Mutersbaugh, Bert Marsh, Jr., 1933-2023 (Sc 1323), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1323. Presentation entitled "Send Money...," given by Mutersbaugh, based upon World War II letters written by his brother-in-law Douglas Bales, Eminence, Missouri, while stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and in Europe. Includes correspondence and other related data.

A Tour Of Gettysburg's Visual Battle Damage, Timothy H. Smith

Adams County History

A little-known aspect of the Battle of Gettysburg is the story behind the Civil War battle damage still present m some of the town's buildings. During the first three days of July 1863, cannons fired over and into Gettysburg, and as a result some of the homes were inadvertently struck by the shells. As a battlefield guide, the author has driven by these structures everyday for the past few years, and a highlight of any tour is a stop in front of the Sheads house on Buford Avenue, where one can point up to an artillery shell embedded just to …

Adams County History 1996

Adams County History

No abstract provided.

The 'Stunned' And The 'Stymied' : The P.O.W. Experience In The History Of The 2/11th Infantry Battalion, 1939-1945, Mary R. Watt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Stimulated by a pronouncement of Joan Beaumont that prisoners of war are a neglected subject of historical inquiry this thesis undertakes an empirical and analytical study concerning this topic. Within the context of the prisoner of war experience in the history of the 2/11th Infantry Battalion during the Second World War, it puts a case for including non-operational strands of warfare in the body of Australian official military history. To facilitate this contention the study attempts to show the reasons for which historians might study the scope and range of the prisoner of war experience. Apart from describing the context …

Out Of The Air: The Role Of Communications Intelligence In The Strategic Bombing Campaign Against The German Oil Industry And Transportation System In World War Ii, Darrell Nolen

History Theses & Dissertations

During World War II communications intelligence (ULTRA) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Allied strategic bombing campaign against the German oil industry and transportation system. In the case of the oil campaign communications intelligence provided confirmation of serious damage inflicted on the German war economy. This conformed nicely to the prewar American doctrine of precision daylight bombardment of critical nodes of an enemy industrial system. The intention of this policy was to cause the collapse of the enemy's military capability. The campaign against the German transportation system did not fit into this doctrinal framework as precisely; consequently, it …

Mobilizing Against The "Hidden Killers" And Their Legacies: A Talk To The International Committee Of The Red Cross (Icrc) Africa Landmines Seminars, Prexy Nesbitt

Rozell 'Prexy' Nesbitt Writings and Speeches

Prexy Nesbitt, a Chicago-based anti-apartheid activist and educator, delivered this talk on landmines and their effects on African civilians to the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1995 to raise awareness and call for action.

Origins Of The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico In The Context Of United States Strategic Interests In The Caribbean (1938-1950), Francisco J. Gonzalez Sosa

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this paper is to explore the political and military considerations that provided the frame of reference for the promulgation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952. Since 1492 possession of this island has been coveted by nations with vital interest in the Caribbean region. To the United States, who conquered the island in 1898, Puerto Rico formed the backbone of the defense perimeter for the Panama Canal and adjacent shipping lanes. Experience during World War 11 and the subsequent threat from the Soviet Union reinforced the military value of the island. The importance of the geostrategic …

Allied Communications Intelligence And The Monsoon Group, 1943-1945, Christopher G. Stuart

History Theses & Dissertations

The critical weakness of trade between Germany and Japan during the Second World War was exposed in 1943, when, after all other methods had failed, the Axis powers resorted to submarines as their main means of transportation. The Allied powers succeeded in disrupting the submarines, which the Germans called the Monsoon group. The Allies used communications intelligence to disrupt the Monsoon group in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Recently released United States Armed Forces LTRA decrypts, MAGIC messages and their summaries, and Selected Research Histories (SRH) provide the previously top secret details.

Ultra Underseas: Signal Intelligence And The Submarine War Against Japan, 1941-1945, Robert B. Watts

History Theses & Dissertations

During the Second World War the United States conducted a highly effective undersea war against Japan which relied on signal intelligence to direct the submarine force. Although submarines were naval assets, the sophisticated signal intelligence operation supporting them was composed of both army and navy organizations that considered a wide variety of factors in directing submarines against enemy economic and military power. While signal intelligence was used to direct submarines against targets of opportunity, the primary advantage of signal intelligence lay in the ability to provide a long-term strategic picture of the enemy. Through inter-service coordination, signal intelligence allowed for …

Naval Airborne Early Warning 1945-1985, Edwin Leigh Armistead

History Theses & Dissertations

Airborne Early Warning (AEW) is the act of carrying a search radar aloft that can actively detect and even control aircraft and ships where a radar mounted on a ship or on land cannot. The United States Navy began research during World War II to counter the low-flying aircraft threat. Development of the AEW aircraft, however, was not complete in time to be of use during this conflict. Initially the Navy used two different aircraft, one carrier-based and the other land-based, to detect such air threats. As technology improved, these different capabilities were combined into a single airframe that contained …

The Battle Of Little Round Top: An Analysis Of Battle Alternatives Through Commercial Wargames, John J. Mcguiness

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the problem of whether one can use commercial wargames as a tool for historical research. The research examines two wargames dealing with the battle of Little Round Top: Gettysburg: The Turning Point and Thunder at the Crossroads. This research emphasized the need to analyze the wargame's structure prior to playing the game. This will avoid a possible mistake of drawing a conclusion about a particular driver in the battle which may not be from the historical situation but rather an inevitable outcome produced by the model's basic assumptions. Additionally, quantitative measures of time lines, casualty rates, and …

"Easy Or Hard" The Mentality Of Survival: The Gi In Europe In World War Two, Brian R. Bowen

Masters Theses

An oral history compiled from recollections of fourteen combat veterans, documented by over forty hours of tape-recorded interviews, the paper recreates GIs' mentality upon entering combat. The formation of the collective mentality is examined by exploring the attitudes, motivations, and historical circumstances determining thought and actions of these reluctant, yet dedicated soldiers. The collective mentality, defined as the way of thinking allowing the majority to best cope with their predicament, answers why men fought and how they persevered once in combat. Explaining sustained combat performance the paper proves how the collective mentality gave Gls the will and ability to withstand …

Analysis Of U. S. Military Mobilizations, Demobilizations, And Peacetime Force Maintenance From 1890 To 1991, Gottfried Kloimwieder, Noel P. Owen

Theses and Dissertations

Military manpower management principles and policies are in constant flux as the military forces mobilize and demobilize during periods of war and peace. This study identifies trends in U.S. military manpower policies and procedures from 1890 to 1991. Major military conflicts reviewed are the Spanish- American War, World wars I and II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. In all wars until Vietnam, post war active duty forces were larger than prewar forces. However, these active duty forces tended to be relatively small until the Cold War period. This tendency is driven by a combination …

Attacks On U.S. Submarines By Friendly Forces In World War Ii, Britt C. Skogstad

History Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzes cases in which U.S. submarines were attacked by friendly forces during World War II and identifies the causes of those incidents. Each case is interpreted in the context of the warfare doctrine, tactics, training, and procedures current at the time of the incident. The study determined that friendly attacks were primarily caused by the physical limitations of visually identifying a submarine. Contributing to the problem were inadequate recognition signal systems, poor communications, the latitude given to on-scene commanders to disregard safety procedures, the general attitude that any submarine detected was a threat, a sense of urgency to …

Soldiers In War: A Brief History Of The United States' Participation In World War I With Special Emphasis On The Kentucky National Guard, Rhonda Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Using mainly primary sources, the activities of the Kentucky National Guard in World War I are chronicled. The major contribution of these Kentuckians was the 149th Infantry, which served on the front line in France. After extensive research, it is concluded that the Kentucky Guard did not play a major role in the war effort.

Teaching Adolescents About War, Richard E. Kaplan

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

164th Infantry News: July 1991, 164th Infantry Association

164th Infantry Regiment Publications

July 1991 edition of the 164th Infantry News. A total of eight pages, containing news articles, event notices, photographs, and personal memories from the veterans of the 164th Infantry Regiment.

Signal Intelligence And Macarthur's Use Of Military Intelligence (G-2) During The Second World War, James Walter Zobel

History Theses & Dissertations

Though signal intelligence significantly benefited MacArthur 's conduct of military operations during the Second World War, each of his campaigns from July 1942 to August 1945 was marred by his reliance on inaccurate intelligence provided by his G-2 organization. An examination of the production and use of intelligence during MacArthur's campaigns displays these mixed aspects of his use of intelligence. Historical analysis shows MacArthur made effective use of signal intelligence, and despite instances of his reliance on inaccurate estimates the result was never disastrous. A detailed view of MacArthur's use of intelligence can be found in the records of his …

Antisubmarine Warfare In The Fifth Naval District During World War Ii: The Defenses Of The Chesapeake Bay, James R. Powell

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates how the United States Navy, with assistance from the Army and Coast Guard, utilized the various aspects of antisubmarine warfare to protect, the Chesapeake Bay and the maritime trade within the Fifth Naval District from the menace of Germany's U-boats during World War II. The details of how these efforts began and were carried out are described.

This thesis complements the other histories of antisubmarine warfare during World War II, which have not emphasized the defenses established for the Chesapeake Bay and the Fifth Naval District. The strenuous, and successful efforts by America's armed forces and the …