Military History Commons^™

Delenda Est Norfolk: The Tidewater Revolts!, Kiera Dillman, Alise Dunham, Kristen Gary, Olivia M. Haris, Nelliel A. Herrera, Logan Holzgrefe, R. J. Lynch, Adam M. Manis, David Mogan, Luke Pickard, Shayla M. Shaw, Landon Swain, Kenny Wilcox, Bailey M. Wimberly, Tracy L. Barnett

Student Projects

Introduction to the Exhibit:

Today—exactly 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence—many Americans trace the origins of the nation’s revolutionary sentiment to Boston, Massachusetts or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We remember the violence of March 1770, when red-coated British soldiers fired into a crowded Boston street, massacring innocent colonists and igniting outrage. We recall the patriotic defiance of the Sons of Liberty, who boarded three East India Company ships and dumped chests of imported British tea into the Boston Harbor in December 1773. We can still hear, too, the reverberations of the “shot heard ’round the world,” when British …

Choosing To Bear Arms: Resistance And Identity Formation Through Louisiana’S Free Afro Creole Militia, Victoria Mcfarlane

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines how African and Afro Creole men utilized the availability of and demand for forced and voluntary militia service under French, Spanish, and American governance as a mode of resistance to discrimination and repression within the social structures of the region. The influence and connections built through militia service were engaged to protect and preserve rights, customs, and opportunities for the Afro Creole community. From the establishment of the Louisiana colony until the Civil War, African and Afro Creole men utilized the service required in defense of their new home to gain freedoms, expand their personal and community …

Thither The Russian Navy? Putin’S Navalization In A Historical Context, William Emerson Bunn

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The Syrian operation of 2012 was the first successful employment by Russia of expeditionary warfare, narrowly defined as naval support to Russian (or Soviet) ground forces in a war away from their periphery (i.e., in a country that does not border them), from the sea. This was brought about in part by the development of two types of cruise missiles: advanced anti-ship missiles (which protects their expeditionary force from NATO naval units, enabling local sea control) and new land attack cruise missiles (similar in design and capability to the U.S. Tomahawk). In the past geographical, technological and political constraints …

The Guns Of Fort Monroe, Chris Fox

Student Posters: GIS Day

The objective of this research project is to analyze the interlocking fields of fire from the field artillery positions around the Bastion known as Fort Monroe located in Hampton Virginia. The research project will allow for the visualization of the artillery positions around the fort in one overview, as well as line of sight analysis from each artillery position within the moat. An analysis and line of sight for the artillery positions outside of the fort was also conducted. The 12 Inch M1895 and M1900 disappearing guns were the largest guns used at the fort and fired a projectile that …

"Elite Assault:" The 85th Infantry Division In Italy, 1944-1945, Charles Ross Patterson Ii

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis fills a major gap in the historiography of the Second World War by emphasizing the role of drafted divisions in the United States Army. Specifically, this thesis examines the 85th Infantry Division from its formation in May 1942 to its disbanding in August 1945. This thesis challenges the age-old assumption that conscripted soldiers were inferior to volunteer forces. By the 1940s, the United States retained a long-standing prejudice against drafted troops dating back to the poorly-executed drafts of the American Civil War, with many citizens arguing that volunteers were better soldiers. The 85th Division stands in direct contradiction …

Set Adrift By The Confederacy: The Civil War Occupation Of Virginia's Eastern Shore, Paige Kelly Solomon

History Theses & Dissertations

Despite the profusion of literature examining the importance of Virginia's Civil War, the Old Dominion's two Eastern Shore counties have been too often ignored by historians. To correct this deficiency, this thesis examines the events that occurred there during the Civil War Era, illuminating specifically President Lincoln's attempt to rekindle loyalty to the Union through an evolving military occupation strategy. Although Federal soldiers and sailors invaded the land and waters of the Eastern Shore with relative ease, citizens found ways to resist occupation and aid the Confederacy. In the end, the four-year Federal occupation brought an end to slavery, but …

The Forgotten Sixty-Ninth: The Sixty-Ninth New York National Guard Artillery Regiment In The American Civil War, Christopher M. Garcia

History Theses & Dissertations

In Civil War historiography, consistent attention and public interest has illuminated the history of various Irish organizations, no regiment more so than New York's famed "Fighting Sixty-Ninth." During the conflict, the State of New York fielded three regiments designated the Sixty-Ninth, but the scholarship has tended to favor just one of them, the 69'" New York Volunteers of the Irish Brigade. The 69" New York National Guard Artillery, the first regiment in General Michael Corcoran's Irish Legion, has been virtually forgotten. This regiment was, in essence, the standing 69ia New York Militia in federal service for three years or the …

"We Are No Grumblers": Negotiating State And Federal Military Service In The Pennsylvania Reserve Division, Timothy J. Orr

History Faculty Publications

The article discusses the status of state and federal military officers from Pennsylvania during the U.S. Civil War. It examines the alleged confusion as to the expiration of contracts for soldiers and sailors in the Pennsylvania Reserve Division who had enlisted in 1861. According to the article, the problems arose from organizational difficulties as the mobilization of the Union army fluctuated following the 1861 call to volunteer service from state governors. The article states that following that call, soldiers were transferred from state service into federal service. According to the article, the organizational dilemma caused discord among the Pennsylvania Reserve …

Closing The Greenland-Iceland Atlantic Air-Gap: 1939 To 1943, James F. Boland

History Theses & Dissertations

The Battle of the Atlantic during World War II centered on the submarine guerre de course of the German Kriegsmarine, aimed at severing the maritime bridge between Great Britain and North America. From 1939 until mid-1943 all of the belligerents involved struggled to balance the scarce resources they could marshal for the fight. For the Allies the limited number and quality of escort ships and patrol aircraft they could muster reflected this scarcity. During the summer of 1943 the Allies achieved their turning point in the battle when a complex mix of factors coalesced. Prominent among those factors was …

Hearts And Minds, The American Revolution In South Carolina: A Study In The Application Of Militia Violence To Influence Politics, Paul K. Reimann

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines both the military and political aspects of the genesis and application of militia violence in South Carolina immediately prior to and throughout the Revolution. It assesses the affects of violence on the part of both Patriots and Loyalists in controlling the support provided by the colonists to either army in South Carolina. Warfare in the Southern Colonies transformed, for the patriots, from the accepted European style of battle to the more successful employment of the frontier militia in the role of partisans.

Hearts and Minds argues that the use of violence by the rebel militia was an …

"They Are Gone And I Am Going": The Battle Of Memphis 6 June 1862, Matthew T. Eng

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the 6 June 1862 naval battle of Memphis between the Confederate River Defense Fleet and Union Ram Fleet and Western Flotilla. In just under two hours, the crowded and anxious populace lined along the Memphis bluffs witnessed the complete destruction of the last remaining Confederate fleet along the Mississippi River. Within the combined Union army and navy operations throughout the late winter and spring of 1862, the clash of iron-wielded rams and gunboats that occurred on a casually warm June morning tells much of the scope of the western war and its importance in ultimately securing the …

Learning To Fly: Military Aviation Training At Middle Tennessee State University And The Transformation Of Southern Higher Education In World War Ii, Christopher T. Crawford Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

In December 1942 the Army Air Forces created the Army Air Forces College Training Program (AAFTP) to reduce the backlog of aviation recruits. This program, designed to provide recruits with basic flight instruction and education, established 153 units known as College Training Detachments (CTD) on college campuses throughout the U.S. This thesis provides a history of the AAFTP and examines the wartime role of universities and the effect of military training on colleges in the American South. The first chapter examines the AAFTP from the military perspective, the state of the AAF leading into WWII, and the forces that drove …

The Tactical Flexibility Of The Union Cavalry: How Modern Firearms Changed The Federal Cavalry, Peter J. Francione

History Theses & Dissertations

The history of warfare is replete with episodes chronicling the struggle between developing tactics with technological advances. From the bow to the smoothbore musket, military leaders have always been forced to alter their tactics in order to take advantage of technological advances. During the American Civil War the Union cavalry was able to achieve great heights by wedding their tactics to the advanced firearms their troopers carried. Realizing the potential of breech-loading and repeating firearms the Union cavalry, from 1861-1865, developed a flexible set of tactics that took advantage of those modern weapons. Their efforts came to fruition as the …

Flaws In The Armor Of The Grand Illusion: Dissent, Reluctance, And Disaffection Toward The Confederate Cause In The Central Shenandoah Valley - A Study Of Page County Virginia, Robert H. Moore Ii

History Theses & Dissertations

The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia was critical to the Confederacy, not only for its strategic importance, but also as a supplier of food and manpower. Due to its agricultural productivity, the area was known early on as the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy." Additionally, many of the units formed from this area were considered among the elite of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and included the famed "Stonewall Brigade." Thus, it has long been assumed that the great majority of the Valley's white residents strongly supported the Confederate cause.

However, in stark contrast to these assumptions, this paper …

The Business Of War: Military Mobilization And The State, 1861-1865, Harold S. Wilson

History Faculty Publications

This is essentially an institutional study of the Union Quartermaster Department in the American Civil War, and its central thesis is that “modern American business and government were shaped directly and indirectly by a military model of administration that had been on display in 1861–1865” (p. 4).

The Interaction Of Domestic Politics And English Naval Operations During The Civil War And Interregnum, 1642-1660, Don P. Crowson

History Theses & Dissertations

The interaction of domestic politics and the English Navy during the Civil Wars and the following interregnum is analyzed. The period of interest is during the reign of Charles I (1646-1649); the Commonwealth (1649-1653), when the government functioned essentially as a republic; and the Protectorate, (1653-1660), when the executive function was performed first by Oliver Cromwell and then by his son, Richard Cromwell. A brief description of the immediate preceding years is included to establish the political climate of the time.

The major events with political implications are considered in detail. They are: (1) the struggle between Parliament and the …

The Faux Pas Of A Vert Galant: The Historiography Of Henry Iv's Military Leadership, Annette Finley-Croswhite

History Faculty Publications

Even though many modern historians agree that Henry IV was less than a brilliant military commander, a small but growing body of revisionist historians believe that his reputation deserves to be reassessed. While acknowledging his military innovations and battlefield successes, his critics see him primarily as an opportunist with a reckless streak who failed time and again to take full advantage of his victories. The revisionist school, however, believes that these interpretations are based on an inaccurate assessment of early modern warfare and its unique political, religious, and social components. Henry's modern defenders further note that his reputation has suffered …

In The Shadow Of The Fleet: The Development Of American Submarines Between The World Wars, Stephen J. Brady

History Theses & Dissertations

At the close of the First World War, American submarines compared most unfavorably with those of Germany and Great Britain. German submarines sank over 5000 ships, while the British submarine campaign, much less ambitious by design, was still credited with sinking 54 warships and 274 other vessels. Standing in stark contrast, American submarines did not sink a single ship. However, by the end of the Second World War, American submarines would sink over 1300 Japanese merchantmen and warships. This ultimate success was hard won, for attempts to modernize American submarine designs between the wars were continually stifled by advocates of …

Buying For The Cold War: Influences On Air Force Procurement, 1945-1956, William Cline

History Theses & Dissertations

Military planning and buying changed dramatically after World War II as more attention and resources were applied toward the development of a strategy that made air power the center of strategic thinking. Nevertheless, when by 1947, aircraft production dropped so low as to threaten the viability of the aircraft industry, President Truman formed the President's Air Policy Commission, which spawned a cooperative effort between government and industry.

The relationship between government officials, particularly in the military, and industry executives became so close in the next decade that the health of the aircraft industry became linked with that of the military. …

Henri Iv As Military Commander, Terence W. Loveridge

History Theses & Dissertations

Henri IV won the throne of France as a feat of arms in a time of great social, religious, economic and military transformation. Militarily, Henri has generally been regarded as a gallant, opportunistic and lucky cavalry commander whose remarkable sense of timing and flexible personal principles enabled him to play a major role in the ending of the Wars of Religion in France. Current debate over the "Military Revolution" of the sixteenth century and the "Revolution in Military Affairs" of the twentieth has renewed interest in both the characters and the techniques of warfare in transformation.

New approaches to military …

An Analysis Of The Success And Failure Of The Collection And Interpretation Of American Intelligence, 1942-1989, Alexander Michael Gibby

History Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate several types of American intelligence collectors. These collectors include human, airborne, shipborne, satellite, and signals. The time frame for this study will begin with the American involvement in the Second World War, commencing with Operation Torch in 1942, and end with the conclusion of the Cold War, marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The case-study format of the paper allows the author to focus on several important areas of intelligence collection, rather than dividing analysis over a great array of topics. The significance of the thesis to contemporary …

Hanover Courthouse: The Union's Tactical Victory And Strategic Failure, Jerry Joseph Coggeshall

History Theses & Dissertations

The Battle of Hanover Courthouse was the high water mark of the Union's Peninsular Campaign: the battle was a decisive Federal victory, but disjointed leadership by the Union high command squandered the ensuing strategic opportunities. This research project will evaluate the complex strategic situation which developed in the area of Hanover Courthouse as the Union high command attempted to reinforce the Army of the Potomac in its drive on Richmond in May of 1862.

The goal of this study will be to expose the strategic opportunities which were lost to the Union at Hanover Courthouse as a result of disjointed …

William Mahone And The Confederate Command Style During The Siege Of Petersburg, 1864-1865, David Kenneth Reed

History Theses & Dissertations

William Mahone exemplified the audacity and adaptability acquired by southern commanders during the last year of the American Civil War. Mahone's contribution to Confederate military operations during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia, from 1864-1865 played an important role in the Confederacy's survival. During the siege, he was one of Lee's most trusted and capable lieutenants. The findings of this study show that Mahone's emergence as a superior divisional commander came about mainly because of his knowledge of the terrain surrounding Petersburg.

This thesis discusses the way Mahone extended the life of the Confederacy. Four of Mahone's engagements during the siege …

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 …

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 …

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, …

Partnership Of Necessity: The Anglo-American Intelligence Relationship From 1921 To 1942, H. Douglas Brooks Iii

History Theses & Dissertations

Throughout the period between the two world wars, Great Britain and the United States were embroiled in an imperialistic rivalry focused heavily in East Asia. The strong sense of competition and mistrust between the navies of the two nations hindered the development of close cooperation as war became imminent in the late 1930s. This state of affairs encompassed every aspect of naval operations, including signal intelligence whose officials sought to forge a working relationship beneficial to both countries in the opening days of the Second world War. Old prejudices and outdated perceptions of national interest were difficult to overcome even …

Judicial Intelligence: Allied Signal Intelligence And The War Crimes Trials Of Class "A" War Criminals At The International Military Tribunal For The Far East, 1946-1948, William Todd Baker

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the use of Allied signal intelligence as evidence in the prosecution of Japanese military and political leaders accused of major war crimes before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in 1946-1948. Allied signal intelligence helped illuminate Japan's participation in the Second World War. MAGIC signal intelligence, as part of a larger body of evidence presented by the prosecution, served also to aid in the convictions of Japanese military and political leaders accused as Class “A” war criminals. This study is based on documentary evidence from the thirty-nine reel microform collection of official Court Papers, two …