Military History

by Cliopatria

In today's New York Post, Rich Lowry has an appropriately timed op-ed on the collapse of military history as a field staffed in History Departments.

A study of the top 25 History departments by former University of Wisconsin professor Edward Coffman reveals the same sort of pattern that I have seen in staffing decisions for political, constitutional, and diplomatic history: he found"that a mere 21 professors out of more than 1,000 listed war as their specialty

Lowry also cites the case of WVU professor Steven Zdatny, who World War I as one of his"teaching fields," but whose latest work is on"the French hairdressing professions" and the"evolving practices and sensibilities of cleanliness in 20th century France."

The battle for military history was lost years ago--despite strong student interest in the topic. But it's good to continue to shine a spotlight on hiring practices.

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Christy Jo Snider - 6/1/2007

Military history seems to even be losing on the history channel. Over Memorial Day weekend my student worker told me it showed 'Planet of the Apes', some Star Wars retrospective, and a Star Trek marathon.

Alan Allport - 5/30/2007

The first seems to be pretty clearly yes. The latter seems to be more ambiguous.

I agree; but the lack of care that people like Lowry take over these distinctions suggests to me that their interest in the issue is less than serious or sincere.

David Silbey - 5/30/2007

There seem to me to be two separate issues here:
1. Are universities and colleges _teaching_ military history courses?

2. Are universities and colleges _hiring_ military historians?

The first seems to be pretty clearly yes. The latter seems to be more ambiguous.

Chris Levesque - 5/29/2007

It would be helpful to see which schools' class schedules were supposedly examined. Surely either UNC, Duke, or OSU would qualify as providing military history courses? Michigan has five military history courses (Civil War & Reconstruction,
America & Mideast Wars,20th C American Wars, Europe Era of War,American Revolution) that I could easily identify from their Fall schedule. Outside the realm of "elite" programs, even the University of Colorado has two obvious military/war classes on the Fall schedule (War & Society Since the 18th Century, Military History). My alma mater, USF, doesn't have the variety or volume of military history on the schedule that it did 15 years ago, but still offers two courses (World War I, European War & Diplomacy). WVU has none scheduled for the fall.

I personally have a vested interest in seeing more military history taught, but I would rather see the discussion of the decline in military history use specifics rather than glittering generalities. I'd also like to see the rationale that says that only operation military history counts - as important as it is for understanding what happens in war, we also need to examine the social, cultural, political, and religious aspects of the societies engaged in a given conflict.

Alan Allport - 5/28/2007

Lowry: "military history has been all but banished from college campuses."

Well, during the academic year that is just ending, my top-25 institution has offered courses on Strategy, Policy and War; the Greater East Asian War; The First Crusade; the US Civil War and Reconstruction; World War Two; War and Diplomacy; Aspects of War; The Origins of World War I; The Korean War; and that's not to mention the dozens of other courses that have addressed war and military topics at some point or other. I am currently preparing a Fall research seminar on Britain in the Second World War. Do Lowry and co. actually believe this crap, or is it purely political posturing?