Abstract: Although the history of war and military establishments is often neglected in the college liberal arts curriculum, it can be relevant to students and should be offered by history departments. Military history can give liberal arts students a rudimentary understanding of the nature, evolution, and impact of war and familiarize them with some of the literature of military history. Courses should be structured within chronological limits; possible time periods include the 15th-16th century (centralized states, gunpowder, sailing ships, and the beginnings of professional armed forces); the latter 17th-early 18th century (professional standing armies and stable military doctrine); and the period between the Thirty Years War and the French Revolution (predominance of western weapons and military ways). Themes should be developed simultaneously with chronological periods and should deal with topics such as causes and goals of war; consequences of war; social, political, and technological influences; and the history of military thought and doctrine. Military terminology and concepts can be taught through use of several basic textbooks or books on specialized topics which are discussed in a bibliographic note. (Author/DB)
Notes: Paper presented at the Duquesne History Forum (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 23, 1976)
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