U.S. NAVY MUSEUM
MAY EVENTS
The May 2008 calendar of events
at the U.S. Navy Museum can be downloaded
here.
PAPER PRIZE
REMINDER: Cold War Prize Competition 2007-2008
For the fourth year, the John A. Adams Center at the Virginia
Military Institute is pleased to announce that it will award prizes
for the best unpublished papers dealing with the United States
military in the Cold War era (1945-1991). Any aspect of the Cold
War is eligible, with papers on intelligence, logistics, and mobilization
especially welcome. Please note that essays on the Korean War,
on Vietnam, on counterinsurgency and related topics are all open
for consideration.
Not only do we welcome your submission of previously unpublished pieces, but we encourage you to pass along this notice to any colleagues or promising graduate students who might be working in this area.
Prizes: First place will earn a plaque and a cash award of $2000; second place, $1000 and a plaque; and third place, $500 and a plaque.
Procedures: Entries should be
tendered to the Adams Center at VMI by 15 June 2008. Please make
your submission by Microsoft Word and limit your entry to a maximum
of twenty-five pages of double-spaced text, exclusive of documentation
and bibliography. The center will, over the summer, examine all
papers and announce its top three rankings early in the fall of
2008. The Journal of Military History will be happy to
consider those award winners for publication.
Questions:
Professor Malcolm Muir, Jr., Director
John A. Adams '71 Center for Military History and Strategic Analysis
Department of History
Virginia Military Institute; Lexington, VA 24450
muirm@vmi.edu
540-464-7447/7338
Fax: 540-464-7246
THE EDWARD
S. MILLER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IN NAVAL HISTORY
The Naval War College
Foundation intends to award one grant of $1,000 to the researcher
with the greatest need and can make the optimum use of the research
materials for naval history located in the Naval War College's
Archives, Naval Historical Collection, Naval War College Museum,
and Henry E. Eccles Library. Further information on the manuscript
and archival collections and copies of the registers for specific
collections are available on request from the Head, Naval Historical
Collection. E-mail: evelyn.cherpak@nwc.navy.mil.
The recipient will be a Research
Fellow in the Naval War College's Maritime History Department,
which will provide administrative support during the research
visit. Submit detailed research proposal that includes a full
statement of financial need and comprehensive research plan for
optimal use of Naval War College materials, curriculum vitae,
at least two letters of recommendation, and relevant background
information to Miller Naval History Fellowship Committee, Naval
War College Foundation, 686 Cushing Road, Newport RI 02841-1207,
by 1 August 2008. For further information, contact the chair of
the selection committee at john.hattendorf@nwc.navy.mil.
Employees of the U.S. Naval War College or any agency of the U.S.
Department of Defense are not eligible for consideration; EEO/AA
regulations apply.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
The Department of the
Army is searching for a Director of Army Museums, who will guide
and shape the future of a global museum system with 63 museums
and nearly 100 special collections comprised of over 750,000 artifacts
and 15,000 artworks as well as a civilian workforce of 200+ museum
professionals. The Director will serve as a key member of the
Center of Military History's senior corporate leadership, working
directly under the supervision of the Chief of Military History
with the resources of the Center to assist their work. More
complete details can be dowloaded here. Closing date for this
announcement is July 22, 2008.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Paper proposals are invited
for the 2008 Postal History Symposium, the third annual, national
conference for academic scholars, philatelists, and industry experts
to discuss their research into the history of postal organizations
and systems. The Symposium is jointly sponsored by the Smithsonian
National Postal Museum and the American Philatelic Society.
The theme for the 2008 Symposium is war and the mail, broadly interpreted to include everything related to defense and the postal system in all countries and eras. Postal topics are usually framed in peaceful terms: mail "binds the nation together" by enabling commerce and encouraging technological development, while stamps are "works of art in miniature" or "little paper ambassadors" of national culture and achievement. Often overlooked is the fact that when a nation goes to war, its stamps and postal system are always an integral part of the mobilization-and the relief effort.
Possible subjects to be explored include, but are not limited to:
Proposals for individual papers or entire panels are welcome. Proposals should be a maximum of one page and accompanied by a brief curriculum vita for each proposer. Each c.v. must give complete contact information (E-mail, telephone, and street address) and name a single primary institutional or society affiliation. Complete proposal packages must be sent via E-mail to Allison Marsh at MarshA@si.edu. Proposals will be reviewed by the organizing committee and notifications will be made on or about July 1, 2008.
OMAR N BRADLEY
HISTORICAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
The Omar N. Bradley Foundation
will award ten fellowships of approximately $2,000 to support
active duty Army officers conducting research in the field of
military history, including research undertaken towards completion
of a graduate degree or in order to write a scholarly article
or book in the field. Applications for the 2008 grants are due
by 30 April. For details, see http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/Omar_N_Bradley_Historical_Research_Fellowship/index.htm.
NEW MILITARY
HISTORY BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP FOR BOSTON/CAMBRIDGE AND THE NORTH
SHORE
A new Military History
Book Discussion Group is starting up for Boston's North Shore
and Cambridge. We're looking for around 10 new members to form
the core of the group. The goal will be to meet six times a year
to discuss a chosen book covering some aspect of military history.
For variety, we may occasionally substitute an event or a suitable
movie for a book.
The venue is up for discussion but we have the option to meet at restaurant venues from Boston to Gloucester, or at the homes of members if that's easier. The group will be what we make of it. It's a great opportunity to read some great books and to discuss them with others interested in military history. Hear others' views on books and many aspects of military history, and share your perspectives with them.
If you are interested, just email
Gerry Johnston at gerry.johnston@gmail.com
or call on 781-879-0986. Looking forward to hearing from you all.
CALL FOR PAPERS
SOCIETY FOR HISTORY IN THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Online Journal
The Society seeks papers for its new online, peer-reviewed history journal to be published in fall 2008. The journal will promote scholarship on all aspects of the history and workings of the federal government, 1776 to the present, and relationships between the development of American society and government. In addition, the journal will feature research articles on methodological developments in federal historical work, including the fields of history, archival science, historic preservation, public history, museum studies, web-based history, memory studies, and other related areas. The manuscript must be fully documented and follow the submission standards posted at our Publications link at www.shfg.org. Send your manuscript, an abstract, brief biographical information, and information on available images to editor-shfg-journal@shfg.org Deadline: May 30, 2008.
Society for History in the Federal
Government
Box 14139
Benjamin Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044
Web: www.shfg.org
CALL FOR PAPERS
'Allied fighting effectiveness
in North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945'
Friday 18 - Saturday 19 July 2008
Issues of Allied strategy aside, academic attention to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations during the Second World War has not been commensurate with the scale and significance of the military operations conducted therein. Compared with other major campaigns of the conflict, most notably that of France and Northwest Europe during 1944-5, there has been a lesser focus in recent years on the issue of Allied fighting effectiveness at the operational and tactical levels of war in the North African, Sicilian and Italian campaigns. Yet the breadth of operational and tactical experiences encountered in these campaigns was perhaps uniquely broad; each campaign full of contrasts. For example, battles in Italy could be characterised by a degree of attrition more common to 1916 than the Second World War; they could be static and bloody affairs which involved protracted efforts to break strongly-held defensive positions. Over the course of the campaign in Italy alone the British Army sustained more casualties than in any other theatre during the war. On the other hand, these campaigns witnessed bold amphibious strokes, accompanied by the innovative application of force in complex joint and combined operations. New approaches were evolved and refined at the operational and tactical levels of warfare; it was in these campaigns that the Allies learnt much of their trade before the invasion of Northwest Europe in mid-1944. Encompassing the major campaigns of North Africa, Sicily and Italy from operation 'Torch' to the end of the war in Europe, this conference seeks to explore the intriguing dichotomy of the nature of battle in the Mediterranean theatre, whilst helping to emphasise its significance to the study of Second Word War military history.
Researchers working on any aspect of the Mediterranean campaign during the Second World War are welcomed to submit proposals for the conference. Papers will be grouped into panels of three and should each last 15-20 minutes in order to facilitate a roundtable discussion. The following subjects may be of particular interest:
Applicants should please send a brief (500 word) abstract of their proposed paper, that provides the title and outline of research context, and a curriculum vitae to kclconference@hotmail.co.uk by 25 April 2008.
The conference will be held at King's College on 18 July and at the Imperial War Museum on 19 July 2008
Conference organisers: Andrew Hargreaves, Patrick Rose and Matthew Ford.
This conference is conducted in partnership between the History of Warfare Group, Department of War Studies, King's College London and the Imperial War Museum.
RESEARCH/WRITING
OPPORTUNITY
Palo Alto Battlefield
National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, preserves
the site of the first battle of the U.S.-Mexican War. The park
receives many requests for staff rides from ROTC, the Army Reserves,
and other military organizations and is looking to create a staff
ride handbook. Anyone interested in the project should contact
Karen Weaver, Outreach Coordinator at Palo Alto Battlefield NHS
at (956) 541-2785, ext. 332, or by email at Karen_Weaver@nps.gov.
SMH JOINS TEMPLE UNIVERSITY IN SPONSORINGCONFERENCE CELEBRATING RUSSELL F. WEIGLEY AND MILITARY HISTORY
Russell F. Weigley, late Distinguished University Professor of History, taught at Temple University from 1962 until his death in 2004. During those years, he established himself as one of the world's leading military historians. Several of Weigley's most important books - The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy (1973), Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaign of France and Germany 1944-1945 (1981), and The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo (1991) - became must reading for anyone seriously interested in the field and influenced many non-military historians. In addition to winning many publication prizes, Weigley served as president of the American Military Institute (today the Society for Military History) and the Pennsylvania Historical Association. Weigley also turned Temple University into a premier center for studying military history by turning out a long line of doctoral students who have shaped the field in both academe and the historical programs maintained by America's armed forces. Although Temple's History Department contains other areas of strength, it remains its commitment to military history, which sets it apart from many other East Coast research universities.
Following Weigley's death, two of his PhDs, Edward G. Longacre and Theodore J. Zeman, asked Weigley's most accomplished students to contribute to an essay collection in honor of their departed mentor. This volume was meant to memorialize Weigley's intellectual legacy by showcasing the new paths in military history that his students continue to blaze. Longacre and Zeman succeeded in putting together a festschrift titled Beyond Combat: Essays in Honor of Russell F. Weigley, which was published in late 2007 by the American Philosophical Society. As an additional tribute to Weigley, Longacre and Zeman are donating the royalties earned by this book to the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy at Temple University (or CENFAD), which Weigley co-founded in the 1990s.
To celebrate the publication of the Weigley festschrift and signify a continuing commitment to military history, the Department of History at Temple University is joining CENFAD in sponsoring "Beyond Combat: A Conference Honoring the Temple Tradition in Military History." This special, one-day event will feature papers delivered by four contributors to the Weigley festschrift, plus a round-table discussion on the current state and future direction of military history as an academic discipline. Copies of Beyond Combat: Essays in Honor of Russell F. Weigley will be available at the conference for sale and signing by the editors and attending contributors. This conference is being co-sponsored by the Society for Military History, American Philosophical Society, Roxanne and John R. Satterfield, and the Boeing Company.
"Beyond Combat: A Conference Honoring the Temple Tradition in Military History" will be held on Saturday on April 26, 2008, in the Russell F. Weigley Room on the 9th Floor of Gladelter Hall, which is located on Temple University's Main Campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference will begin with opening remarks from Dr. William Hitchcock, CENFAD's acting director, at 9:30 A.M., and it will conclude with the aforementioned book signing from 4:30 to 5:30 P.M.
Admission to the conference is free and open to the public. Anyone wishing to reserve a ticket to a free box lunch should RSVP by e-mailing Dr. Gregory J. W. Urwin, a professor of history at Temple University and the conference coordinator, at gurwin@temple.edu. The number of tickets is limited and they will be distributed on a first-come, first served basis.
Schedule
"Beyond Combat:
A Conference Honoring the Temple Tradition in Military History"
Saturday, April 26, 2008
9:30-9:45 A.M. Welcoming Remarks
Dr. William Hitchcock, Acting Director, Center of the Study
of Force and Diplomacy at Temple University
Drs. Edward G. Longacre and Theodore J. Zeman, Co-Editors, Beyond
Combat.
9:45-10:45 A.M. First Session
Dr. J. Britt McCarley, Chief Historian, U.S. Army Training
and Doctrine Command
"'The Great Question of the Campaign Was One of Supplies':
An Evaluation of Sherman's Generalship and the Logistic Strategy
during the March to Atlanta, 1864"
10:45-11:00 A.M. Break
11:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. Second
Session
Dr. Douglas V. Johnson, Research Professor, National Security
Affairs, Strategic Studies Institute, U. S. Army War College
"Leadership Prerequisites: Colonel Conrad C. Babcock and
Command Development during the First World War"
12:00-1:00 P.M. Lunch
1:00-2:00 P.M. Third Session
Dr. Christopher DeRosa, Assistant Professor, Monmouth University
"The Battle for Uniform Votes: The Politics of Soldier
Voting in the Elections of 1944"
2:00-2:20 P.M. Break
2:20-3:20 P.M. Fourth Session
Dr. Peter S. Kindsvatter, Command Historian at the U.S. Army
Ordnance Center and Schools, Aberdeen Proving Ground
"'Operation Roll-up': The U. S. Army's Rebuild Program
during the Korean War"
3:20-3:30 P.M. Break
3:30-4:30 P.M. Round Table Discussion
Dr. Gregory J. W. Urwin (Moderator) with Dr. J. Britt McCarley,
Dr. Douglas V. Johnson, Dr. Christopher DeRosa, Dr. Peter S. Kindsvatter,
Dr. Edward G. Longacre, and Dr. Theodore J. Zeman
4:30-5:30 P.M. Book Signing
UPDATED CONFERENCE
INFORMATION
SMH is sponsoring an International
Conference on 29 July - 2August 2008 in partnership with King's
College London and the Obersalzberg Institute titled "'The
Obersalzberg as a Historical Landscape: the destruction, militarisation,
destruction and revival of the Obersalzberg." The latest
information can be downloaded here:
NEW FACES CONFERENCE
The Triangle Institute
for Security Studies (TISS) will be holding its Ninth Annual New
Faces Conference on Friday, September 5th and Saturday, September
6th, 2008 in Durham, North Carolina. We will be inviting seven
or eight graduate students from across the nation and beyond to
speak at this event local faculty and graduate students will serve
as discussants. The conference provides an excellent opportunity
for advanced graduate students to present and discuss their research
before an eclectic, interdisciplinary audience. It has proven
to be an enjoyable and rewarding event. To find out more about
the conference series, please go to the TISS web site: http://www.tiss-nc.org/
and follow the links from the home page.
If you know of any outstanding students who might be interested
in applying or, if you have colleagues at other universities,
who might know of suitable candidates, please pass on this email.
Students should be close to completion of their doctoral dissertation
and be doing work in a topic that focuses on national and international
security/ the study of war and peace, broadly defined. Applicants
from political science, history, sociology, anthropology, gender
studies, law, and other fields are warmly welcomed. This year,
as always, speakers will be chosen on the strength of their recommendations,
the interest and relevance of their dissertation, and the excellence
of their scholarly record.
The application form may be found
by clicking on the attached url: http://survey.oit.duke.edu/ViewsFlash/servlet/viewsflash?cmd=showform&pollid=TISS-DB!NF2008
CALL FOR PAPERS
24th ANNUAL OHIO VALLEY
HISTORY CONFERENCE
Oct. 30-Nov. 1
Austin Peay State University
The 24th Annual Ohio Valley History Conference (OVHC), sponsored by APSU's history department, will be held on the campus of APSU in Clarksville, Tennessee on Oct. 30-Nov.1. The conference topics include a broad range of subjects including regional, American and non-American topics, interdisciplinary panels and round tables. The Society for Military History will sponsor panels as will Phi Alpha Theta.
Submission of complete panels is encouraged, but individual papers are accepted. Abstracts for papers should be approximately 200 words, typed and single spaced. Both paper presenters and commentators should send a CV to the OVHC Coordinator. The abstract and CV should be received no later than May 1, 2008. The Program Committee will announce selections and send out information by June 1, 2008.
Address all inquires and abstracts to:
Minoa Uffelman, Coordinator OVHC
Department of History and Philosophy
Box 4486
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN 37044
Phone: Office - 931-221-7704; Department - 931-221-7919; FAX -
931-221-7917
E-mail: uffelmanm@apsu.edu
CALL FOR PAPERS
THE US ARMY AND THE INTERAGENCY
PROCESS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
16-18 September, 2008
Lewis and Clark Center
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Organizers: The United States Army Combat Studies Institute, Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The Combat Studies Institute will host a symposium entitled "The US Army and the Interagency Process: Historical Perspectives." The symposium will include a variety of guest speakers, panel sessions, and general discussions.
This symposium will explore the partnership between the US Army and government agencies in attaining national goals and objectives in peace and war within a historical context. Separate international topics may be presented. The symposium will also examine current issues, dilemmas, problems, trends, and practices associated with US Army operations requiring close interagency cooperation.
Proposed Program: With this in mind, CSI is issuing a call for papers for the symposium. The symposium program will consist of seven panels composed of two speakers covering a similar theme. There will also be three, perhaps four featured speakers. The following panel topics represent the chronological range of potential papers, all of which should have an interagency perspective:
- British Colonial Office through the Ages.
- Post American Civil War: Reconstruction, Bureau of Indian Affairs, US in the Philippines, Haiti 1915, Mexican Border 1916.
- Post World War I: Occupation of the Ruhr, Central America.
- Post World War II: Greek Civil War, British Experience in Kenya, Postwar Occupation of Germany / Japan and South Korea 1945 -1950.
- Cold War: Planning for nuclear war, CORDS Program in Vietnam/Phoenix, Grenada, Suez Crisis, El Salvador, Columbia.
- Post Cold War: Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor, Solomon Islands 2001.
- The Long War: Afghanistan, Iraq, Philippines and East Asia, Africa
- Domestic Civil Support: Civil Disturbances, Disaster Response, War on Drugs, illegal immigration, Joint Interagency Task Forces.
Please send short proposals (approximately 300 words) for individual papers or full panels to CSIconference08@leavenworth.army.mil or ken.gott@us.army.mil, or mail them to Combat Studies Institute, Attn: CSI Symposium, 201 Sedgwick Avenue, Ft. Leavenworth, KS 66027.
The CSI will publish the proceedings of the conference in an edited volume within four months of the conclusion of the conference. Because of this deadline, individuals who are unable to deliver their papers at the time of the conference or who are unwilling to publish in this forum should not answer this call for papers.
The closing date for proposals is 15 May 2008.
For more information on the symposium, please contact CSI at 913-684-2138 or email Mr. Ken Gott, the Conference coordinator at ken.gott@us.army.mil.
CALL FOR PAPERS
The League of World War I Aviation Historians is a nonprofit organization chartered with furthering the study of aviation history encompassing the World War I period. To this end, the League sponsors the annual Mike Carr Student Paper Competition.
This essay competition is open
to both graduate and undergraduate students attending any accredited
educational institution. Monetary prizes will be awarded for the
best original paper on any aspect of aviation taking place during
1914-1918 (eg., personal history, unit history, citations, tactics,
technical development, political ramifications, aircraft development,
balloon activities, etc.).
Papers must be at least 10 double-spaced pages in length (not
including bibliography, references, etc.), and if submitted in
hard copy, must be cleanly and clearly typed (i.e., no hand-written
or faint dot matrix-printed entries). Any generally accepted format
may be used. The topic of the essay can be of the student's choosing,
except that it MUST deal with some aspect of aviation during the
1914-1918 World War I years.
All entries will be judged by a panel of knowledgeable members of the League of World War I Aviation Historians. Judging will be based on the criteria of originality, technical accuracy, thoroughness of development of the subject, and source documentation. The award for first place is $500, while $200 will be given to each of five honorable mention awardees. The League reserves the right, at its discretion, to publish one or more of the winning papers in a future issue of Over the Front, with full credit given to the author.
Papers should preferably be submitted in digital form (e-mail with attached document) to the administrator of this competition, at papers@overthefront.com. Alternatively, hard copies or disks can be sent to: Karen Kubal, 909 Pine St., Yankton, SD 57078-3636. To be considered for the 2007-2008 competition, entries must be received by May 31, 2008. Winners will be announced in the summer of 2008.
Educators and mentors, please encourage your students to submit entries. Students, we look forward to receiving your submission. Good luck!
MILITARY CLASSICS SEMINAR SERIES
2006-2007 Season (tentative)
All events will take place at the Fort Myer Officers' Club, with
a cash bar at 5:30 pm, dinner at 6:30, and presentation at 7:30.
20 May 2008 Millett, Allan R. The War for Korea,
1945-1950: A House Burning (Modern War Studies). Lawrence,
Kan.: University Press of Kansas, 2005.
Speaker: Janet Valentine, Historian, Air National Guard
17 June 2008 Reynolds, Clark. The Fast Carriers:
The Forging of an Air Navy. New York: McGraw Hill, 1968 (Naval
Institute Press 1992).
Speaker: Curtis Utz, Naval Historical Center
SMH MEMBERS' HELP SOUGHT
The National Museum of the United States Army is engaged in the process of developing themes and specific exhibits for their galleries. Whenever possible, they intend to use the words of real soldiers wherever feasible and appropriate to tell the Army story. For many periods, locating personal narrative accounts of Army service is a question of winnowing through an embarrassment of riches, as there are so many moving, poignant accounts to draw from. This is certainly the case in looking at the two World Wars, the Civil War, and some other periods. The difficulty arises in finding good accounts from earlier periods and more obscure conflicts or periods of service. Examples are the War of 1812, frontier Army service in the pre- Civil war era, the Cold War, and the first Gulf War, to name a few. The museum is requesting the assistance of SMH members in locating and or recommending personal narrative accounts of US Army service that are enlightening, informative, and useful in reflecting the soldier experience in the US Army over time. They are especially interested in enlisted men's accounts.
Those who might contribute to this effort should contact Stephen McGeorge at stephen.c.mcgeorge@us.army.mil. While a gloss or summary of what an individual account covers will be helpful, it is not necessary. The essential information he needs is a bibliographical citation sufficient to locate the account and evaluate it as it may pertain to a variety of National Museum gallery and exhibit themes.
JOURNAL SEEKING SUBMISSIONS
Scientia Militaria, an academic journal published by the Military Academy of South Africa on a bi-annual basis, is actively seeking international contributors. The journal appears both in print and online and can be accessed at http://academic.sun.ac.za/mil/scientia_militaria/default.asp.
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE
The Marine Corps
Historical Center offers a number of prestigious and generous
fellowships and research grants, funded by the non-profit Marine
Corps Heritage Foundation, for students pursuing the study of
military history. Clicking on the following link will take you
to the related section of the U.S. Marine Corps History and Museums
Division web page where information about our Fellowships and
Research Grants may be found: http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/General/Grants_Internships_Grants.htm.
