Introduction
Lsn 1
HIS 351: US Military History 1860
to the Present
• Kevin Dougherty
– kevin.dougherty@usm.edu
– 266-4455
– Room 449
– http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w416373/
HIS 351: US Military History 1860
to the Present
• Focuses on the operational aspects of the
American military experience
• Uses professionally accepted analytical tools to
understand the wars, campaigns, and battles
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Principles of war
Facets of the operational art
Characteristics of the offense and defense
Tenets of leadership
etc
Jomini’s Three Kinds of Military History
• The Pure Version
– The recounting in minute and pedantic terms all aspects of a given
battle
– Done in an antiquarian way without much concern for useful analysis
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The Analytical Version
– Used the account of a campaign or battle to examine the principles that
apply to the waging of war
– Involved analysis of the relationship between events and principles
– Studied in the broad context could reveal something of the evolution of
the art of war
• Political Military History
– The examination of war in its broadest spectrum through association of
the military with the political, social, and economic factors
HIS 351: US Military History 1860
to the Present
• Discusses the military as an American
institution and places it in its role in
American society
– The Constitution
– National Security Strategy
– Civilian control
– Social implications
HIS 351: US Military History 1860
to the Present
• Text
– Robert Doughty, et al, American Military History and
the Evolution of Western Warfare, Lexington, MA: D.
C. Heath and Company, 1996 and assigned articles
• Grading
– Midterm Exam
200 points
– Unannounced Quizzes (10 at 10 pts each) 100 points
– Book review
100 points
– Student Presentation
100 points
– Writing Assignment
300 points
– Final Exam
200 points
HIS 351: US Military History 1860
to the Present
• Midterm Exam
– Short Answer (5 to 10 sentences) and “ID & SIGs” (in 2
to 4 sentences identify and state the significance of a
term)
• Unannounced Quizzes
– Fill in the blank using ID & SIGs from that day’s lesson
• Student Presentation
– Pick a topic listed under selected lessons and prepare
a 7 to 10 minute powerpoint presentation to be given
that lesson. Grade based on content and effective
communications
• Final Exam
– Comprehensive
– ID & SIGs, Short Answer, and Essay
Writing Requirement
• 1,800 to 2,200 word battle or campaign analysis
– You pick the battle or campaign. Can be one we
discussed in class or another, but I must approve it.
– Use one of the analytical tools we discuss in Block 1
to analyze the battle or campaign
• On Lsn 14, bring in your introductory paragraph
• Writing assignments are due Lsn 21
Analytical Writing
• GRE Analytical Writing Measure assesses
the applicant's ability to
 articulate complex ideas clearly and
effectively
 examine claims and accompanying evidence
 support ideas with relevant reasons and
examples
 sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
 control the elements of standard written
English
Thesis
• “a position or proposition that a person ...
advances and offers to maintain by
argument”
• Webster’s Dictionary
Writing Style
• Put the thesis and proofs -- the “bottom line” -- in the
first paragraph (BLUF = Bottom line up front).
• Each paragraph addresses one main idea and that idea
is clearly stated in the topic sentence.
– Write paragraphs that average 5 to 7 sentences in
length.
• Document using MLA or Turabian.
– Use college-level sources. If your main source is
wikipedia or some other .org source, you’re probably
not using appropriate sources.
• Do not use contractions.
Writing Style
• Use quotations for impact (to cite an authority, to get
exact wording, or to connect an important person with a
particular thought). Put them in context. Do not have a
whole sentence be a quotation.
• Avoid the first person.
• If you feel compelled to use them at all, use rhetorical
questions sparingly.
• Use the active voice.
• Write for your audience, but, in general, keep it simple
– Use short sentences (an average of 15 or fewer
words).
– Understand the words you use.
• Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Organization: “M1A1 Paper”
• Intro… tell them what you’re going to tell
them
• Body… tell them
• Conclusion… tell them what you told them
Example
• Introduction
– Robert E. Lee defeated George McClellan in the Peninsula
Campaign because of the superior Confederate intelligence
system. This advantage manifested itself in terms of synthesis,
analysis, and collection. In terms of synthesis, Lee was able to
assemble John Magruder’s initial panicky reports and develop a
reconcentration of forces in response. In terms of analysis,
McClellan’s exaggerated estimates of Confederate troop
strength led him to be cautious when he should have pressed his
advantage. In terms of collection, Jeb Stuart’s cavalry gave Lee
had an intelligence gathering asset that McClellan could not
match. Lee’s superior intelligence system allowed him to act
faster and more accurately than McClellan could and gave Lee a
decisive advantage on the Peninsula.
Example
• Para 2
– Analysis (McClellan’s exaggerations)
• Para 3
– Synthesis (Magruder’s reports)
• Para 4
– Collection (Stuart)
Example
• Conclusion
– The key factor in the Confederate victory in the Peninsula
Campaign was superior intelligence. McClellan was cautious by
nature and his inaccurate magnifications of the Confederate
troop strength made him more so. Especially at this point in the
war, Confederate cavalry was far superior to its Federal
counterpart, and Stuart’s ride around McClellan’s army informed
Lee of a vulnerability he could exploit. Finally, Lee had the
personal ability to assemble complex and disorganized data into
a solution and he used this skill to make sense of Magruder’s
initial panicky reports. In all respects, intelligence gave the
Confederates an advantage and Lee turned this advantage into
victory on the Peninsula.
Book Review
• Choose a book from the list in the syllabus and
write a 600-800 word review that
– Identifies the book and the author
• Include a brief biographical sketch of the intellectuallysignificant aspects of the author’s life (What is his experience
and expertise in the area of the book’s subject?)
• Discuss the relationship between the book being reviewed
and other works in the field
– Summarizes the book
• Include short quotations from the book that are
representative of the theme, tone, and style
– Evaluates the book
• Evaluation must be clearly presented and well-supported
• Due Lsn 23
HIS 351: US Military History 1860
to the Present
• Four Blocks
– Military Theory and Doctrine
– The Civil War
– The Interwar Period, World War I, and World
War II
– Early Cold War, Korea, and Vietnam
HIS 351: US Military History 1860
to the Present
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Office Hours
Academic Honesty
Classroom Conduct
Absences
ADA
How to Succeed
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Plan ahead/Prioritize
Come to class
Do the reading
Print out the slides (using “handouts” option; 6 per page)
Highlight the ID & SIGs on the slides
Take your class notes directly on the slides
Use the exam study guides to prepare for exams
Use me and the History Writing Lab for help with your
papers
• Use the “backward planning process” to help focus your
paper preparation
Backward Planning Process
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Due
Finalize
Writing lab draft
Works Cited
Paras 4 and 5
Paras 2 and 3
Prep Day/Obtain all
sources/Make outline
• Workshop/Finalize
introduction
• Write draft
introduction
• Determine proofs
• Write thesis
• Initial research
• Pick a subject
• Today
Next
• Military Theory
Clausewitz