Learn From History: Ignore It At Your Peril

Abstract

Military professionals must dedicate time in their schedule to study military history. A study of past similar events will not give the Soldier a turn-key solution to a current operation; however, it can give the Soldier a sector of fire in which to focus their efforts. These past encounters can certainly aid in avoiding serious mistakes, paid in blood and sweat by others, without suffering the same toll or missing an opportunity that might not otherwise be identified. This paper will compare the American Civil War to the American involvement in World War I. The examples to be used will illustrate the folly of ignoring lessons learned from previous conflict and will support the view that the study of history is important and will positively impact the challenges of the U.S. military that lie ahead, if properly put into perspective.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 15, 2009
Accession Number
AD1117401

Entities

People

  • William R. Davis

Organizations

  • United States Army Sergeants Major Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • American Revolution
  • Artillery Fire
  • Casualties
  • Civil War
  • Civil War (United States)
  • First World War
  • Guns
  • Hand Grenades
  • History
  • Lessons Learned
  • Machine Guns
  • Military History
  • Military Training
  • Rapid Deployment
  • Revolutions
  • Second World War
  • Shoulder
  • Social Norms
  • Training
  • War
  • Weapons

Fields of Study

  • History

Readers

  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.
  • Software Engineering
  • Strategic Security Studies