Reasons for Studying History

Abstract

In this new age of technology allowing ease of learning anywhere at any time soldiers need to take the time to study history. The troubles in Iraq appear to be unique we can see similarities throughout history. Every turn in history leading up to the Iraq war can provide lessons to soldiers. The French and Indian wars showed how colonist incorporated British line tactics and guerrilla tactics used by the Indians to plan and execute missions. This war also showed how lack of discipline and camaraderie could prolong conflicts. During the Revolutionary War the colonist used the lessons learned during the French and Indian wars to create a united force fighting for one cause. Todays soldiers need not look so far back in history. History happens somewhere every day. Soldiers can read about the current trends that can prevent large scale tragedies from happening. Incidents such as Abu Ghraib and Mogadishu, Somalia are just a few examples. This report will look at the lessons learned by some of the previous conflicts. The report will also compare and contrast different aspects of the issues that the colonist faced with today's troubles in Iraq. In conclusion we will address some present day conflicts that can be utilized as training tools emphasizing the reasons we need to study history.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 15, 2009
Accession Number
AD1118000

Entities

People

  • Jason D. Oneail

Organizations

  • United States Army Sergeants Major Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civilian Population
  • Command And Control
  • Iraqi-War
  • Joint Military Activities
  • Lessons Learned
  • Middle East
  • Military Strategy
  • Supply Chain
  • Terrorism
  • Training
  • United States
  • Vehicles
  • War

Fields of Study

  • History
  • Sociology

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.