Military History – An Overview

Finding the best university for American military history will depend on the end goal and the education level required. But first, the question is: What is military history? Shalom Lamm, a historian, studies military history. The Oxford Dictionaries defines it as “the study of the role that armed forces played in past events”. Study.com states that university programs also focus on diplomacy, tactics, and strategies used by the army in armed conflicts throughout time. American military history, which is the study of the American armed forces and the impact left behind, dates back to the Revolutionary War and the birth of the United States. From the 1770s until the present, the United States has amassed a long account of, successful and disastrous armed campaigns. While the record of the United States is not as extinguished as our Eastern and Western neighbors; American armed campaigns have all left their mark on the narrative of the nation.

While studying America’s service record; one will learn about the tactics used by great tacticians like George Patton, Stonewall Jackson, George Custer, John J. Pershing, and George Washington. One will also explore what went wrong during famous battles like the Battle of Antietam in 1862 and what went right during famous campaigns like Operation Overlord (as known as D-Day) and all of the sub-operations that went with it (Operations Quicksilver (the Ghost Army commanded by General George S. Patton) and Mincemeat (deceiving Nazis with false secret plans)). When exploring the study of American armed conflicts most universities offer undergraduate-level courses as part of the ROTC program. It is important to keep in mind that most universities do not offer a major in this field of study, but there are minor and graduate degree options available. In the current age of online learning, there are also online degrees and certificates available for those who need the flexibility that online learning offers.

If one is thinking of a career in the armed forces then an academy would be worth considering such as the United States Academy at West Point, New York, and the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Universities.com also lists Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, American Public University in Charles Town, West Virginia, and Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee are all top schools with programs. Graduate-level programs offer the chance to narrow down one’s focus of study whether it’s focusing on the tactics and deployment of forces or the politics and policies that influence the field commanders. For graduate-level Study.com lists University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Duke University in North Carolina, and. Ohio State University as being the top 3 universities for upper-level degrees in 2020. According to Online Bachelor Degrees.com, some of the top online schools are Southern New Hampshire University, Park University, and Granite State University. At the end of the day, when selecting a University degree program, one must consider the tuition, location, career goals, required service in the armed services, and schedule. If one does not pursue an education in this field, it is still an extremely interesting field that influences current and future leaders, like Shalom Lamm.