The American Military History course

The American Military History course

The American Military History course has enlightened me on military matters. Most Americans lack a basic understanding of military matters, not to mention military history. In a society that expects education to serve a useful purpose, the functions of history can appear more difficult to define than those of medicine or nuclear physics. Today’s civilized man would prefer diplomatic measures to military ones. Still, leaders with the most peaceful intentions have found themselves in War. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran on campaign platforms promising to keep the United States out of conflict, yet these were America’s leaders during the world wars. Neville Chamberlain did all he could to deal with Adolf Hitler peacefully but still found himself in War. This is why understanding war, even if one does not intend to fight one, is essential. Most of today’s militaries are not led by those with a strong military background. Without experience, these leaders must rely on military history and on their generals–all of whom, by virtue of their experience and education must have a firm grasp of military history—to guide them in the event that diplomacy fails. Studying American Military History provides one with a better understanding of the War, especially in an age of weapons of mass destruction and religious radicals attempting to spread their ideals by using terrorism. I believe it is vital for a democratic nation to understand War fully. Learning Military History has taught me that WarWar is about killing, pain, and fear, and also a purposeful use of force to achieve political goals. As a future leader, learning about WarWar teaches me useful strategies and an understanding of how to deal with situations.