Throughout the semester I have been re-introduced to some intriguing topics in First World War history. While already familiar with the fundamentals of the war, including the histories of most of the participants, I have been drawn towards the experiences of the Dominion forces from Australia and Canada. Having lived in both Australia and Canada, I wrongly assumed that I had been exposed to all aspects of their Great War history. After attending lectures and reading various tomes, the realization that much remained to be learned has compelled me to take a closer look at those aforementioned participants. Because of Masters experience in Ontario a collection of Canadian works proved rather easy to gather. Australian literature, however, is proving to be illusive. Apparently living in Australia in the 1990′s, and being in middle school at the time, does not help me locate good synthetic works to being my studies on the Australia experience. Thus, if anyone is aware of any important books please leave me a message.
Some important works that have laid a solid foundation for the development of American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) literature include those by Dr. Mark Groteleuschen. My masters thesis, on the role of the Coast Artillery Corps during the First World War, drew heavily on Grotelueschen’s research on AEF field artillery (AEF Way of War The American Army and Combat in World War I and Doctrine under trial: American Artillery Employment in World War I). His focus on the field artillery aspects of the war caught my attention because it was the first original argument I had encountered. Grotelueschen argued that there was a wealth of new information waiting to be found in the areas of small unit/brigade level assessments. Earlier research by Edward Coffman had established the basis for AEF historiography by being the first scholar to write a comprehensive history of the American contribution. Later historians John S. D. Eisenhower, Garry Mead and David Trask based much of their work on the conclusions of Coffman, by focusing on General John Pershing and highlighting Pershing’s doctrinal shortcomings. The emphasis on individual AEF officers, however, limited the use of Eishenhower, Mead and Trask’s findings. It is important to note that many people too readily assume that because of America’s short involvement in the Great War, there are not a lot of issues to explore. On the contrary, the intricacies of many AEF battles have yet to be thoroughly discussed. Of note, there has been only a single, yet narrow, publication on the Battle of Soissons. Historians Douglas V. Johnson and Rolfe L. Hillman wrote Soissons, 1918 in the 1920s, and to date there has not been a definitive account of the battle. Historian Paul Briam wrote on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of 1917. In this work, Braim does what many AEF historians often neglect; he discussed an actual battle. Nevertheless, Braim’s work is limited in detail as he failed to discuss the impact of key units in the battle.
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Having relocated to Hattiesburg, MS from Virginia Beach, VA, I’m inching closer to starting my PhD. Let us hope that I can finish unpacking before I dive into reading and research. Since “Going to Southern Miss.” is the most popular post on this site, I figured it might be nice to start accepting questions perspective grad students may have on the grad school experience. Knowing full well that my advice was rather limited, I imagine there are many readers still wanting more information. Getting input from fellow students and friends was, based on my experience, priceless. That said, questions regarding finding the right department, or what to expect at a typical program, are welcome. As noted on Ross Mahoney’s blog, we will be comparing our grad experiences. Hopefully our postings will help future students prepare for either an American or British graduate history program. From asking questions and readings the comparisions, I hope a solid illustration of grad life emerges.
Back in March I was accepted into the history PhD program at the University of Southern Mississippi. Why I did not announce the acceptance back then is a hard question to answer. It is not because I was too busy, or that I thought it was not worth writing about. Sure, I was waiting to hear back from other universities, but that was not the sole factor. Rather, I was not sure what to say besides the fact that I got in to the program. For such an important moment in my life I wanted to be certain I could write a post that best expressed my thoughts on the entire application process, while offering some advice to those following in my academic foot steps.
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In light of Facebook’s redesign and apparent mission to better streamline and present content, it would be interesting to see if Facebook is having a positive impact on academia. With all the talk questioning the academic impact of online services such as Twitter, it is important to discuss Facebook in the same fashion. A few posts ago I assessed what I thought were some of Twitter’s strengths and weaknesses as a means of expanding academic discourse. Like Twitter, is there the possibility that Facebook has the potential to facilitate the spread of information amongst historians? Certainty, but what is really important is whether Facebook’s growing content and members can be active participants any valid history orientated debate.
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Synopsis
The purpose of Thompson Werk is to present the musings of a US War and Society doctoral student. Discussion topics principally center around the World Wars and Vietnam.
The opinions expressed on this site are not be confused with those of my colleagues, employers, friends, family, and/or anyone else associated with me.
Contact me with any comments, complaints, and/or questions.
Comments
- Robert: Throughout Vietnamese history there are
- Chris: "Hopefully most people outside of
- Gulmira: You have more ufseul info
- Gennarino: Recurring bad dreams and the
- Robert: I’ll be happy to get
