Forgotten Battles: Operation Léa, Oct-Nov 1947: A wild gamble at finishing the Indochina War?

Forgotten Battles is a feature on Defence-in-Depth designed to bring long-lost battles back from the depths of history. Our authors have chosen these engagements because they believe that their significance has been overlooked or overshadowed by better-remembered battles in history. The significance of the chosen battles may have been strategic and influenced greatly a particular… Read More Forgotten Battles: Operation Léa, Oct-Nov 1947: A wild gamble at finishing the Indochina War?

November 27, 2014January 15, 2015 defenceresearch1 Comment

Learning and Innovation in the Eighteenth Century British Army

by DR HUW J. DAVIES Hidden away in a tiny archive in Connecticut, I found, to my surprise, a diary of a Grand Tour of Europe conducted in the 1770s. I might not have looked at it, had the catalogue not specified its author as a cavalry Captain in the British Army. With nothing left… Read More Learning and Innovation in the Eighteenth Century British Army

November 25, 2014May 8, 2018 huwjdavies6 Comments

Is There a Place for the EU in International Security?

by DR BENJAMIN KIENZLE It’s a crowded field out there. During the last few decades, international institutions dealing with security and defence in one way or another have mushroomed all over the world. This ranges from highly technical associations of states known only to a small group of experts such as the Australia Group to… Read More Is There a Place for the EU in International Security?

November 19, 2014November 13, 2014 defenceresearch1 Comment

FAILING US SANCTIONS AND IRAN’S BEHAVIOUR

by DR AMIR M. KAMEL Using economic sanctions to curb state behaviour is something which has conventionally been considered as an apt supporter or supported government tool alongside military and political levers of power. Indeed, whilst it is increasingly important to combine economic, military, and political methods to achieve influence, it is nevertheless important to… Read More FAILING US SANCTIONS AND IRAN’S BEHAVIOUR

November 17, 2014July 21, 2015 amirmkamelLeave a comment

The BBC World War One at Home Project: Reflections

by DR HELEN B. McCARTNEY The BBC World War One at Home project began with an ambitious aim – to produce over 1400 local stories that illustrated the diversity of experience on the British home front during the First World War. The BBC English Regions and Nations were tasked with each providing 100 stories that… Read More The BBC World War One at Home Project: Reflections

November 12, 2014November 12, 2014 defenceresearch1 Comment

Op REFLECT: What Can We Learn From the First World War?

by DR ROBERT T. FOLEY Over the past year or so, I have been involved with the British army’s Operation REFLECT. This operation has been designed to mark the centenary of the First World War and the British army’s participation in this conflict. Much of this operation has focused around the traditional methods of remembrance… Read More Op REFLECT: What Can We Learn From the First World War?

November 10, 2014May 8, 2018 Robert T. Foley10 Comments

From the Archives: The Causes of the First British Invasion of Afghanistan, 1839-42.

by DR HUW J. DAVIES ‘From the Archives’ is a new regular feature on Defence-in-Depth. Archives are the lifeblood of historians. Papers, correspondence, diaries and journals constitute the primary material on which historical analysis is based. This feature is designed to fulfil two objectives. Our authors have selected an archive that has yielded an important… Read More From the Archives: The Causes of the First British Invasion of Afghanistan, 1839-42.

November 7, 2014May 8, 2018 huwjdaviesLeave a comment

Reflections on Deterrence and the Lessons of History

by PROF WYN BOWEN, DR DAVID JORDAN & DR KATE UTTING The reflections of ‘Cold War warriors’ provided prescient insights into the wider application of deterrence during a recent Witness Seminar organised by the Defence Studies Department and the Institute for Contemporary British History at the Institute of Historical Research. The term ‘deterrence’ is often… Read More Reflections on Deterrence and the Lessons of History

November 5, 2014January 15, 2015 defenceresearchLeave a comment

Can Strategy Be Reduced to a Formula of S = E + W + M?

by DR ROBERT T. FOLEY Having returned to the Joint Services Command and Staff College in 2012 after a seven-year absence, changes to the teaching of strategy struck me strongly. While I was happy to see a renewed enthusiasm for the study of this important subject, I have been somewhat worried by a tendency to… Read More Can Strategy Be Reduced to a Formula of S = E + W + M?

November 3, 2014May 8, 2018 Robert T. Foley1 Comment

Defence-In-Depth

Research from the Defence Studies Department, King's College London

Month: November 2014