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

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

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

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

The Crimean crisis and Russia’s maritime power in the Black Sea

by DR DEBORAH SANDERS One of the many consequences of the Russian annexation of Crimea and the seizure of the majority of the Ukrainian navy’s, assets, capabilities and infrastructure is that it has, at least in theory, increased dramatically Russia’s maritime power in the Black Sea. But is this actually the case? It seems self-evident that… Read More The Crimean crisis and Russia’s maritime power in the Black Sea

October 27, 2014January 15, 2015 defenceresearchLeave a comment

The Admiralty, the Air Ministry and the Battle of the Atlantic, 1940-43

by DR TIM BENBOW The ‘Battle of the Atlantic’ against the U-boats was the most vital campaign for Britain between mid-1940 and early 1943. It had to be won if Britain was to remain in the war let alone shift over to the offensive. Gaining this critical success was made more difficult by the general… Read More The Admiralty, the Air Ministry and the Battle of the Atlantic, 1940-43

October 27, 2014May 8, 2018 defenceresearch3 Comments

NATO at Newport: Back to Basics?

by DR ELLEN HALLAMS Seasoned observers of NATO might be forgiven for approaching alliance summits with a refrain of ‘here we go again’ ringing loudly in our ears. Such cynicism might at least in part be explained by the perpetuation of a dominant narrative that has had NATO in a constant state of ‘crisis’ ever… Read More NATO at Newport: Back to Basics?

October 22, 2014January 15, 2015 defenceresearch1 Comment

THE WAR ON TERRORISM: FORTY YEARS AGO

by DR GERAINT HUGHES As a tactic, terrorism is as perennial as warfare itself, but it was during the 1970s that international terrorist groups began to be seen by the Western powers as a global problem. Atrocities such as the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics massacre in September 1972, and… Read More THE WAR ON TERRORISM: FORTY YEARS AGO

October 15, 2014October 13, 2014 defenceresearchLeave a comment

Land Power and the Islamic State Crisis

by DR CHRIS TUCK ‘The airstrikes at the moment are a holding operation… Nobody has pretended the battle against Isil can be won from the air alone.’ These comments, made last week by Philip Hammond, the British Defence Secretary, speak to two essential truths in war: first, land power, ‘the ability to exert influence on… Read More Land Power and the Islamic State Crisis

October 13, 2014January 15, 2015 defenceresearch3 Comments

Of Sea Lanes, Strategy, and Logistics: Africa’s Ports and Islands during the Second World War

by PROF ASHLEY JACKSON The African continent’s strategic significance during the Second World War and the military activity that occurred on African soil revolved around ports. Some of them were located on islands, but the majority was on the mainland. Between 1939 and 1945 African islands and ports gained military and strategic prominence, particularly because… Read More Of Sea Lanes, Strategy, and Logistics: Africa’s Ports and Islands during the Second World War

October 9, 2014October 8, 2014 defenceresearchLeave a comment

Defence-In-Depth

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

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