Conference Observations: Reimagining the Future of Professional Military Education

Dr ROBERT T. FOLEY Over the past year, there have been some very insightful and provocative contributions to the debate about professional military education, with War on the Rocks providing an important platform for this debate. Driven by perceived changes to the functioning of the international system and by notional challenges posed by emerging technologies, armed… Read More Conference Observations: Reimagining the Future of Professional Military Education

February 12, 2019February 7, 2019 Robert T. FoleyLeave a comment

Reflections on the First World War: The German Perspective

by Dr Robert T. Foley The First World War came to an ignominious end for Imperial Germany. On 6 November, Matthais Erzberger, a Centerist politician, was appointed to the commission to negotiate an armistice with the Western allies. Germany’s strategic and internal political situation was dire, as its allies sued for peace and mutiny and… Read More Reflections on the First World War: The German Perspective

November 11, 2018November 10, 2018 Robert T. FoleyLeave a comment

DSD Summer Reading 2018 #5

DR ROBERT T. FOLEY I must admit I have rarely planned my summer reading in advance. However, inspired by recent posts by my colleagues from Defence Studies, I thought it would be useful to do so this year. As I sat down to think through what I would really like to read over summer, a… Read More DSD Summer Reading 2018 #5

July 30, 2018November 10, 2018 Robert T. FoleyLeave a comment

The Battle of the Somme and German ‘Battle Management’

DR. ROBERT T. FOLEY On 1 July 1916, the infantry of British 4th Army and the French 6th Army launched what their strategic leadership hoped would be the beginning stages of a decisive campaign against the German army in northeastern France. Initially, the German strategic leadership welcomed the start of the Anglo-French offensive on the… Read More The Battle of the Somme and German ‘Battle Management’

October 12, 2016May 8, 2018 Robert T. Foley3 Comments

Conference Report: 1916: The Cost of Attrition

by DR ROBERT T. FOLEY This summer, I was fortunate to have been invited to present a paper at the Australian War Memorial’s 1916: The Cost of Attrition conference. In late July, a number of academics from the Anglophone world assembled in Canberra to explore the events of 1916, focusing on the impacts of this… Read More Conference Report: 1916: The Cost of Attrition

September 14, 2016May 8, 2018 Robert T. FoleyLeave a comment

Lessons of Article Writing Month

by Dr ROBERT T. FOLEY On Monday this past week, the Defence Studies Department’s Article Writing Month challenge came to a close. All told, 18 academics from the Defence Studies Department each undertook to write an article during a busy teaching month. Each participant signed up to a Google spreadsheet that each other participant can… Read More Lessons of Article Writing Month

March 4, 2016May 8, 2018 Robert T. FoleyLeave a comment

The Battle of Verdun and German Offensive Tactics in 1916

This is the third of three posts covering German planning for Operation Gericht, their offensive at Verdun. This month marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of this battle, which would last, including French counter-offensives, until the end of 1916. Although it is not as well remembered in Britain today, the ‘hell of Verdun’ left… Read More The Battle of Verdun and German Offensive Tactics in 1916

February 26, 2016May 8, 2018 Robert T. Foley5 Comments

The Battle of Verdun and German Operational Art in 1916

This is the second of three posts covering German planning for Operation Gericht, their offensive at Verdun. This month marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of this battle, which would last, including French counter-offensives, until the end of 1916. Although it is not as well remembered in Britain today, the ‘hell of Verdun’ left… Read More The Battle of Verdun and German Operational Art in 1916

February 22, 2016May 8, 2018 Robert T. Foley2 Comments

The Battle of Verdun and German Strategy in 1916

This is the first of three posts covering German planning for Operation Gericht, their offensive at Verdun. This month marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of this battle, which would last, including French counter-offensives, until the end of 1916. Although it is not as well remembered in Britain today, the ‘hell of Verdun’ left… Read More The Battle of Verdun and German Strategy in 1916

February 15, 2016May 8, 2018 Robert T. Foley11 Comments

Article Writing Month: Initial Reflections

by Dr ROBERT T. FOLEY This month at the Defence Studies Department we launched an exercise entitled ‘Article Writing Month.’ The exercise has a number of goals. First, and most obvious, each participant is aiming to produce a solid draft of a research article that is in a state it can be reviewed and commented… Read More Article Writing Month: Initial Reflections

February 8, 2016May 8, 2018 Robert T. Foley4 Comments

Defence-In-Depth

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

Author: Robert T. Foley