Goldsmiths, University of London: Journals Online
Not a member yet
1742 research outputs found
Sort by
Deterrence & Reassurance: Sir Michael Howard and the Nuclear Strategy Debate in the 1980s
Get PDFIn the 1980s, Michael Howard took an active part in the debate about nuclear strategy. He used his historical expertise, his personal military experience, and his links with academia and government to offer a balanced analysis of the nature, risks and ethical implications of the use of nuclear weapons. This article examines the debate among security experts when rapid technological advances, and a tendency to over-estimate the nuclear capability of the Soviet Union, increased the risk of miscalculations and accidental nuclear annihilation. As this article demonstrates, Howard’s contribution stands out for his unique ability to bring together multiple dimensions in a balanced and considered approach to nuclear strategy and to its ethical implications
Ties of Service and Military Identity in Sixteenth Century England: The Example of the Blount Family
Get PDFThe sixteenth century is usually considered to be a time of considerable change in the military in England. Through a case study of the Blount family, this article considers the ways in which the landed gentry of the sixteenth century defined themselves through military service, as well as looking at the ways in which they were mustered, with both the retinue system and the militia providing troops for the major conflicts in which the Blounts were involved. It will be demonstrated that personal ties of loyalty remained important to military service in the late sixteenth century
Anne Curry and Rémy Ambühl, A Soldier’s Chronicle of the Hundred Years War: College of Arms Manuscript M9
Get PDFTowards a ‘Forward Defence’ for Singapore: Revisiting the Strategy of the Singapore Armed Forces, 1971-1978
Get PDFConventional narratives emphasise Singapore’s defence policy from 1965 to the early 1980s as defensive-oriented. Drawing on previously under used research materials from Australia, Britain and the United States, this article examines Singapore’s defence strategy during the 1970s and argues that during that period Singapore’s Armed Forces (SAF) focused on acquiring the capability to conduct an offensive military campaign within Malaysia in the event of threats to Singapore’s security or the continuity of its water supply from Malaysia. The United States termed this strategy forward defence. The article also discusses Australian, British, and the United States’ contributions towards Singapore’s ‘forward defence’ strategy
The Technological Need: Abel & Dewar’s Primary Motive for Inventing Cordite in 1889
Get PDFBy the 1880s, smokeless military propellants greatly outperformed traditional black gun powders, as first shown in France in late 1884. In early 1889, the British version of a smokeless propellant for the military, Cordite, was developed by Sir Frederick Abel, a renowned War Office chemist and by Professor James Dewar from the University of Cambridge. They tested Alfred Nobel’s 1888 British patented smokeless Ballistite but rejected it for a major flaw, while upgrading it to obtain Cordite in 1889. At first glance, the motive for rejecting Ballistite might be seen as driven by personal profit, but considerations of monetary gain, were actually of secondary importance. Abel and Dewar’s primary motive for rejection was technical and was ultimately proven valid: Nobel made major corrections to his Ballistite patents including his correction of the flaw Dewar and Abel had noted
