Throughout American history the military has played a significant role in our country's development. Come walk through history as we examine some of America's most significant battles, both victories and defeats. We'll survey a series of military actions from the Revolution to the Korean War charting those conflicts, lessons learned and those lessons forgotten. We'll first focus on the victories and defeats incurred during the American Revolution and the War of 1812 when America fought against the world's premier military power, Great Britain. In Week 2 we'll investigate the Civil War and America's first experience with the "Total War" concept. We'll spend the last class discussing America's climb to become the world's foremost military power during its early 20th-century conflicts.

Instructor bio: Robert Smith, Ph.D., is the retired director of the Fort Riley Museum. He has a doctorate in history from Kansas State University and has published numerous articles on military history.