Instructor: Robert Smith

Robert Smith
 Biography:

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

Classes by this instructor


The American Revolution: The British Perspective, 1775 - 1783

Join us for an exercise in perspective: We're studying the American Revolution from the British point of view! We'll start with why the British Crown went to war, their public's perception of the conflict and the dissenting voices within Britain. Next, we'll examine both the British political and the military's strategic vision in conducting the war and the logistical handicaps they faced. Finally, we'll look at the successes and failures of the British military operations during the conflict and the motives for ending the conflict.


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


March 19, 2026 to April 2, 2026, Brewster Place In Person

The Development & Evolution of the United States Army: The Cold War Years 1947 - 1995

This class picks up where "The Growth and Evolution of the United States Army, 1775 - 1945" left off. Over three weeks we'll examine the changes of the U.S. Army during the Cold War years that focused on a doctrine of containing and limiting Communist expansion. In the first class we'll look at the Korean War and the planned deterrence of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact forces in Eastern Europe. Next, we'll focus on the Army's plans for continental defense in the nuclear/missile age and the restructuring of the Army's tactical organization from the 1950s Pentomic Division to the ROAD Division of the early 1960s. Lastly, we'll delve into the Army's operations during the Vietnam Conflict, its rebuilding and reequipping in the 1970s and its Land, Sea and Air doctrine of the Desert Storm era.


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


May 14-28, 2026, Brewster Place In Person