A 2006 exploration of the usefulness of the study of history for contemporary military strategists. The essays of Part I examine the relationship between history and the military profession. Those in Part II explore specific historical cases that show the repetitiveness of certain military problems. Contributors ix 1 Introduction 1(11) Williamson Murray and Richard Hart Sinnreich 2 Military history and the history of war 12(11) Michael Howard Part I: The influence of history on the military profession 3 The relevance of history to the military profession: a British view 23(11) John P. Kiszely 4 The relevance of history to the military profession: an American Marine's view 34(21) Paul K. Van Riper 5 Awkward partners: military history and American military education 55(23) Richard Hart Sinnreich 6 Thoughts on military history and the profession of arms 78(17) Williamson Murray Part II: The past as illuminator of the future 7 Thucydides as educator 95(16) Paul A. Rahe 8 Clausewitz, history, and the future strategic world 111(22) Colin S. Gray 9 History and the nature of strategy 133(17) John Gooch 10 Military transformation in long periods of peace: the Victorian Royal Navy 150(20) Andrew Gordon 11 Military history and the pathology of lessons learned: the Russo-Japanese War, a case study 170(25) Jonathan B.A. Bailey 12 Obstacles to innovation and readiness: the British Army's experience, 1918-1939 195(22) J. Paul Harris 13 What history suggests about terrorism and its future 217(30) Christopher C. Harmon 14 History and future of civil?military relations: bridging the gaps 247(20) Francis G. Hoffman Index 267