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This paper draws on material covered in John Blaxland, The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard (CUP, 2014). [1] Soldiers of today’s Australian Army draw on the inspiration of their predecessors. Following British tactics and procedures for the first half of the 20th century and beyond, Australian soldiers have fought at the direction of their government in conflicts and places ranging from the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa from 1899 to 1902, to Gallipoli in 1915, Beersheba in 1917 and Amiens in 1918, …

Dr John Blaxland is Director of the ANU North America Liaison Office and Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. A former Australian military intelligence officer, he is a trusted and highly regarded historian who has authored or co-authored over a dozen broad-ranging works on international, military and security affairs. He is …

the US Army in the Aftermath of War, 1815-1980   University Press of Kansas , 2023, 300 pp RRP: US$54.99 Hardcover ISBN: 9780700634750 Author : Brian McAllister Lynn Reviewed by : Dayton McCarthy   … in the historical experience of the US Army, real soldiering took place during periods of financial and manpower cuts, with little glory, an uncertain future and few immediate rewards…the army’s fundamental post war challenge was not securing higher budgets, writing a new doctrine, purchasing better equipment …

Colonel Dayton McCarthy CSC is the Colonel Campaigning at Headquarters 2 nd (Australian) Division. A defence analyst in his civilian career, he is the author of several books including The Once and Future Army. A History of the Citizen Military Forces, 1947-1974 , The Battle of Maryang San , The Oboe Landings and The Worst of Both Worlds: an analysis of urban-littoral combat . His latest book on the history of the 2 nd (Australian) Division will be released later this year. … Dayton …

The Australian Army Research Centre (AARC) is proud to announce that the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart AO DSC, has endorsed the winner, runner-up and commended essays for the 2025 Chief of Army Essay Prize competition. The winning essay from the competition is awarded the Chauvel Prize. The Chauvel Prize is named in honour of General Sir Harry Chauvel, who was the first Australian to reach the rank of Lieutenant General (and later, General). He was also the first to lead a corps and, as …

The Australian Army Research Centre (AARC), in partnership with Project RUTHLESS, announces that entries to the Spring 2025 Short Thoughts Competition have now closed. The AARC thanks all respondents for their submissions. They will now be assessed and the winner, runner-up and highly commended proposals will be advised in due course.   The Australian Army is a professional, values-based organisation committed to excellence in warfighting and service to the nation. However, like many modern institutions, …

Lessons from the Military Innovation Literature There exists a consensus in modern military circles about the importance of innovation and adaptation. As the Chief of Army states, ‘The side that adapts fastest gains the edge.’ [1] Retired Major General Mick Ryan likewise argues that ‘an important virtue for military organizations to develop in peacetime, and nurture constantly in war, must be adaptability to unexpected events’. [2] Based on his experience as chief of staff of the Ukrainian army, Valery …

Dr Charles Miller is a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the Australian National University. He received his PhD in political science from Duke University in 2013. He has published on a number of security topics, including combat motivation in World Politics and a dataset of historical conflict events (the Historical Conflict Event Dataset) in the Journal of Conflict Resolution . … Charles …

Theorising from the Past to Prepare for Future Wars   Now, men, you answered your country’s call today. We’re all here to defend our homes and loved ones. I know you will not shirk that duty. With no guns, we are naked, but we have one invaluable weapon – ingenuity and improvisation. (‘That’s two’) I want you all to go to your homes. Gather what weapons you can and come back here in an hour’s time. From tonight, whatever the odds, we Englishmen … We British … We here are going to be able to say, ‘Come on, …

This is not an article about what the British Army consider the concept of ‘mission command’ to be; nor is it about how they approach its practice. Those who wish to explore that can simply read their doctrine. It is well written, well thought through, very readable and readily available. [1] I am, however, a great believer in the maxim that if you want to know where you are it’s a very good idea to understand how you got there and where you came from. In that respect, this article will make the (perhaps …