GUIDE FOR THE BATTLE/CAMPAIGN ANALYSIS PROJECT
The purpose of this exercise is to teach you to critically view military history. The art of
critical thinking is crucial to the proper understanding of all history and military history
is no exception. In this exercise you will examine a specific military event in detail, much
as a staff officer would do, and prepare a “briefing.” The text of your research paper
should have the following:
* 10 typed pages, 12-point font, double-spaced (not including visual material).
* Either footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical citations.
* A bibliography of at least 5 sources (3 hard sources and 2 internet sources)
following either APA or MLA format. You may not use Wikipedia, videos, or the
textbooks as sources!
* Visual material, including a map of the campaign area, a map of the battlefield
showing troop dispositions, and/or charts and graphs showing both sides in terms of
numbers on the field and casualties.
In writing your paper, you should cover all of the topical areas listed below:
The Political Situation
Period of history.
Influence of societal values.
The war in which the battle/campaign is a part, how did it start, what are the
central issues, who is involved, etc.
A brief summary of events leading up to the battle/campaign.
The Strategic Situation
What are the strategic goals of each side?
What possible actions are available to each side and what actions did each side
choose? Why?
Operations and Logistics
What sort of terrain is involved?
What was the weather like? Was it a factor?
What are the strengths of the opposing sides?
How is morale? Does either side have an advantage in weaponry, training,
leadership?
Any supply problems?
Tactical Analysis
Summarize the events in sequence that constitute the battle or the campaign.
What happened? Discuss the effect of external factors (the “fog of war”) on events.
Who won?
Lessons to be learned
What lessons could a student of military history learn from this battle/campaign?
Discuss the principles of war in relation to your topic.
Approach the assignment in a professional and objective manner. Do not let patriotism
and prejudices influence your conclusions. However, be creative in your approach.
Your grade will be based on the content and format / editing of your paper. If you need
help writing the paper, see the instructor and/or contact the Academic Success Center at
738-7871 (Beltline Campus, WM 110) or 822-3545 (Airport Campus, AC 151).
On September 23, 2015, please submit a tentative bibliography that identifies your
topic and lists at least 5 sources. If the tentative bibliography is not submitted on this
date, then you will lose one letter grade from the final paper.
American forces. As a result, there should be no lack of source material
