Nick Lipscombe ~ Courses & Tutoring
The British Army - From the English Civil War to the War on Terror 1644-2014
The British army is a very singular institution. Created in the long shadow of Cromwell’s New Model Army, it does not, unlike the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, enjoy regal designation. Yet most of its regiments and supporting corps have a royal prefix (i.e. Royal Artillery), highlighting the circumstances of its origins and the struggle between the monarch and parliament for its control. This, in turn, led to a deep-seated constitutional antipathy and political prejudice against the army during its years of maturity. For much of its existence, it has endured public hostility and is still, to this day, perceived as a potential threat to civil liberty. The institution itself has witnessed a profound aversion to compulsory service, yet it remains a reflection of the society it serves. As such, it typifies the highest and lowest characteristics of that society and its political executive.
The history of an army is, above all, a history of its actions. For most of the four hundred years of its existence, the British army has been small and expeditionary in nature. Yet its deeds have been truly global, earning well over a thousand battle honours on five continents. Interwoven with that glory, however, is a rich seam of controversy.
The British army is a very singular institution. Created in the long shadow of Cromwell’s New Model Army, it does not, unlike the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, enjoy regal designation. Yet most of its regiments and supporting corps have a royal prefix (i.e. Royal Artillery), highlighting the circumstances of its origins and the struggle between the monarch and parliament for its control. This, in turn, led to a deep-seated constitutional antipathy and political prejudice against the army during its years of maturity. For much of its existence, it has endured public hostility and is still, to this day, perceived as a potential threat to civil liberty. The institution itself has witnessed a profound aversion to compulsory service, yet it remains a reflection of the society it serves. As such, it typifies the highest and lowest characteristics of that society and its political executive.
The history of an army is, above all, a history of its actions. For most of the four hundred years of its existence, the British army has been small and expeditionary in nature. Yet its deeds have been truly global, earning well over a thousand battle honours on five continents. Interwoven with that glory, however, is a rich seam of controversy.
Nick continues to run courses at the University of Oxford’s Department of Continuing Education and for the Oxford Summer School at Christ Church College. At both of these venues, for the 2021 Summer School and for the 2021-2022 Michaelmas Term, he will be presenting a course on the History of the British Army: From the English Civil War to the War on Terror 1644-2014.
In 2022 Nick will also be running courses at Merton College in conjunction with Berkeley, University of California. More details to follow.
In 2022 Nick will also be running courses at Merton College in conjunction with Berkeley, University of California. More details to follow.
1: War and the creation of Standing Armies.
2: The New Model Army and the Age of Cromwell 1625-1688
3: The Age of Marlborough 1690 -1783
4: Wellington’s Redcoats and Green Jackets 1783-1815
5: Sahib and Khaki Part 1: The Colonial Wars and Imperialism 1816 - 1860
6: Sahib and Khaki Part 2: The Colonial Wars and Imperialism 1861 - 1902
7: The Great War - Haig and Tommy 1902-1919
8: The Second World War - Montgomery and Tommy 1919-1945
9: Post 1945 - Colonial Campaigns, the Northern Ireland ‘troubles’, NATO and the Cold War 1945-1990
10: Modern conflicts and the War on Terror 1990 - 2016
2: The New Model Army and the Age of Cromwell 1625-1688
3: The Age of Marlborough 1690 -1783
4: Wellington’s Redcoats and Green Jackets 1783-1815
5: Sahib and Khaki Part 1: The Colonial Wars and Imperialism 1816 - 1860
6: Sahib and Khaki Part 2: The Colonial Wars and Imperialism 1861 - 1902
7: The Great War - Haig and Tommy 1902-1919
8: The Second World War - Montgomery and Tommy 1919-1945
9: Post 1945 - Colonial Campaigns, the Northern Ireland ‘troubles’, NATO and the Cold War 1945-1990
10: Modern conflicts and the War on Terror 1990 - 2016
Course Modules
At the Christ Church Summer School, two modules will be covered each day of the five day course which runs from 8 to 14 August 2021. At the Department of Continuing Education weekly course in the Michaelmas Term, running from 29 September to 1 December 2021, the modules will be taught one per week over a ten week duration. There is a requirement to submit a written work as part of the weekly course.
CLICK ON THE UNIVERSITY AND/OR COLLEGE LOGO FOR DETAILS OF THE COURSE - THE BRITISH ARMY: FROM THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR TO THE WAR ON TERROR.