Military History Dissertation.

[Prm]

Good Afternoon Gents,

Just a quick introduction about myself. I am currently a 2nd year student studying Contemporary Military and International History at Salford University, Manchester. One of my modules for this semester is to come up with a dissertation question that we will write next year, containing atleast 12,000 words.

Now I come here to ask you guys for a little inspiration. If you were in my position what would you write about? Personally I have thought about writing about the Battle of Spion Kop during the Anglo-Boer war of 1899-1902, but I've conclduded that to be able to write a 12,000 word essay on any topic will require extensive sources. As such I plan on writing about a more contemporary topic, specifically an urban warfare incident that occured during World War 2, not necessarily on the Western front.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Yours gratefully,
Prm.

[Rover]

Hello Prm,

You may like to have a look at Monte Cassino.

Major battle involving a monastery in Italy.

Covers military, political and even religious angles.

Even has an animal angle--Wojtek, the Polish bear.

Rover

[harry hackedoff]

Heyup Rover, as I read prm`s post I thought about the same campaign, but a little later on. (Prior to seeing your post)
The Anzio landing, General Mark Clarcy, "Mister Cautious" and I don`t mean Sneaks, neever
Clark had been spanked at Salerno and that affected his decision to not move off the beach head till all the major kit was ashore so he could fight his way off. What was needed was bold leadership. He had total and absolute surprise and he threw it away. Wynfordd Vaughan Thomas (Beeb reporter and author) drove all the way to Rome on D Day with no sign of Herman. Churchill coments that we had a beached whale. Me old Dad was there from D Day on Peter Beach with the Rangers(who were almost wiped out, first time they were used) and spent the whole time either in contact or being shelled. There were no rear areas at Anzio once Herman moved in. Me Dad had been through Africa , swam ashore on Sicily and the hardest times for him was from Anzio onwards till he was mortared up north dug in by the river Po.
He was proud to be a D-Day Dodger,

Look around the mountains, in the cold and rain,
Lot`s of wooden crosses, some that have no name.
The boys beneath them slumber on, there`s lots of versions of this old song, to the tune of Lilly Marlene,
Click here for the tune

http://www.warlinks.com/jackcull/ddodgers.htm

THE "D-DAY DODGERS."


THERE IS A SONG EIGHT ARMY, ALWAYS USED TO SING
MARCHING THRO THE DESERT, MARCHING WITH A SWING
BUT NOW THEY'RE ON A DIFFERENT GAME.
ALTHOUGH THE TUNE IS STILL THE SAME
THE WORDS HAVE ALL BEEN ALTERED -THE WORDS WE'RE SINGING STILL
WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS HERE IN ITALY

ALWAYS ON THE VINO, ALWAYS ON THE SPREE,
WE DIDN'T LAND WITH EISIENHOWER
AND SO THEY THINK WE'RE JUST A SHOWER
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

HERE'S TO LADY ASTOR, OUR PIN UP GIRL OUT HERE
SHE'S THE DEAR OLD LADY, WHO SENDS US SUCH GOOD BEER
AND WHEN WE GET OUR ASTOR BAND
WE'LL BE THE PROUDEST IN THE LAND
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

SALERNO AND CASSINO WERE TAKIN IN OUR STRIDE
WE DIDN'T GO TO FIGHT THERE, WE WENT THERE FOR THE RIDE
ANZIO AND SANZIO, WHERE O. K.
JUST AN OTHER HOLIDAY
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

AROUND LAKE TRASIMANO WE HAD A LOVELY TIME
BAGS OF WINE AND WOMAN THERE, THEY DIDN'T COST A DIME
BASE WALLAHS, AMGOT AND THE YANKS
ALL STAYED IN ROME , TO DODGE THE TANKS
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

WE STAYED A WEEK IN FLORENCE POLISHED OF THE VINO
THEN THUMBED OUR WAY TO RIMINI THRO THE GOTHIC LINE
SOON TO BOLOGNA WE WILL GO
WHEN JERRYS GONE, ACROSS THE PO
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

SOON THE BOYS IN FRANCE WILL BE GETTING LEAVE
AFTER SIX MONTHS SERVICE ITS A SHAME THERE NOT RELIEVED
BUT WE CAN CARRY ON OUT HERE
FOR WHAT MAY BE A FEW MORE YEARS
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

ONCE WE HEARD A RUMOUR WE WERE GOING HOME
BACK TO DEAR OLD BLIGHTY NEVER MORE TO ROAM
THEN SOME ONE SAID IN FRANCE YOU'LL FIGHT
WE ANSWERED "NO WE'LL JUST SIT TIGHT"
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

WHEN THE WAR IS OVER AND WE'VE DONE OUR BIT
CLIMBING OVER MOUNTAINS, THRO' MUD AND SLEET(sleet? shit more like)
THEN WE WILL ALL BE SENT OUT EAST
TILL B.L.A. HAVE BEEN RELEASED
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

FORGOTTEN BY THE MANY REMEMBERED BY THE FEW
WE HAD OUR ARMISTICE WHEN AN ARMISTICE WAS NEW
ONE MILLION GERMANS GAVE UP TO US
WE FINISHED OUR WAR WITHOUT MUCH FUSS
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY

LOOK AROUND THE MOUNTAINS IN THE WIND AND RAIN
YOU'LL FIND THE SCATTERED CROSSES SOME WHICH BEAR NO NAME
HEART BREAK AND TOIL AND SUFFERING GONE
THE BOYS BENEATH THEM SLUMBER ON
FOR WE'RE THE "D" DAY DODGERS OUT HERE IN ITALY.

Here`s to me old Dad, heartbreak and toil and suffering gone Rest easy mate, slumber on.


Prm, good choice binning Spion Kop for the reasons you identified.

[London Boy]

personally I'd go with one of the major campaigns of the First World War.

[harry hackedoff]

personally I'd go with one of the major campaigns of the First World War.

Is that right

I plan on writing about a more contemporary topic, specifically an urban warfare incident that occured during World War 2,

Try and stay awake mate

[Prm]

personally I'd go with one of the major campaigns of the First World War.

One thing that I have learnt about dissertations is that the topic has to be on a rather small scale, for example the actions of a specific regiment in a specific campaign. For example the role of the parachute regiment in Arnehm and whether their actions would of been successful had they been.... etc.

Harry, trying hard not to contradict myself, whilst I would prefer suggestions relating to my topic of choice. Any personal suggestions are also welcomed, just for sheer inspirational value.

Cheers,
Prm.

[harry hackedoff]

I gave up trying not to contradict meself ages ago What was the question?
Anzio, Monte Casino or the vital hinge at the eastern end of the Normandy beachhead, Caen.
Do yer best Prm

[Holger Danske]

I would take a look at the campaigns in Southern Arabia.

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/

They are not that different from what you are seeing in Afghanistan today.

[Tab]

Urban warfare during WW2. There was a nine day battle in Arnhem but many of the towns the allies would flatten them and drive over the top. Also many major pockets of Germans that had fortified towns were just left there to wither away. Paris was taken by the French Resistance. Some of the biggest Urban warfare battles took place between the Russians and the Germans with no quarter asked or given, and wont try and list them as it could go on for ever.

[woof]

Harry H just finished a recently published book called "The day of Battle" by Rick Atkinson. It is about the Italian campaign.
Well worth reading especially with your old man fighting there , I hadn't realised just how terrible it was and how bloody hard the blokes fought there.
For all my biffs and bafs in the corps none compared with what our lads went through at Anzio and other such places
They truly where a great generation who fought in WW2,

[London Boy]

personally I'd go with one of the major campaigns of the First World War.

Is that right

I plan on writing about a more contemporary topic, specifically an urban warfare incident that occured during World War 2,

Try and stay awake mate

oops, sorry, nodded off there for a sec

[Prm]

Just a quick update for you guys, I've now decided to my dissertation propsal on my inital topic of choice the Boer war, but I've updated it with a slightly more conventional war, The Vietnam War.

And hence I arrived at this question ' Was the Boer War Britain's Vietnam? '

The reason my initial interest came about for the Boer war was when I was reading up on the History of the Royal Marines, and found that the conception of the Royal Marine Commando directly resulted from the Boer Kommando's that Winston Churchill came into contact with during his stint as a journalist in the Anglo-Boer war. Upon looking further into the details of the Boer war for an essay I did last year, I found that they [ The Boers ] were held in hight esteem by all whome encountered them, British soldiers, Officers and Generals alike. For they seen in them a dying breed, a breed of man that was no longer produced in Britain due to its now increasingly industrial enviroment.

I would more then happily continue my little rant, but I've got a dissertation proposal to write for tommorow and alot of reading to do

Please any criticism on my topic of choice be it good or bad is welcome.Also any sources you could provide both Primary and Secondary would also be much appreciated.

Yours gratefully,

Prm.

[anglo-saxon]

Cornelias Ryan does an excellent job in "A Bridge Too Far" of looking at the events from a strategic point of view, then drilling down to individual actions at the pointy end. Well worth a study (as well as a damned good read!).

[harry hackedoff]

Remember the fillum well, Anglo.
Critics dubbed it, "An Hour Too Long"

[anglo-saxon]

From pure entertainment value, I enjoyed the movie. A "bit" over done a la Tinsel Town, but that's to be expected. (They haven't got anything right yet!) The book is an altogether different animal. Well worth a read.