Abridging History

Being the most indecisive person I know, it’s no wonder I’ve changed my major four or five times within the two semesters I’ve been at IU, and may change again. Blame it on being a freshman, but after considering SPEA, journalism and various others, I recently decided just to study something I enjoy. \nIt was that resolve, however mad, that led me to the history department when browsing the class listings for the fall semester.\nI was eager to be greeted by an abundance of interesting classes on topics such as the Civil War, Vietnam, World War II, or my personal favorite, Revolutionary America, but I found myself sorely disappointed to instead see listings such as “Issues in United States History: American Sexual Histories” and “Women, Men & Society in Modern Europe.” \nWhile it’s understandable that not all courses can be offered every semester, I can’t help but wonder if the conspicuously absent classes are indicative of a greater trend in academia. Where has all the military history gone?\nAccording to David A. Bell’s article in The New Republic, “Military History Bites the Dust,” modern academics in prominent U.S. universities have begun neglecting military history as modern intellectual thought has shifted to mirror Enlightenment-era thinking that dismissed war as “primitive, irrational and alien to modern civilization.”\nEven today the opinions of historians and social scientists struggle to reflect a valid account of history. Bell admits that “historians routinely write and teach about many phenomena they detest.” The conscious decision by individual instructors to disregard those historical events that are no longer considered intellectually compelling is a dangerous trend. What is it they say about forgetting your history? You’re doomed to something…\nGiven the inherently volatile nature of human relations, it is impossible to escape studying war, even if we personally find it repelling. Since the inception of man, war has been the most constant and most influential phenomenon in history and therefore must not be circumvented in favor of friendlier subjects.\nToo many universities have evaded offering courses focusing on such specific topics. Only two of Harvard’s 85 spring history courses focus on war, and they have no specialist in military history on their world-renowned staff, which certainly puts IU’s solitary course in military history (which is a NELC course if you’re curious) into perspective.\nSo what has military history done to deserve this kind of neglect? Surely it cannot be a lack of relevance. Bell points out that the current U.S. involvement in Iraq is “the fifth major U.S. deployment since 1990.” Let us not forget that Iraq is not the only place in the world facing conflict and unrest. Despite the utopist pursuits of the intellectual community, we are certainly not living in a harmonious society that is above conflict and strife.\nSo although humanity may hope to make war a thing of the past, the study of war should never be, because it directly affects our understanding of the present.