A Scientific Way of War: Antebellum Military Science, West Point, and the Origins of American Military Thought (Studies in War, Society, and the Military)

While faith in the Enlightenment was waning elsewhere by 1850, at the United States Military Academy at West Point and in the minds of academy graduates serving throughout the country Enlightenment thinking persisted, asserting that war was governable by a grand theory accessible through the study of military science. Officers of the regular army and instructors at the military academy and their political superiors all believed strongly in the possibility of acquiring a perfect knowledge of war through the proper curriculum. __A Scientific Way of War__ analyzes how the doctrine of military science evolved from teaching specific Napoleonic applications to embracing subjects that were useful for war in North America. Drawing from a wide array of materials, Ian C. Hope refutes earlier charges of a lack of professionalization in the antebellum American army and an overreliance on the teachings of Swiss military theorist Antoine de Jomini. Instead, Hope shows that inculcation in West Point’s American military curriculum eventually came to provide the army with an officer corps that shared a common doctrine and common skill in military problem solving. The proliferation of military science ensured that on the eve of the Civil War there existed a distinctly American, and scientific, way of war. While faith in the Enlightenment was waning elsewhere by 1850, at the United States Military Academy at West Point and in the minds of academy graduates serving throughout the country, Enlightenment thinking persisted, asserting that war was governable by a grand theory accessible through the study of military science. Officers of the regular army and instructors at the military academy and their political superiors all believed strongly in the possibility of acquiring a perfect knowledge of war through the proper curriculum. A Scientific Way of War analyzes how the doctrine of military science evolved from teaching specific Napoleonic applications to embracing subjects that wereuseful for war in North America. Drawing from a wide array of materials, Ian C. Hope refutes earlier charges of a lack of professionalization in the antebellum American army and an overreliance on the teachings of Swiss military theorist Antoine de Jomini. Instead, Hope shows that inculcation in West Points American military curriculum eventually came to provide the army with an officer corps that shared a common doctrine and common skill in military problem solving. The proliferation of military science ensured that on the eve of the Civil War there existed a distinctly American, and scientific, way of war. Purchase the audio edition. While Faith In The Enlightenment Was Waning Elsewhere By 1850, At The United States Military Academy At West Point And In The Minds Of Academy Graduates Serving Throughout The Country Enlightenment Thinking Persisted, Asserting That War Was Governable By A Grand Theory Accessible Through The Study Of Military Science. Officers Of The Regular Army And Instructors At The Military Academy And Their Political Superiors All Believed Strongly In The Possibility Of Acquiring A Perfect Knowledge Of War Through The Proper Curriculum. Colonial And Early National Military Science -- Army Reforms, 1815-1820 -- West Point's Scientific Curriculum -- Internal Improvements -- Jacksonian Military Science -- Military Science During And After The Mexican War -- Antebellum Military Science -- Military Science In The Civil War -- Conclusion -- Appendix A. West Point Curricula -- Appendix B. Antebellum And Civil War Officer Statistics. Ian C. Hope. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 311-323) And Index. Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 14 1. Colonial and Early National Military Science 30 2. Army Reforms, 1815– 1820 60 3. West Point’s Scientific Curriculum 90 4. Internal Improvements 120 5. Jacksonian Military Science 142 6. Military Science during and after the Mexican War 174 7. Antebellum Military Science 196 8. Military Science in the Civil War 226 Conclusion 258 Appendix of Tables 268 Notes 290 Bibliography 324 Index 338 While faith in the Enlightenment was waning elsewhere by 1850, at the United States Military Academy at West Point Enlightenment thinking persisted. A Scientific Way of War analyses how the doctrine of military science evolved from teaching specific Napoleonic applications to embracing subjects useful for war in North America.