The Limitations of military power : essays presented to Professor Norman Gibbs on his eightieth birthday : Chichele Professor of the History of War, University of Oxford 1953-77

This book traces the development of military studies at Oxford over more than a century, showing Norman Gibb's role in the broad context of its development. It also includes essays which present additional themes, beyond Clausewitz's suggestions, that provide limitations on military power, and five case-studies from twentieth-century history which illustrate a wide range of limiting factors. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Study of War History at Oxford, 1862–1990....Pages 3-61 Front Matter....Pages 63-63 Alliances and International Order....Pages 65-81 The Military and Counter-insurgency....Pages 82-94 The Contribution of the British Civil Service and Cabinet Secretariat Tradition to International Prevention and Control of War....Pages 95-110 Geography and Grand Strategy....Pages 111-137 Front Matter....Pages 139-139 ‘One Man Whom You Can Hang If Necessary’: The Discreet Charm of Nevil Macready....Pages 141-159 Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain and the Defence of Empire....Pages 160-172 The Sea Lion That Did Not Roar: Operation Sea Lion and its Limitations....Pages 173-202 Old Habits Die Hard: The Return of British Warships to Chinese Waters after the Second World War....Pages 203-217 Military Power and Revolutionary War in Vietnam....Pages 218-229 Back Matter....Pages 230-242 This is a collection of papers honouring the life and work of Norman Gibbs. They trace his part in the development of military studies at Oxford, and expand his theories of limitations on military power. Five case studies from 20th-century history illustrating limiting factors are included.