HH 365

Spring 2007

History of the Marine Corps

“It will be enough for me, however, if these words of mine are judged useful by those who want to understand clearly the events which happened in the past and which (human nature being what it is) will, at some time in the future and in much the same ways, be repeated in the future.”

Thucydides, 5^th Century BC

“Ultimately a real understanding of history means we face nothing new under the sun. For all the ‘Fourth Generation of War’ intellectuals running around today saying that the nature of war has fundamentally changed, the tactics are wholly new, etc., I must respectfully say: ‘Not really.’ Alex the Great would not be in the least perplexed by the enemy we face right now in Iraq, and our leaders going into this fight do their troops a disservice by not studying (studying, vice just reading) the men who have gone before us. We have been fighting on this planet for 5000 years and we should take advantage of their experience. ‘Winging it’ and filling body bags as we sort out what works reminds us of the moral dictates and the cost of competence in our profession.”

Major General James Mattis, USMC, 2003

The purpose of this course is to examine the history of the United States Marine Course from its first days as an adjunct to the embryonic United States to its current unique position as an independent ground based amphibious force with its own air force. To do so we will be examining that history through articles, histories, and literature, both autobiographical and fictional. The aim is to provide the student with a sense of the crucial role that culture, imagination, strategic and operational flexibility have made to the making of the Marine Corps the unique institution that it is.

I plan to lecture to the minimum degree during the four months that we spend in class. Rather my hope is that we can make this class as much like a seminar as possible. To do so it is incumbent that everyone come to class having done the reading. Not to do so will make it difficult to do justice to the topic at hand. In addition to the reading and class time, I plan to bring in a considerable number of former Marine officers into the class to provide a perspective on their military careers and their views on the history of the Corps as well as the importance of history to the military profession.

I have two purposes in mind in teaching this course. The first is to provide you with a sense of the proud and military effective history of the United States Marine Corps. I realize that I am imposing a heavy burden on you in terms of the reading and writing assignments, but given the complex issues with which I want you to become familiar, I have no other choice. If you do your part and I do my part, you will leave this course with significantly improved writing and analytic skills which will play a significan role in your coming service careers and thereafter.

I will be in my office on the Third deck of Sampson from Monday afternoon through to Thursday afternoon most of the time. I am usually in my office by 0800 from Tuesday through Thursday and on Monday through Wednesday I rarely go home until 2000. My door is always open.

My telephone numbers are: Home: 703-293-0243; work 410-293-6270. On Fridays I am at the Institute for Defense Analyses: 703-845-6640.

My email addresses are wmurray@ida.org and wmurray@usna.edu.

Course assignments:

Seven 2 page papers

One 5-8 page paper

One 15-20 page paper

One final examination

Daily Schedule

Week 1

9 January Introduction

11 January: What is military effectiveness?

Assignment: Millett, Murray, and Watman: “Military Effectiveness” reading provided

Week 2

16 January: The Corps and military effectiveness

Assignments: Millett, et al., “Military Effectiveness;” Schowalter, “The Corps as an Elite,” Crucibles; Heinl, “The Cat with more than Nine Lives,” Crucibles

First two page paper: “Define military effectiveness.”

18 January: The Corps’ early history

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fidelis, chapters 1, 2, and 3; Dawson, “With Fidelity and Effectiveness,” Crucibles

Week 3

23 January: The Civil War and Afterwards

Assignment: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 5

Second two page paper: “Discuss the Marine Corps as an effective military institution.”

25 January: Search for a mission: colonial infantry?

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 5; Linn, “We Will Go Heavily Armed;” and Shulimson, “Teddy Roosevelt and the Corps Sea Going Mission,” Crucibles

Week 4

30 January: Colonial infantry?

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, chapters 6,7, and 9; Cosmas, “ ”Cacos and Caudillos;” Jennings, “Sandino against the Marines,” Crucibles

1 February: The China Marines

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 8; Marshall, “The China Marines and the Crucible of the Warrior Mythos,” Crucibles

Week 5

6 February: The Marine Corps and World War I

Assignments: Millett, In Many a Strife, chapters 10 and 11; Millett, In Many a Strife, chapters 2-6

Third Two Page Paper: “The Colonial experience and the Marine Corps.”

8 February: The Professionalization of the Marine Corps

Visit of Professor Allan Millett

Assignment: Millett, In Many a Strife, chapters , 9, 10, and 11

Week 6

13 February: A new mission: creation of an amphibious force

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, Chapter 12; Reber, “Pete Ellis,” Crucibles

15 February: Preparing for war

Assignments: Millett, In Many a Strife, chapters 11, 12, 13

Week 7

20 February Movie: “Victory in the Pacific”

22 February Movie: “Victory in the Pacific”

Week 8

27 February: The war in the Pacific: Counterattack, Guadalcanal

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 13; Millett, In Many a Strife, chapters 14, 15, 16, 17

Five-eight page paper due: “The Professionalization of the Marine Corps”

1 March: Visitor: Lieutenant General P.K. Van Riper, USMC (ret), former commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, 2^nd Marine Division, and founder of Marine Corps University

Week 9

6 March: the war in the Pacific: Guadalcanal and the Solomons

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 13; Millett, In Many a Strife, chapter 18; Burrell, “The Protype U.S. Marine,” Crucibles

8 March: Central Pacific

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 14; Hoffman, “The Truth about Pelilu,” Crucibles

Fourth two page paper due: “The Marine Corps and World War II”

10 March: to 18 March: SPRING BREAK

Week 10

20 March: The nature of the war in the Pacific

Assignment: E.B. Sledge, With the Old Breed

Fifth two page paper due: “Review of With the Old Breed.”

22 March: The end in the Pacific

Assignment: Millett, In Many a Strife, chapter 14 (review)

Week 11

27 March: Saving the Corps

Assignment: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 15; Millett, In Many a Strife, chapters 20, 21, 22; Burrell, “Issue in Doubt,” Crucibles

29 March: Korea

Assignment: Millett, Semper Fi, chapter 16; Millett, In Many a Strife, chapter 23; Heinl, “Inchon,” Crucibles

Week 12

3 April: Vietnam

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, 17 and 18; Yates, “Feather in their Cap?” Crucibles

5 April: Visitor

Week 13

10 April: Vietnam

Assignments: James Webb, Fields of Fire

Sixth two page assignment due: “Review of Webb’s Fields of Fire”

12 April: Visitor

Week 14

17 April: After Vietnam

Assignments: Millett, Semper Fi, chapters 19, 20

19 April: The First Gulf War

Assignment: “The Iraqi View of the War,” provided reading

Week 15

24 April: Visitor

26 April: The Second Gulf War

Assignment: Murray and Scales, The Iraq War, A Military History, Millett, “Why the Army and Marine Corps should Be Friends,” Crucibles

Seventh two page assignment: “The Army and the Marine Corps”

Final examination