Hillsdale College

Center for Military History
and Strategy

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Emanuel Leutze, George Washington Crossing the Delaware
1851

Center for Military History
and Strategy

A bold new initiative in American higher education.

ABOUT

U.S. Army Bell UH-1D helicopters airlift members of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment from the Filhol Rubber Plantation area to a new staging area, during Operation "Wahiawa"

Center for Military History
and Strategy

A bold new initiative in American higher education.

ABOUT

The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China —210–209 BC

Center for Military History
and Strategy

A bold new initiative in American higher education.

ABOUT

Diego Velázquez, The Surrender of Breda, Justinus van Nassau surrenders Breda to Ambrogio Spinola, Eighty Years War—1634-35

Center for Military History
and Strategy

A bold new initiative in American higher education.

ABOUT

Woodcuts of Japan, Kyodō risshi no motoi, Kikuchi Takemitsu—1886

Through the study of Military History and Strategy, the Center prepares students and citizens to support and defend the United States and its constitutional order.


The CMHS offers students an academic minor to prepare them not only for future careers in foreign policy, the intelligence community, the government, or military service, but, above all, for their role as informed citizens.

The minor requires eighteen credits, including three core courses, six elective hours, and a capstone seminar.

The core courses will introduce students to the causes, conduct, and consequences of warfare from the ancient world through the present, in cultures from around the globe. The capstone—American Strategy—examines the contemporary implications of America’s international role in conflict.

 
The CMHS also hosts an annual conference and a guest lecture series. The conference brings together leading military historians, policymakers, scholars, and military officers. Each annual conference has a single issue unifying its lectures and discussions. The guest lecture series provides insight and understanding from leaders in the field of military history and strategy.

Why Study Military History and Strategy at Hillsdale College?

Hillsdale College offers a unique program in military history and strategy—global in understanding and direction. The College maintains a long tradition of military service among its students and alumni. During the Civil War, more than 400 students enlisted and fought for the Union, a higher percentage of students, in fact, than from any other American college. World War II again depleted the campus of men, as students once again rose to defend the cause of freedom. Hillsdale students and alumni have answered the call to serve their country.

Hillsdale College’s founding Articles of Association acknowledge that “sound learning” is required to preserve “the inestimable blessings resulting from the prevalence of civil and religious liberty.” Threats to liberty, self-government, and the rule of law are ever-present in the world today. By providing an education in the study of war and strategy, Hillsdale strives to prepare undergraduates and educate the public to defend and preserve those “inestimable blessings” of liberty in a world that continues to ignore the lessons of the past.

curriculumfaculty

Conferences, Lecture Series, and the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program

The CMHGS also hosts an annual conference and a lecture series. The conference brings together leading military historians, policymakers, scholars, and military officers. Each annual conference has a single issue unifying its lectures and discussions. The guest lecture series provides insight and understanding from leaders in the field of military history and strategy. The Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program provides students an exceptional opportunity to understand the Beltway and its environs whilst taking classes and gleaning practical knowledge for their future careers in service to the United States.

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Hillsdale College Launches Center for Military History and Strategy

Launch event featured a keynote lecture from historian Victor Davis Hanson

Hillsdale College opened its new Center for Military History and Strategy with a two-day launch event on Sept. 9 and 10, 2022. The event, which was hosted on Hillsdale’s campus, featured talks by historians Victor Davis Hanson, Ian Johnson, and Sean McMeekin.

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lecture series

Insight and understanding from leaders in the field of military history and strategy

Each lecture within the series corresponds with courses taught each semester, which focus on the broader relevancy of applicable lessons for today in war and strategy.

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Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP)

An exceptional opportunity to understand the Beltway and its environs

Hillsdale College undergraduates may participate in semester-long internships:

  • American Battlefield Trust
  • American Foreign Policy Council
  • Center for Strategic and International Studies
  • Executive Office (Agencies and White House)
  • House of Representatives (Committees and Members' Offices)
  • International Affairs (State Department and Embassies)
  • Senate (Committee and Member's Office)
  • Think Tanks

Stay connected with the Center for Military History and Strategy

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Ancient Sumerian artifact known as the Standard of Ur

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Paolo Uccello, Niccolò Mauruzi da Tolentino at the Battle of San Romano—c. 1438–1440

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Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, India

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Great Wall of China

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The cannon at Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Maryland,
birthplace of "The Star-Spangled Banner"