HILLSDALE — Hillsdale College’s Center for Military History and Strategy hosted Paul Lockhart of Wright State University on Jan. 23 for a lecture titled “Why Historians Ignore Weapons—And Why they Shouldn’t.” Lockhart discussed the role of weapons in military history.
“Understanding war is essential to understanding history,” said Professor of History David Stewart. “Despite their importance, weapons often get neglected in this study. Dr. Lockhart has done fascinating research on this topic, and it was a pleasure to host him.”
Lockhart argued that both historians and the public typically focus on theoretical or statistical evaluations of weapons, rather than how they functioned in the real world.
Paul Lockhart of Wright State University speaks to Hillsdale College students Jan. 23.
As a consequence, he argued, we significantly misunderstand the course and outcomes of wars. He gave the examples of the long rifle in the American Revolution, rifled muskets in the American Civil War, and poison gas and machine guns in World War I.
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Lockhart is a professor of history at Wright State University, where he founded undergraduate and graduate programs in the History of War and Society. He received his Ph.D. in military history and early modern European history from Purdue University.
Lockhart is the author of seven books, including two on the military history of the American Revolution and four on Scandinavian history during the 16th and 17th centuries. His most recent book is “Firepower: How Weapons Shaped Warfare.”
— Contact Reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale College hosts talk on the historical impact of weapons
