The Culture of Military Organizations

Examines how military culture forms and changes, as well as its impact on the effectiveness of military organizations.

Peter R. Mansoor (Edited by), Williamson Murray (Edited by)

9781108724487, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 October 2019

482 pages, 1 b/w illus. 3 tables
22.7 x 15.2 x 2.6 cm, 0.68 kg

'This volume makes a useful contribution to begin global historical explorations of military culture.' Thomas Furse, Journal of Contemporary History

Culture has an enormous influence on military organizations and their success or failure in war. Cultural biases often result in unstated assumptions that have a deep impact on the making of strategy, operational planning, doctrinal creation, and the organization and training of armed forces. Except in unique circumstances culture grows slowly, embedding so deeply that members often act unconsciously according to its dictates. Of all the factors that are involved in military effectiveness, culture is perhaps the most important. Yet, it also remains the most difficult to describe and understand, because it entails so many external factors that impinge, warp, and distort its formation and continuities. The sixteen case studies in this volume examine the culture of armies, navies, and air forces from the Civil War to the Iraq War and how and why culture affected their performance in the ultimate arbitration of war.

1. Introduction Peter R. Mansoor and Williamson Murray
Part I. Theoretical Frameworks: 2. Culture and military organizations Leonard Wong and Stephen J. Gerras
3. Strategic culture David Kilcullen
Part II. Land Forces: 4. Ulysses S. Grant and the culture of the Union Army of Tennessee Wayne Wei-siang Hsieh
5. 'Playing a very bold game': the organizational culture of the Army of Northern Virginia, 1862–1865 Mark Grimsley
6. German Army culture, 1871–1945 Jorit Wintjes
7. The culture of the Indian Army, 1900–1947: an evolving identity Daniel Marston
8. An army apart: the influence of culture on the Victorian British Army Richard Hart Sinnreich
9. The culture of the British Army, 1914–1945 Williamson Murray
10. Imperial Japanese Army culture, 1918–1945: duty heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather David Hunter-Chester
11. Military culture, military efficiency, and the Red Army, 1917–1945 Reina Pennington
12. An army like no other: the origins of the IDF's military culture Gil-li Vardi
13. The weight of the shadow of the past: the organizational culture of the Iraqi Army, 1921–2003 Kevin M. Woods
14. US Army culture, 1973–2017 Peter R. Mansoor
Part III. Maritime Forces: 15. The Royal Navy, 1900–1945: learning from disappointment Corbin Williamson
16. US Navy cultural transformations, 1945–2017: the jury is still out John T. Kuehn
17. The US Marine Corps, 1973–2017: cultural preservation in every place and clime Allan R. Millett
Part IV. Air Forces: 18. The culture of the Royal Air Force, 1918–1945 David Stubbs
19. US Air Force culture, 1947–2017 Robert Farley
20. Conclusion Peter R. Mansoor and Williamson Murray.

Subject Areas: Military life & institutions [JWT], Military tactics [JWKT], International relations [JPS], Military history [HBW]