Michael Howard (historian) facts for kids

Sir Michael Eliot Howard (29 November 1922 – 30 November 2019) was a very important English military historian. He was known for changing how we study war. Instead of just looking at battles, he explored the bigger reasons and effects of conflicts.

He held many important roles, including being a professor at the University of Oxford and Yale University. He also helped create the Department of War Studies, King's College London and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. People often called him "Britain's greatest living historian" and a top expert on conflict.

Early Life and Military Service

Michael Howard was born on November 29, 1922, in a village called Ashmore in Dorset, England. He was the youngest son of Geoffrey and Edith Howard. He went to Wellington College and then to Christ Church, Oxford University. He earned his first degree in 1946.

During World War II, Michael Howard joined the British Army. He became a second lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards in 1942. He fought in the Italian Campaign. He landed with his unit in Salerno, Italy, in September 1943. For his bravery during the First Battle of Monte Cassino in January 1944, he received the Military Cross award.

Academic Career and Influence

After his military service and university, Michael Howard started teaching at King's College London. There, he played a key role in setting up the Department of War Studies. This department helped bring together government officials, military leaders, and academics. They worked together to think about defense and national security in new and deeper ways.

His main academic positions included:

• Professor of War Studies at King's College London (1953–1963).
• Chichele Professor of History of War at All Souls College, Oxford (from 1977).
• Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford University (1980–1989).
• Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military and Naval History at Yale University (1989–1993).

He also helped create the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He had many connections in British society and used them to achieve his goals. He advised important political figures, including Margaret Thatcher.

Changing How We Study History

Michael Howard was famous for making military history much broader. He went beyond just describing campaigns and battles. He explored the social importance of war. This meant looking at how armies reflected the societies they came from.

For example, in his book about the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), he showed how the armies of Prussia and France were shaped by their nations' social structures. He also helped translate On War, a very important book by the Prussian military thinker Carl von Clausewitz.

Howard believed that history doesn't just give us simple lessons for today. He thought each historical event was unique. He stressed that we cannot simply copy past strategies for modern problems. He helped establish the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at King's College London.

Awards and Special Honours

Sir Michael Howard received many awards and honours for his work.

• He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1977.
• He became a Knight Bachelor in 1986, which meant he could use the title "Sir."
• He was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 2002 for his contributions to military studies.
• In 2005, he received the Order of Merit (OM), a very special honour given by the monarch.
• He was also elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1988.
• In 1992, he won the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for his lifetime achievements in military history.

Arms of Michael Howard

Crest A lion statant guardant tail extended Argent resting the dexter forepaw on a stag's head cabossed Or. Escutcheon Quarterly: 1st & 4th Gules a bend Argent between six cross crosslets Or on a canton Azure a stag's head cabossed Argent (Howard); 2nd & 3rd Argent a fess Gules between two bars wavy Azure in chief three Cornish choughs Proper (Eliot). Motto Sola Virtus Invicta (Virtue Alone Invincible)

His Published Works

Sir Michael Howard wrote many books and articles. Here are some of his notable works:

• The Coldstream Guards, co-written with John Sparrow, 1920–1946, 1951.
• The Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France, 1870–1871, 1961. ISBN: 0-416-30750-7
• The Mediterranean Strategy in the Second World War, 1967.
• Grand Strategy, August 1942 – September 1943, Volume IV, Grand Strategy series, History of the Second World War (1970).
• War in European History, 1976. ISBN: 0-192-89095-6
• Carl von Clausewitz, On War, 1977, edited and translated by M. E. Howard and Peter Paret.
• Clausewitz, 1983. ISBN: 0-192-87608-2
• The Causes of War, 1984.
• Strategic Deception in World War II, 1990. ISBN: 0-521-40145-3
• The Invention of Peace, 2000.
• The First World War, 2003.
• Captain Professor: A Life in War and Peace (his autobiography), 2006. ISBN: 0-826-49125-1