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The British Army in Home Defense, 1844-1871: Militia and Volunteers in a Liberal Era

Shapiro, Stephen Judah
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1314979500

Abstract Details

2011, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, History.
For almost three decades, politics in mid-Victorian Britain were dominated by a loose but influential cross-class liberal political consensus. Extending beyond the parliamentary Liberal party, liberalism‘s influence spread into almost every aspect of public policy. This dissertation examines the impact of liberal politics and thought on the development of British military policy in the 1840s, 50s, and 60s through the lens of home defense. Britain was gripped by major invasion panics in 1848, 1852, and 1859, each of which led to serious reconsiderations of home defense. Among the subsequent reforms and innovations were the fortification of England‘s southern coast, the revival of the militia, and the creation of the amateur Volunteer Force. The debate surrounding home defense offers the best path to examining the impact of a vibrant but conflicted political philosophy on military policy. It demonstrates the depth of liberalism‘s impact not just on British military policy but also on the assumptions on which that policy was based, as well as highlighting the importance of the relationship between political thought and the development of Britain‘s armed forces.
Jennifer Siegel, PhD (Advisor)
Christopher Otter, PhD (Committee Member)
Geoffrey Parker, PhD (Committee Member)
375 p.
Armed Forces; History; Military History
militia; volunteers; liberalism; Britain; army; ninteenth century

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Shapiro, S. J. (2011). The British Army in Home Defense, 1844-1871: Militia and Volunteers in a Liberal Era [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1314979500

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Shapiro, Stephen. The British Army in Home Defense, 1844-1871: Militia and Volunteers in a Liberal Era. 2011. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1314979500.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Shapiro, Stephen. "The British Army in Home Defense, 1844-1871: Militia and Volunteers in a Liberal Era." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1314979500

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.