From Waterloo to the Rhine: The British Army 1815-1945

Explore the British Army’s part in the making of the modern world

With a legacy stretching back centuries, the British Army is proud of its hard-won reputation as one of the most formidable fighting forces in the world.

On this course, you’ll see for yourself how the British Army evolved as an institution between 1815 and 1945. You’ll reflect on its social composition, place in society, and military proficiency, analysing a range of primary sources and incorporating your findings into historical debate.

Ultimately, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the British Army - its successes, failures and role in shaping the modern world.

No prior experience or qualifications are needed for this course. It would suit anyone with an interest in the British military, or social history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It would also appeal to prospective students of history, or military history.

• The British Army at Waterloo
• Introduction
• Britain’s soldiers and the experience of battle
• Wellington and Waterloo
• The British Army and Empire
• Introduction
• The 1857 Rebellion
• The British Army in the late Victorian period
• The Anglo-Zulu War
• The Second South African War
• The British Army and the First World War
• Introduction
• Expanding the Army
• British strategy and the Generals
• Gallipoli, the Somme, and the 100 Days
• Maintaining morale
• Commemorating the War
• The British Army and the Second World War
• Introduction
• Cartoon analysis
• The reformation of the Home Army, 1940-43
• Turning the tide: El Alamein, D-Day, and Operation Market Garden
• The Bureau of Current Affairs and Army education