In honor of Charles W. Johnson, the founder of UT’s Center for the Study of War and Society, Robert M. Citino will deliver the lecture “Pride or Prejudice?: Military History and the Academy” Monday at the Baker Center’s Toyota Auditorium.
Citino, a prominent military historian, is from the University of North Texas. He has authored eight books, the latest “The German Way of War” (2005) and “Death of the Wehrmacht” (2007).
In addition, Citino was rated the “No. 1 professor in the U.S.” by the Web site http://www.ratemyprofessors.com, an online service designed to allow students to comment on and review the performance of their professors. He has also appeared on the History Channel.
This lecture will honor both Johnson and the center he founded in 1984.
“The UT Center for the Study of War and Society wanted a very special speaker to invite for this event on its 25th anniversary,” Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, Lindsay Young Professor and director of the Center for the Study of War and Society, said.
The lecture will provide attendees with a new perspective on the study of military history.
“In this lecture, Dr. Citino will introduce the latest developments in the field of research of ‘new military history,’ which is the study of war and the military in a way that integrates cultural, social and political histories,” Liulevicius said.
Citino’s address is designed to present a unique enrichment opportunity for UT students interested in studying history, or who are simply anxious to better understand current events.
“A person’s political ideals often color their views about the military history profession and even whether it should be a program of study at universities,” Cynthia Tinker, project coordinator for the Center for the Study of War and Society, said. “This is in spite of the fact it’s popular with the public and a great number of students. We want this lecture to be thought-provoking. Military history is not just about strategy and tactics, guns and armor; it encompasses social, cultural, political and diplomatic areas.”
Citino’s address will cover several different aspects of this subject area.
“The lecture will argue that this (new) perspective is especially needed today, as conflicts rage around the world in our own times,” Liulevicius said. “Students will be introduced to the contributions of the new military history as a field of study, perhaps one they would like to pursue here at UT, for example in courses in the history department or through the internship at the Center for the Study of War and Society which they can apply for.”
The lecture will serve the dual purpose of educating on military affairs but also to honor the memory of Johnson, a revered member of the history department.
He joined the history department in 1965, after he received his Ph. D. from the University of Michigan. Johnson taught both graduate and undergraduate classes for UT and earned the UT National Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award.
“Dr. Chuck Johnson was a dear colleague,” Liulevicius said.
