Military History

Margaret Christie Studio

Alan Roberts

The outline for the course is:

The causes of war, the social and cultural foundations, military doctrine on each side, the logistics, leadership, technology, strategy, and tactics used, and how these changed over time.  The details of battles, equipment, personalities and personal experiences are included. Also, moral issues such as the Just War Theory which discusses the moral dimensions of warfare, and how to better limit the destructive reality caused by war and seeks to establish a doctrine of military ethics.

The scope will be:

Military History worldwide and the time frame from the ancient to the modern. I.e. from the Trojan War to the Afghan war.

2026 Topics: 

Monday                2-Feb-26              Alan Roberts       Ukraine Update 7

Monday                9-Feb-26              Victor Nurcombe              Lt-Colonel Terrance Mc Sharry

Monday                16-Feb-26            Geoff Gill             Film

Monday                23-Feb-26            Russell Patens    A story of WW I

Monday                2-Mar-26             Neil Dearburg     Australia’s Secret Airforce Bases of WWII

Monday                9-Mar-26             Greg Passmore Greeks at War

Monday                16-Mar-26           Joe Passmore     My Experience in Iraq

Monday                23-Mar-26           Jerry McBrien     The Light Horse

Monday                30-Mar-26           Elizabeth B Clarke         Romans on the Euphrates. From caravan city to Roman Fort: the life and Death of                                                                                                             Dura Europos and its Roman Defenders

About The Co-Ordinator:

Over the past 19 years Alan has presented several Armchair Travel videos, Historical documentaries and now coordinates the Military History and Art Appreciation courses. Where has all his diverse range of interests come from? First, the military aspects. Alan grew up in Coventry England, which was badly damaged during WW2, he played on bomb sites, met ex-service men, including uncles and aunties all with their own war stories. Also, ex German and Italian Prisoners of War who stayed on in England rather than return to their country of origin. But most tragic were those displaced people he met, who had arrived after the war, having survived the camps and the bitter winters while being shunted from one place to the next. Alan read extensively, listened intently, and learned that conflict, is an almost constant in human history, and that a good understanding of Military history is needed to interpret the world we live in today.