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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-268). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

This thesis examines the treatment of the British Army and military themes, in painting, during the period 1815- 1914. All the works discussed were exhibited at the Royal Academy, which, although it underwent modifications in status, remained the nearest equivalent to a State Institution for Art in Britain. All the paintings shown there were painted with the knowledge that they were to be seen by the controllers of the Academy and the dominant classes of society. It will be inferred then, that the paintings shown there may be taken to have been acceptable to ruling class ideologies, and are therefore instructive of 'official' attitudes to military art. Representations of the contemporary Army, in this period, fell into two main catagories - battle paintings and genre depictions of soldiers. Chapters one to three survey battle paintings; studying the relation of this genre to the Academy; the relative popularity of the genre and the career patterns of its practioners. The critical reception of battle pictures at the Academy and certain important public competitions will be noted and considered in the context of contemporary ideologies about art and about the Army and its men. Chapter four discusses the vital concept of 'heroism' and its treatment in English military art. In particular, the reasons for the popularity of certain military figures above their peers, in academic art, will be explored. It will be argued that the process of 'hero-making' in art was not determined by professional success alone, but was often the result of the intervention of patrons, publicists and pressure groups. It will be shown that contemporary ideologies of heroism and art-historical convention precluded innovation in representation to correspond with technological developments in warfare. Battle paintings of heroes remained rooted in the conventions of 'chivalry' until the end of the First World War. Chapters five and six study genre representations of the soldier. Paintings of the 'recruit', the 'veteran' and the soldier and the family are discussed in relation to contemporary ideologies of the soldier held by the dominant classes. This thesis seeks to show that the military genre pictures, exhibited at the Royal Academy, are significantly related to developments in ideas about the Army and society, and that the uncertain status of battle painting was reflective of the equivocal attitude towards the Army and the Empire in this period.

Thesis--Munich.

Inaug.--Diss.--Marburg. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Inaug.-Diss.--Berlin. / Vita.

The main aim of this study is to shed light on the major factors affecting the performance of the Muslim military in five important battles fought during the first two decades of Islam (2/624-16/638). The study comprises an introduction, seven central chapters, and a conclusion (an Arabic-English glossary is placed at the end of the study). The first chapter includes a general introduction which incorporates an explanation of the method to be followed in the study. It provides a review of the study's primary and secondary sources and of the Arabic literature on the subject of warfare and military activities. It also explains the nature and scope of the study and closes with an outline of the organisation of the chapters. The second chapter provides a brief background account of the region prior to Islam and considers in particular the region of al-Ilijäz. In addition it illustrates some of the main features of the neighbouring powers in the north and south of Arabia, and of the two great empires that still dominated the region. The third chapter narrates the significant events of the battles under discussion, i. e. Badr, Uhud, al-Khandaq, al-Yarmiik, and al-Qädisiyyah, thus providing a reference for the subsequent chapters. The fourth chapter investigates the factor of Islamic military doctrine, its role in the performance of the Muslim armies, and its importance for the conduct of the five battles. The fifth chapter examines the factor of Islamic military leadership, its impact upon the performance of the Muslim armies, and how it was exercised during the battles under study. The sixth chapter discusses the factor of Islamic military intelligence, its task in relation to the performance of the Muslim armies, and how it was conducted in the battles in question. The seventh chapter considers the factor of the adversaries' strengths and weaknesses using both narrative and analysis. This chapter provides a necessary examination of the nature of the forces confronting the Muslim armies. The eighth chapter focuses on the factor of Islamic military strategy, its importance for the performance of the Muslim armies, and its implementation in the five battles. The ninth chapter summarises and discusses the study's most important findings and draws conclusions from them, indicates to what extent the study's principal aims have been achieved, and makes suggestions for future research.

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, 1994. / Faction fighting in Msinga started because of the shortage of land in this division. The oldest residents of the valley, the Sithole, aMachunu and aBathembu lived together very peacefully. Trouble started after the Colonial Government's demarcation of the valley into a reserve. Hundreds of people driven away from various parts of Natal arrived. These people had been removed from their areas because the Government needed those areas for settling white colonists. This part of Natal is arid, hilly and rocky. As a result, subsistence economy in the form of agriculture declined to a very large extent. The Government had no economic policy for these people. Starvation soon made the izizwe of the valley restless. Their amakhosi could not help them in any way. Eventually, it was a question of everyone struggling for survival. It was, for instance, not possible for aMabaso to live in peace with aBathembu because their location was completely surrounded by that of aBathembu. Inkosi Mganu Mvelase of aBathembu was not a war-like ruler but his neighbour, Inkosi Thulwana Ndabezitha of aMabaso had many grievances regarding land. In the long run, these amakhosi became enemies. Their izizwe started trying to push each other out of the reserve. When the two izizwe were up in arms against each other, it was the beginning of a tragedy for the whole division. Faction fighting that broke out between the two izizwe gave birth to the rest of the wars and the lamentable system of alliances. The attitude of the white civil servants towards Inkosi Kula Majozi worsened the state of the reserve. The enmity between the Sithole and aMaqamu was further aggravated by the partition of aMaqamu location after the deposition and exile of Inkosi Kula. The Government also proved to be inconsiderate of the feelings of aMaqamu by putting some of them under Inkosi Sibindi of aMabomvu. The Government was fully aware of the enmity between the two izizwe. Some of aMaqamu found themselves under Inkosi Bhande Sithole. When Inkosi Kula was reinstated, these people made a lot of noise demanding to be under their own inkosi. Fighting subsided in 1906, but that did not mean that the Government had succeeded in stopping faction fighting in the reserve. This was proved by the outbreaks of devastating wars between aBathembu and aMachunu in 1922 and 1944. The main significance of faction fighting is that it affects all aspects of life of the people involved. It is still very difficult to develop these victims economically and even educationally. The easy availability of guns has made matters far worse, even in the absence of a faction fight. Young men, most of whom with no formal schooling, easily get trapped in hooliganism. ^Employment chances are always slim. There are absolutely no activities to keep these young people occupied. They openly live by crime. To most of them, stealing is the way of life. They are nsed as hired killers only to meet the same fate themselves eventually. Even those who have access to arable land, show no interest in v i cultivating the soil. These wasted children have no way of making themselves economically productive. They are a burden to themselves and to the Government. Their built-in culture of fighting, has taught them to look down upon any man who does not possess a gun. Such a man is derogatorily referred to as a woman. When a faction fight breaks out, schools are usually disturbed because boys are bound to join their ward male members. They remain in hiding, preparing for attack or counter-attack, until fighting is over. Should fighting intensify, schools stop functioning altogether. Many boys leave school in such circumstances The question that remains now is, who or what will stop the war in Msinga? Unless a solution is found, to remedy the situation and restore dignity to these people, the future of Msinga will remain bleak

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-179). Also available via the Internet.