Nikolas Gardner
Biographic Data
| ID | 5844522 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nikolas Gardner |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nikolas |
| FAMILY NAME | Gardner |
| SIGNATURE | GARDNER N |
| AFFILIATIONS | Royal Military College of Canada |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 11 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 11 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Clausewitzian friction and autonomous weapon systems
In the 1990s, Barry Watts assessed the impact of modern technology on the incidence of general friction in warfare, concluding that the participation of humans in wars made friction nearly impossible to eliminate. The advent of autonomous weapon systems (AWS), however, has the potential to reduce the role of humans significantly. This article considers the impact of AWS on the incidence of friction in future wars. Using Watts' taxonomy of general…
British Prestige and the Mesopotamia Campaign, 1914–1916
A century after British and Indian soldiers landed at the Shatt‐al‐Arab near Basra in early November 1914, it is tempting to characterize the British campaign in Mesopotamia as an ill‐advised land
The Limits of the Sandhurst Connection
This article examines the role of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in the development of Oman’s foreign and defense policy from 1970 to 1977. Historians have assumed that following the British-orchestrated overthrow of Qaboos’s father in 1970, British soldiers and diplomats exerted a decisive influence over the inexperienced young sultan’s policy decisions. While Qaboos certainly depended on British military assistance to defeat an insurgency in Om…
To End All Wars
To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914–1918." The International History Review, 36(2), pp. 368–369
Morale and Discipline in a Multiethnic Army
This article examines morale and discipline in Britain's Indian Army during the First World War in Mesopotamia. It argues that logistical failure, heavy casualties, and the necessity of fighting an Islamic enemy placed severe stress on the implicit contract between Indian soldiers and the army's command structure in the opening years of the conflict. By 1916, an increasing number of Indians resorted to desertion and even suicide in order to escap…
Charles Townshend’s Advance on Baghdad
This article examines Major General Charles Townshend’s offensive against Ottoman forces in Mesopotamia during the autumn of 1915. It challenges the prevailing view that the offensive was destined for failure due to the numerical superiority of Ottoman forces in the region. Examining Townshend’s role in the battle of Kut-al-Amara in late September 1915, and focusing in particular on his conduct of the battle of Ctesiphon in late November, the art…
The Vertigo Years
Philipp Blom. The Vertigo Years: Europe, 1900–1914. New York: Basic Books, 2008. Pp. xiii. 466. For many scholars, the First World War constitutes a cultural watershed in the history of Western soc
The Harold Wilson Government, Airwork Services Limited, and the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, 1965—73
This article examines the role of Airwork Services Limited in the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, a package of military aircraft, air defences and support services provided by a consortium of British companies to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1966 to 1973. It argues that Harold Wilson's government saw the scheme as a means of boosting British exports while maintaining good relations with Saudi Arabia, in the context of growing limitations to…
Sepoys and the Siege of Kut-al-Amara, December 1915-April 1916
This article examines the role of Indian soldiers and camp followers during the siege of Kut-al-Amara, from December 1915 to April 1916. Historians have traditionally attributed the demise of the British garrison at Kut to the suspect decisions of its commander, Charles Townshend, and his superiors. This article argues that the conduct of the Indians attached to Towns-hend’s force contributed significantly to its defeat. It also demonstrates that…
Command and Control in the "Great Retreat" of 1914
Command in Crisis
(1998). Command in Crisis: The British Expeditionary Force and the Forest of Mormal, August 1914. War & Society: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 13-32
The Harold Wilson Government, Airwork Services Limited, and the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, 1965—73
This article examines the role of Airwork Services Limited in the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, a package of military aircraft, air defences and support services provided by a consortium of British companies to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1966 to 1973. It argues that Harold Wilson's government saw the scheme as a means of boosting British exports while maintaining good relations with Saudi Arabia, in the context of growing limitations to…
Command in Crisis
(1998). Command in Crisis: The British Expeditionary Force and the Forest of Mormal, August 1914. War & Society: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 13-32
Command and Control in the "Great Retreat" of 1914
Sepoys and the Siege of Kut-al-Amara, December 1915-April 1916
This article examines the role of Indian soldiers and camp followers during the siege of Kut-al-Amara, from December 1915 to April 1916. Historians have traditionally attributed the demise of the British garrison at Kut to the suspect decisions of its commander, Charles Townshend, and his superiors. This article argues that the conduct of the Indians attached to Towns-hend’s force contributed significantly to its defeat. It also demonstrates that…
The Harold Wilson Government, Airwork Services Limited, and the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, 1965—73
This article examines the role of Airwork Services Limited in the Saudi Arabian Air Defence Scheme, a package of military aircraft, air defences and support services provided by a consortium of British companies to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1966 to 1973. It argues that Harold Wilson's government saw the scheme as a means of boosting British exports while maintaining good relations with Saudi Arabia, in the context of growing limitations to…
The Vertigo Years
Philipp Blom. The Vertigo Years: Europe, 1900–1914. New York: Basic Books, 2008. Pp. xiii. 466. For many scholars, the First World War constitutes a cultural watershed in the history of Western soc
Morale and Discipline in a Multiethnic Army
This article examines morale and discipline in Britain's Indian Army during the First World War in Mesopotamia. It argues that logistical failure, heavy casualties, and the necessity of fighting an Islamic enemy placed severe stress on the implicit contract between Indian soldiers and the army's command structure in the opening years of the conflict. By 1916, an increasing number of Indians resorted to desertion and even suicide in order to escap…
Charles Townshend’s Advance on Baghdad
This article examines Major General Charles Townshend’s offensive against Ottoman forces in Mesopotamia during the autumn of 1915. It challenges the prevailing view that the offensive was destined for failure due to the numerical superiority of Ottoman forces in the region. Examining Townshend’s role in the battle of Kut-al-Amara in late September 1915, and focusing in particular on his conduct of the battle of Ctesiphon in late November, the art…
To End All Wars
To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914–1918." The International History Review, 36(2), pp. 368–369
British Prestige and the Mesopotamia Campaign, 1914–1916
A century after British and Indian soldiers landed at the Shatt‐al‐Arab near Basra in early November 1914, it is tempting to characterize the British campaign in Mesopotamia as an ill‐advised land
The Limits of the Sandhurst Connection
This article examines the role of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in the development of Oman’s foreign and defense policy from 1970 to 1977. Historians have assumed that following the British-orchestrated overthrow of Qaboos’s father in 1970, British soldiers and diplomats exerted a decisive influence over the inexperienced young sultan’s policy decisions. While Qaboos certainly depended on British military assistance to defeat an insurgency in Om…
Clausewitzian friction and autonomous weapon systems
In the 1990s, Barry Watts assessed the impact of modern technology on the incidence of general friction in warfare, concluding that the participation of humans in wars made friction nearly impossible to eliminate. The advent of autonomous weapon systems (AWS), however, has the potential to reduce the role of humans significantly. This article considers the impact of AWS on the incidence of friction in future wars. Using Watts' taxonomy of general…
History (9 works) · History (8 works) · Political science (8 works) · Law (7 works) · Law (7 works) · Ancient history (6 works) · World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact (5 works) · Economic history (4 works) · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East (4 works) · Archaeology (3 works)