How the British Army Learned to Win, with Huw Davies

Huw Davies, an associate dean and professor of British military history at King’s College London and author of several books, including The Wandering Army, joins School of War to discuss what the 18th-century British Army can teach us about modern warfare. How does battlefield failure drive military innovation? How did institutions of the past respond to change? And in an era of drones, autonomy, and AI, have we learned from the past, or are we destined to repeat it?

Times:

02:40 18th century military enlightenment

06:30 War of the Austrian Succession

12:43 The British officer class

18:39 Tension between ancients and moderns

20:20 Discovering Sir Henry Clinton’s notebook

20:48 False caricature of the British Army

27:02 Challenges of North American warfare

29:32 Battle of the Monongahela

35:09 Importance of light infantry

38:17 Rifle evolution

39:00 Why armies resist change

43:40 Lessons for today

46:42 Human behavior in war

47:10 Learning curve of war technologies

49:11 Is Ukrainian drone warfare a turning point?

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