Learning on the Battlefield

Duke students embark on a unique adventure to find a deeper understanding of the Great War

By Duke University

April 23^rd, 2018

Photos and Video by Shaun King/Department of Political Science

A staff ride is a powerful academic tool for surfacing how tactical, operational, strategic, political, and ethical decisions interact. Created in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars by the Prussians, staff rides have become an important educational tool for militaries where officers walk the battlefields of previous wars, observe the terrain and take the roles of leaders on all sides. In the same tradition, students research and come to understand pivotal decisions by standing on the battlefield, examining the psychology of leadership through the eyes of key decision-makers and reliving their decisions through role-playing.

This year’s staff ride brought Duke students to Europe to explore the battlefields and monuments that remember the end of the First World War. The trip, organized by Duke’s American Grand Strategy program, offered students the opportunity to reconnect with history over spring break.

Matthew King presents as author and diplomat Herbert Sulzbach at the Chateau Thierry American Monument.

Ready to go? Get an overview of the trip below.

After stepping off the plane in Brussels, the group went directly to the residence of the NATO Ambassador, Kay Bailey Hutchison, to kick off the trip. Throughout the day, they were introduced to the international leaders that would accompany them and provide insight along the ride.

Professor Peter Feaver introduces NATO Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Colonel Dirk Driggers from Ambassador Hutchison's staff briefed the group on the strategic context of Europe at the outbreak of World War I.

John Hillen, a member of the Duke Army ROTC's Hall of Fame serving as both mentor and participant on his fourth staff ride.

Lieutenant Colonel Jim Golby, an active duty Army strategist, met the group in Brussels and worked with them for the entire trip.

Ambassador Hutchinson addresses the group on the first stop of the ride.

The trip wound its way through the countrysides of Belgium and France—starting in Brussels and ending in Paris—revealing a landscape filled with the memory of WWI.

WWI was embedded in the places the group visited along the trip, and while it could not always be seen, it was certainly always felt.

Caitlyn Graovac portrays Private Elton Mackin in wheatfield during a stop on their trip.

Students stand under umbrellas at a historical site listening to a presentation.

It’s hard to drive along the Belgian motorway watching miles of fields turn into a perfect strip of vibrant green and picture it as what it was 100 years ago—an engulfing brown sea, snaked with dirty trenches. But, when the group stopped and looked more closely, the remnants became visible.

Spent shell casing and rusted parts still litter the landscape in some places.

At stops like the Chateau Thierry American Monument the members of the staff ride explored the memorial and heard presentations from students portraying WWI figures.

Aly Breuer presents as Major General Ligett in front of the Chateau Thierry American Monument.

Group members explore the monument that commemorates the Aisne-Marne and Oise-Aisne offensives.

Each participant in the staff ride was a docent, having researched in depth one or two key figures in the drama so they could give first-person briefings of what that historical figure did and why they did it.

The group gathers for a presentation at the Cantigny American Monument which memorializes the brutal battle for this high ground.

Sabriyya Pate presents as Newton Baker in front of the monument.

Lines of headstones at the Australian National Memorial honor soldiers in the French countryside.

Sachit Menon presents to the group as General Currie at the Australian National Monument.

By standing in the spots where the experiences and stories actually occurred, they gained invaluable context. The memorials did not just help participants remember, but it helped them teach so that they would gain a deeper understanding of what happened in these locations.

The group congregates in the ruins of a church that was destroyed in World War I at Montfaucon-d’Argonne in Lorraine, France.

The experience combines some of the best aspects of a battlefield tour, a crisis simulation, and a seminar discussion. It takes students directly to the sites of historical significance, allowing them to witness first hand the intersection of terrain and weather—and even how fatigue shaped the events that unfolded.

On a rainy day, the group stands next to the remnants of a barded wire fence at the Butte de Vauquois abovc a labyrinth of fortified caves.

Students stand in front of a map of the surrounding area inside a cave excavated during the war.

The group donned hard hats and flashlights to explore the caves.

A student sits in the cave surrounded by items left from the war.

Nicole Czakon presents as Army Private Irving Greenwald, one of the stranded soldiers, at the Lost Battalion Site.

The site memorializes the nine companies of American troops that became isolated by German forces during WWI.

A student breaks the tension by peeking over the historical marker at the Lost Battalion site.

Through this exercise of researched role-playing—consisting of both prepared statements and questions from other participants—students were able to gain a deep empathy so that the decisions and events at the close of WWI could be more fully understood.

The group stood in Compiègne where the war came to its conclusion with the signing of the Armistice of 11 November 1918.

Sarah Sibley presents as Woodrow Wilson with an overview of the American position, looking forward.

American Grand Strategy Program Director Peter Feaver celebrates with students at the completion of a successful staff ride.

Students celebrate the conclusion of the staff ride in Paris, posing for photos in front of the Eiffel Tower in the snow.

Photography/Videography by Shaun King

Written contributions by Elliot Mamet, Ph.D. student, Matthew King, Class of ’18, Sarah Sibley, Class of ’19, Antonia Young, Class of ’21, Spencer Kaplan, Class of ’21, Peter Feaver, Director of American Grand Strategy, Shaun King and Melanie Benson