Pershing Lecture series continues with look at ‘The Somme’

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On Sept. 14, Dr. Mark Hull, associate professor of history at CGSC, presented the eighth lecture in the General of the Armies John J. Pershing Great War Centennial Series to an audience of more than 70 attendees in the Arnold Conference Room of the Lewis and Clark Center.

Hull’s lecture, “Gates of Hell: The Somme” addressed the 1916 Somme battles that are widely considered iconic of the First World War. Hull shined a light on what most think of in connection with World War I: the huge loss of life, the combined efforts of the major players to outwit and outfight each other, innovation and counter-innovation, and the barren face of “No Man’s Land” – all of which stand as metaphors for futility. Hull looked at the events from both British and German perspectives, how these events (and casualties) were seen at the time, and how the view has changed in the hundred years since with the idea that each generation creates its own version of what happened in the trenches a century ago.

After his presentation, Hull took questions from the audience and stayed well after the conclusion to converse with others.

Dr. Hull is an associate professor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he teaches both criminal law and history courses. He earned his undergraduate degree from The Citadel, doctorate from University College Cork in Ireland, and Juris Doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law. Prior to teaching at CGSC, Dr. Hull worked as a criminal prosecutor and served as a brigade intelligence advisor to the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division military transition team from 2006-07 in Iraq. His books include Irish Secrets: German Espionage in Wartime Ireland and Masquerade: Treason, Holocaust, and Identity (to be published in 2017). Hull has written numerous articles and reviews on various topics ranging from prosecuting war crimes to military intelligence. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and has been named an Instructor of the Year for the Department of Military History.

The CGSC Department of Military History hosts the General of the Armies John J. Pershing Great War Centennial Series with support from the CGSC Foundation. The lecture series intended to foster understanding of this world-changing conflict during its 100-year commemoration. More than any other single event, World War I was the decisive, shaping experience of the Twentieth Century. It was a brutal war that brought down four empires, led to revolution in Russia, and eventually brought the United States onto the world stage as a major power. We live with its results to this day. All lectures in the series are free and open to the public.

The next lecture in the series entitled “Lawfare: The Rise of the Laws of War” will also be presented by Dr. Hull on Nov. 3. See the scheduled event on the Foundation website for more details.

For more information on this or other lectures in the series contact Dr. Shawn Faulkner, CGSC Department of Military History: email– richard.s.faulkner.civ@mail.mil or phone– 913-684-2056.