'Christopher Bassford' (born
1953) is an
American military historian. He completed a Ph.D. in modern European history at
Purdue University and became director of studies in the theory and nature of war at the
U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Command and Staff College (where he remains an adjunct professor), then associate professor of National Policy Issues at the
U.S. Army War College. He is presently Professor of Strategy at the
National War College, in
Washington, D.C. Bassford graduated from the
College of William and Mary with a degree in history and honors for his dissertation on tactical nuclear weapons and completed his MA in American diplomatic history at
Ohio University. Subsequent to receiving his MA, he served five years on active duty as a
U.S. Army field
artillery officer, with tours in
Korea and
Germany.
Bibliography
Dr. Bassford has written scholarly studies, military doctrine, and articles for the popular press. He is the author of several books, including ''
Clausewitz in English: The Reception of Clausewitz in Britain and America, 1815-1945'' (Oxford University Press, 1994) and ''The Spit-Shine Syndrome: Organizational Irrationality in the American Field Army'' (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1988). He is one of the editors of the
Boston Consulting Group's business-oriented ''Clausewitz On Strategy: Inspiration and Insight from a Master Strategist'' (New York: Wiley, 2001). From 1995 to 1999 he was involved in the writing of USMC doctrine, authoring MCDP 1-1, Strategy; MCDP 1-2, Campaigning; MCWP 5-1, Marine Corps Planning (Draft); MCWP 2-15.3, Ground Reconnaissance Operations; and MCWP 3-2, Aviation Operations, as well as participating in the writing of several other USMC and Joint concepts and doctrinal publications.
His academic articles include "
John Keegan and the Grand Tradition of Trashing Clausewitz," ''War in History'', November 1994. "
Reclaiming the Clausewitzian Trinity," ''Parameters'', Autumn 1995.
"Clausewitz and His Works".
"Doctrinal Complexity: Nonlinearity in Marine Corps Doctrine," in F.G. Hoffman and Gary Horne, eds., ''Maneuver Warfare Science,'' United States Marine Corps Combat Development Command, 1998.
"
Review: Carl von Clausewitz, eds./trans. Peter Paret and Daniel Moran, Historical and Political Writings," (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992), ''The International History Review,'' vol.XIV, no.4 (November 1992).
The Clausewitz Homepage
Bassford is the editor of
The Clausewitz Homepage, an educational
website that focuses on the German military philosopher
Carl von Clausewitz. Bassford's own work on Clausewitz concentrates on the evolution of Clausewitz's reception, reputation, and impact in the
English-speaking world. He is interested in the relationship between Clausewitzian theory, concepts from the field of nonlinear science, and modern evolutionary theory.
External links
★
Biography at Clausewitz.com.
★
Biography at the
National War College