Looking ahead to the publication of the Network’s first edited volume in 2026, namely Military Welfare History since the Eighteenth Century: War and Welfare, which is to be published as part of the Palgrave Macmillan New Directions in Welfare History series. The Coordinator, Dr Paul Huddie, will be undertaking a series of guest lectures around the world in 2025/26, with a view to promoting the book, the Network and most importantly the military welfare history ‘perspective’.
Abstract for Roadshow Lecture:
For as long as there has been war, there have been soldiers’ and sailors’ spouses and children and widows and orphans, and there have been veterans. All of these people have been impacted by military service, and all of them have had or have sought welfare and medical needs before, during, and after military service and periods of conflict. The scope of military welfare history is broad because while military welfare clearly begins with soldiers and veterans, it by no means ends with them. This ‘perspective’ (military welfare history) also interrogates how their service affects their families, dependents, and communities. In addition, military welfare history incorporates all the changes to a society due to this service, including but not limited to policies, perceptions, ideologies, provisions, and infrastructures. This vast range of categories necessitates examining the decisions of governments and militaries as well as charitable, philanthropic, and religious organizations. It likewise requires gauging how creating and modifying various forms of assistance (such as government allowances and pensions, regimental provisions, charitable funds, philanthropic education, employment, housing, and medical care) seeks to meet the evolving needs of soldiers, veterans, and their families. It is the purpose of this lecture to present military welfare history as a new academic perspective, to trace its origins and evolution, and to discuss both its core features and its utility.
Below you will find a list of those lectures.
Japan
In October 2026, Dr Huddie will travel to Japan to undertake an academic tour to promote the military welfare history ‘perspective’, the MWHN and the new book at Chiba University, the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University. As well as speaking to student cohort, Dr Huddie will present his roadshow paper to audiences of Japanese academic scholars and researchers and administrators from Japans network of peace museums.
Itinerary:
10 October Dr Huddie will participate in the MWHN panel, entitled ‘Military Welfare History: a new academic “perspective” to consider with two illustrative case studies’, at the Seikeishi-gakkai (Conference of the Political Economy and Economic History Society), which takes place at Nanzan University, Nagoya.
This panel will comprise the following papers by Dr Huddie and two Japan-based MWHN members:
- Shoji Nakamura, ‘The Veterans’ Welfare in mid-20th-century United States: its history and scope’
- Paul Huddie, ‘Military Welfare History: what is it and why does it matter?’
- Mahon Murphy, ‘Military Welfare: captured soldiers as objects of aid’
19 October Dr Huddie will present ‘Military Welfare History: what is it and why does it matter?’ at the University of Tokyo
26 October Dr Huddie will present ‘Military Welfare History: what is it and why does it matter?’ at the Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Ritsumeikan University
Argentina
On 25 March 2026, Dr Huddie presented his paper ‘Military Welfare History: what is it and how can we use it?’ to the War Studies Research Group at the University of Buenos Aires.
This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on YouTube here.
United States
On 7 November 2025, Dr Huddie presented his paper ‘Military Welfare History: what is it and how can we use it?’ as part of the Joining Forces-UB lecture series (via Zoom) at the University of Buffalo, New York. This event was supported by the University at Buffalo Center for Disability Studies and the Research Foundation of the State University of New York.
Portugal
On 2 October 2025, Dr Huddie presented his paper ‘Military Welfare History: what is it and how can we use it?’ as part of the Society, Health and Military Medicine lecture series (via Zoom) at the New University of Lisbon in Portugal.
militarywelfarehistory.com 