This lecture will address a number of significant overseas battlefield sites recently threatened by modern urban, industrial or technological development. A recurring theme is the argument between the need for urban spread and the desire to preserve the ground considered to be of national importance. We will discuss various community reactions to these proposals and see examples of success or failure in preserving them. We will also touch on the use of monuments on battlefield sites and how these can be interpreted or misinterpreted through differing viewpoints. Several of the sites to be discussed have significance in Australian military history.
Sample Press Articles – Bosworth Field, Agincourt, Boesinghe Trenches, Butte de Warlencourt, Culloden:
- Modern threats to old battle sites
- The Dilemma - moving forward or sticking with the past?
- Urban, industrial and technological encroachment
- Community protest against encroachments
- Success and failure in addressing development
- Battlefield monuments – interpretation and misinterpretation
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the forces that drive development on significant battle sites
- Understand the forces that drive community opposition to development
- Appreciate examples of success or failure to preserve significant sites
- Understand modern interpretations or misinterpretations of monuments on significant battle sites
- Appreciate examples of Australian-related battlefield sites in overseas locations
