Kelly DeVries Speaks at Hillsdale College Center for Military History and Grand Strategy
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College’s new Center for Military History and Grand Strategy hosted Kelly DeVries to speak on Feb. 14 on “War and Strategy during the Middle Ages.” DeVries is a professor of history at Loyola University Maryland and an honorary historical consultant at the Royal Armouries.
“The medieval mind was not backward, and it was not complacent. It was strategic and analytical, even outside military matters,” said Edward Gutiérrez, director of the Center for Military History and Grand Strategy. “For centuries, man has scoffed at that thousand-years of medieval history. This is an injustice that Dr. DeVries has spent his courageous career striving to correct. He does this in particular by submerging himself in the medieval mind.”
DeVries spoke on warfare in the Middle Ages, pointing out the distinct value placed on human life. “Because medieval Christianity and medieval Islam had the fundamentals of a value of human life, they went beyond what would be considered economic or political purposes in order to protect the lives of their soldiers, protect the lives of their non-combatants, protect the lives of the enemy soldiers, and protect the lives of enemy commanders,” said DeVries.
DeVries has authored several books, including a three-volume series, “A Cumulative Bibliography of Medieval Military History and Technology,” which won the Jans F. Verbruggen Prize in 2007 from the Society for Medieval Military History. He also serves as a series editor for Brill’s “History of Warfare” series, which currently spans 141 volumes.
The Center for Military History and Grand Strategy is committed to the study and teaching of military history and the principal themes of strategy and national security. Through its curriculum, scholarly publications, and public events, it seeks to promote sound historical scholarship, engaged citizens, and prudent leadership.
For photos from the lecture, click here.
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