Our Object
The Object of the BCMH is to promote through research, publication and discussion the understanding of military history in the broadest sense, without restriction as to period or region.
Vision
The BCMH strives to become a leading members’ group for military history, offering an appealing range of activities, dynamic in research, discussion and publication, and recognized both for the quality of our work and our social esprit, while attracting and retaining members from a wide set of backgrounds, whether professionally engaged or not.
Strategy
Our strategy encompasses five broad lines of action and development:
- Membership. We intend carefully to build our membership base in order to meet and sustain our vision, not least in attracting younger members who provide the future lifeblood of the Commission. We seek members from both the United Kingdom and abroad who share a common interest in military history in its widest sense and who support the Commission’s objectives and activities.
- Activities. Apart from our annual general meeting traditionally held in February, we aim to run on an annual basis the following programme of events: a spring conference; a battlefield tour; an autumn conference, typically run in conjunction with a New Researchers’ Conference. We also aspire to run a weekend conference in the summer. Every third year we host the Richard Holmes memorial lecture.
- Publications. Our flagship publication is, and will remain, the peer-reviewed, on-line British Journal for Military History (BJMH), to which both members and non-members contribute. Members may also contribute articles for publication on the Commission’s website. From time to time, we may also seek to publish a book of conference papers or contribute to other published works.
- Communications. Apart from the website, Mars and Clio (M&C) provides the principal means of communication between members. It is circulated at least twice year, containing updates and reports from the GC, and other items of general interest. In addition, the GC intends to expand its presence on social media to provide more dynamic means of communication.
- Engagement. As an outward-looking organization, the Commission seeks both international and national engagement with similarly interested bodies. Since our inception we have been a member of the International Commission for Military History (ICMH), and wish to sustain that involvement. Additionally, we maintain close liaison and interaction with higher education (such as war studies and history departments), and with Service historical branches and research organisations.
As agreed at the AGM on 18 Feb 2017
