What is military geography? It is simply a subset of geography that refers specifically to areas that would affect military operations. One definition is “The application of geographic information, tools, and techniques to solve military problems in peacetime or war.”

Why would this be an area of interest to homeschoolers? For several important reasons:

• Much of history concerns war — and wars are affected by geography.
• Many current events are affected by military geography.
• Military geography widens our understanding of history.

Some of the more obvious geographic factors that affect military operations include the following:

• Physical features—e.g., mountains, peninsulas, lakes
• Weather—e.g., sandstorms, hurricanes, fog
• Climate—e.g., humid jungles, intense desert heat, frigid winters
• Soil—e.g., bogs, sand, marsh
• Vegetation—e.g., forests, jungles

• Cultures and traditions
• Urban environments
• Politics
• Religions

Many battles throughout history have been won or lost due to geography. I know that in my own homeschooling it was sometimes tempting to skip over the details of key battles simply because I don’t have a real interest in reading about war. However, I would have done myself and my children a disservice if I hadn’t spent a few extra minutes helping them to see specifically what happened and why. For example, if we were learning about Hannibal’s march, we would research how Hannibal tried to move his army of 50,000 men and 40 elephants across the Alps to Rome. I would ask them to point out three geographic influences that affected the outcome:

• Difficult, almost impossible terrain
• Frigid temperatures and bad storms
• Hostile tribesmen

Would you have thought of “hostile tribesmen” as a geographic influence? We tend to think “geography” refers to physical things, but cultural geography (man and how he has shaped his environment) is equally important.

Another way to incorporate geography into your study of history would be to use military maps both for reference and for a hands-on activity. Here is a four-step process:

1. Consult a battle or war map (try a historical atlas).
2. Compare the battle map to a current physical map of the same area.
3. Discuss how the terrain affected the battle or war.
4. Use an outline map to show visually what you learned in the first three steps.

Making a terrain map is a worthwhile project for all ages. This is simply a 3- D reference map that shows the physical features (water, mountains, etc.) of a place. All you need is an atlas or map that shows these physical features, a copy of the same map (or a blank outline map) to work on, and a substance with which to build the map (clay dough, salt dough, cookie dough, etc.). It is amazing how much more we remember when we build something with our hands! Use these steps:

1. Affix copy of map on a sturdy piece of cardboard or wood.
2. Obtain dough; color it if desired (blue = water, etc.).
3. Form dough into peaks and valleys that match the physical terrain on your reference map.
4. Optional: Label the map.

Older students would benefit from more in-depth research. Ask them to present their findings in a logical way, either visually or in writing. Use the following ideas or make up your own. Name three wars (or battles in one war) significantly affected by geography.

1. Choose one war to study.
2. How might the outcome have changed if the geography had been different or if the commanders had treated the geography differently?
3. What advantages and/or disadvantages did each side have due to the geography?
4. If the same war were fought today, would the geography have the same impact? Why or why not?
5. Research GPS (global positioning system) technology or satellites and their military uses.
6. Research oceanography and the importance of the navy in ancient or modern-day battles. Which famous battles or wars were mainly decided based on victories at sea?
7. Read a soldier’s firsthand account of his experiences in war, such as in From Basic to Baghdad: A Soldier Writes Home. What geographic influences do you find in this soldier’s experiences?

Maggie S. Hogan is the author of Hands-On Geography and co-author of The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide and Gifted Children at Home. She and her husband, Bob, live in Delaware, where they began homeschooling their two sons in 1991. Their oldest, JB, served almost five years in the US Army. Their youngest son, Tyler, is a junior at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi. Contact Maggie at www.BrightIdeasPress.com for more information about From Basic to Baghdad as well as articles and tips from Maggie.

War Fighting Factors

Various mnemonic devices can be used to remember war-fighting factors. This one forms the acronym COCOA:

Critical Terrain—hills, choke points (places where you would force enemy troops to move through and then ambush them), airfields, fortifications, etc.

Obstacles—rivers, walls, hills, woods: anything that is in your way

Cover and Concealment—anything in the environment that could cover or conceal troops

Observation and Fields of Fire— what you are able to see and shoot

Avenues of Approach—the most likely ways enemy troops would come to your position

War from Eye Level

The following excerpts are taken from From Basic to Baghdad: A Soldier Writes Home by J.B. Hogan. Look for references to military geography, including climate, weather, physical features, urban environment, supplies, transportation, religions, nationalities, and politics.

June 2002 (Training in Kuwait)
“I am in Kuwait everybody! Hello again from the stupidest place in the world to have a country—the geological equivalent of a dust bin, the land that’s given me ashy dry skin, a pay raise, and a rash but not a serious attitude: Kuwait. Our tents are okay. There are 12 men in each. They’ve got a tube running across the top to cool them off when the wind blows. There is a double door airlock system to keep the dust down. But the battle against dust isn’t winnable. The Kuwaiti desert is not sand, it is dirt. Endless nasty dirt. And it blows all over. We have to clean our weapons three times a day just from walking around.”

March 8, 2003 (On the road to war)
“There are no showers. The chow is served from field chow trailers, which are frequently rendered inoperable by weather considerations or supply shortages. When we finally got tents up, we were packed in so thoroughly that the smell is only barely more tolerable than the elements.
“The line companies don’t even have tents for everybody, but even if they did it would hardly be relevant because of the Gigantic Mutant Killer Sandstorms of Agony!”

April 12, 2003
“Today we found a terrorist/spy training camp. We found records of their special women’s training program, and the candidates looked like Americans or Europeans—blonde, fair skinned, not Arab in appearance at all. …
“Today we also got into a firefight in an intersection by a commercial sector. We found that we were fighting Jordanian and Syrian mercenaries, according to their ID cards. A suicide bomber tried to kill the master gunner and the colonel’s ratelo. Fortunately, they had him facing against a brick wall for searching when he pulled open his bomb vest. They were both knocked on the ground, and the master gunner can’t hear too well at this point, but they were both fine otherwise. We were all shaken up for a while afterwards.”

Make a Military Geography Folderbook

A folderbook is a tool to use to organize research and then present it in a visually attractive format.

Materials

Steps

1. Research military geography. Consider vocabulary words, maps, explanations/descriptions, quotes, battles, important figures, timelines, etc.
2. Organize the research into small booklets like mini-books, accordion books, or flash cards.
3. Cover one file folder with duct tape. Cut the other file folder in half and cover it as well. Using duct tape or packing tape, attach the half folder to the top right-hand side of the file folder. It should now flip up and down over the interior right-hand side of the file folder.
4. Using two-sided tape or strong glue, attach all the research onto the various sides of the folders.
5. Close the folder and design a title for it, including name and date.