Paul Birdsall Prize in European Military and Strategic History Grant

The Paul Birdsall Prize in European Military and Strategic History, established by the American Historical Association in 1985, honors significant publications in English related to European military or strategic history from 1870 onward. Eligible works must be published in 2024 or 2025 and can be nominated by authors or publishers. The award emphasizes international military history and encourages submissions from early-career scholars, while also considering the broader impact of military events on society.

Leadership for the Discipline
The American Historical Association provides leadership for the discipline and promotes the critical role of historical thinking in public life. The Association defends academic freedom, develops professional standards, supports innovative scholarship and teaching, facilitates international collaboration, and helps to sustain and enhance the work of historians.
Paul Birdsall Prize in European Military and Strategic History
The Paul Birdsall Prize in European Military and Strategic History was established in 1985 by a generous gift from Professor Hans Gatzke, who remained anonymous until his death. The Birdsall Prize is awarded biennially for the most important work published in English on European military or strategic history since 1870.

Eligibility

The general rules for submission are:Books published in English and bearing a copyright of 2024 or 2025 are eligible for the 2026 prize.Nomination submissions may be made by an author or by a publisher. Publishers may submit as many entries as they wish.Authors or publishers may submit the same book for multiple AHA prizes.One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “Birdsall Prize Entry.”

Ineligibility

Purely technical studies, divorced from historical context, will not.