James W E Smith

James is a historian-theorist-futurist based in the School of Security Studies, Laughton Unit of the Department Of War Studies, Kings College London. 

James is a member of King’s Laughton Naval Unit and an associate member of King’s, Centre for Grand Strategy. As a research fellow of the U.S. Naval War College, he also collaborates with the U.S. Naval War College’s John B. Hattendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research. Under these auspices and experience, his research into strategic theory primarily maritime strategy and in addition to it, both strategic space theory and defence unification and have remained central to his research and scholarship.

James, amongst others, founded the King’s Wargaming Network in 2018 having led naval wargaming research in the War Studies Department since 2016. The same year, leading up to 2019, he created a global network for maritime and naval thinkers focused on space research in 2019. In 2020 he also became a member of King’s Defence Studies Air and Space Institute and affiliated with the Space Security Research Group. Between 2019 and 2023 James is Co-Director of the ‘Corbett 100 project’ which marks the centenary of the death of strategist and naval historian Sir Julian Corbett [1852-2022]. The project also supports events such as ‘Falklands 40.’

James completed his Masters of Research thesis 'The End of Admiralty its impact on British Defence Policy 1954-1964 'in 2015 as a prelude to his PhD research at King's.His PhD research focuses on British and American defence unifcation and its relationship with the development of strategic theory. A contemporary professional methodology for the research and James’s approach to it is similar to that of historians such as Professor John Laughton [1830-1915], Sir Julian Corbett and others such as American Alfred Mahan [1840-1914] who demonstrated by only the objective use of studying the past could enable an understanding of fundamentals, but also to develop theoretical models for contemporary times. He encourages a more productive relationship between historians as strategic theorists and practitioners while also being an advocate for operationalising history in the military and by decision-makers.

Key terms and Words Related to Research Interests:

Maritime Strategy, Maritime Strategy Theory, Seapower State, Seapower, Sea power, Defence Unification, Lessons Identified, Discipline of History, Strategic Space Theory, Strategy in Space, Maritime Strategy and Space, Grand Strategy, Strategic theory, Navies and Space, Defense Space Policy, Wargaming, Wargaming Theory, Naval Wargaming, Theory to Practice, Intellectual Development,  Private Military Education, Civil-Military relations, Jointness, Organisational Coherence, Organisational Wisdom, Defence Reform, Higher Organisation of Defence, Risk Analysis and Management, Ascendency and Decline of Organisations, Tradition of Victory, Historians as Futurists, Original Archival Research, Contemporary Naval History Matters, Culture: Myth and Legend, Organisational Culture, Naval Policy, Fighting Instructions & Doctrine, Augmented Reality, Wargame Design, Space Security, Mission and Role Design, Practitioner-Academic relationship, Repositories of Knowledge.

His PhD research focuses on British and American defence unifcation and its relationship with the development of strategic theory.

James is a member of King’s Laughton Naval Unit and an associate member of King’s, Centre for Grand Strategy. As a research fellow of the U.S. Naval War College, he also collaborates with the U.S. Naval War College’s John B. Hattendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research. Under these auspices and experience, his research into strategic theory primarily maritime strategy and in addition to it, both strategic space theory, defence unification and defence higher organisation has remained central to his research and scholarship. 

• Maritime Strategic Theory and Maritime Strategy
• American and British Defence Unification: higher organisation, organisational culture, jointness, command and control
• Strategic Space Theory and Defense Space Policy
• U.K. & U.S. civil-military relations
• Contemporary British and American Defence Policy, Strategy and History
• Contemporary Naval History and Naval Warfare
• Contemporary Grand Strategy
• Seapower State, Sea power and Naval Power
• Naval Wargaming: history, theory and practice
• Organisational and Institutional History and Theory: change, memory, risk coherence, mission and reform.
• Professional Intellectual Development including Professional Military Education
• Military Organisation, and Culture, Strategic Culture and Institutional Memory