This book offers a groundbreaking exploration of the military welfare history ‘perspective,’ a vital yet often overlooked aspect of welfare studies. It centres and defines military welfare history as an important sub-discipline, and in doing so, makes a significant contribution to scholarly debates, publications and teaching. It also delves into the intricate web of welfare, care, and medical provisions designed exclusively for armed forces personnel and their families, across different eras and regions. Comprising fifteen unique essays, this volume illuminates the diverse and evolving landscape of military welfare from the mid-eighteenth to late-twentieth centuries, spanning geographical contexts from Britain and the USA, to Zimbabwe and Russia.

Key concepts such as social justice, citizenship, and the intersection of military and civilian welfare are critically examined. The chapters explore how military welfare was connected to broader societal themes like disability, gender, and state policy, offering fresh insights into the historical and contemporary dynamics of welfare provision. This book is a must-read for scholars and practitioners alike, providing a comprehensive understanding of the military's unique welfare needs and contributions to social policy. Ideal for historians, social scientists, and policy-makers, this volume serves as an essential resource for anyone interested in the complex interplay between military service and welfare systems.

Paul Huddie is a Research Manager at the Centre for War Studies, University College Dublin, Ireland, and the founder and co-ordinator of the international Military Welfare History Network. 

Amy J. Rutenberg is Associate Professor of History at Iowa State University, USA, where her work focuses on the intersection of military service, citizenship, and gender.

Emma Huddlestone is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of East Anglia, UK. Her research focuses on non-serving military spouses’ experiences of war and support-seeking. 

Anndal Narayanan is a historian of war and society in modern Europe, specialising in the political afterlives of the Algerian War of Independence in France.