ICMH President’s Annual Review and Update – 2026 Brazil Congress
ICMH President Dr. Harold Raugh presented an annual update on ICMH’s 2025-2026 achievements, plans, and future vision at the 28 August 2026 General Assembly at the ICMH 2026 Brazil Congress. Dr. Raugh’s accompanying “Military History in Action -- Educate, Inspire, Preserve” presentation reviewed governance, congress planning, the reconstituted Bibliography Committee and new scholarly open access journal, the proposed 2027 Vienna symposium, new writing awards, and the way ahead. (General Assembly presentation below.)
Dr. Raugh’s presentation, which was previewed at the inaugural Presidents Council meeting the previous day, clearly demonstrated ICMH movement from vision to governance practice. The stated purposes of the Presidents Council included an increase in transparency, two-way communication, trust, alignment, feedback, organizational culture, change management, and accountability.
The stated mission of ICMH was emphasized during the “Military History in Action -- Educate, Inspire, Preserve” presentation: to foster and coordinate military history research in the broadest sense; promote research, publication, and education globally; encourage collaboration between civilian and official military historians; and share best practices while developing partner military history capacity.
The slightly revised ICMH 2025-2030 Strategic Vision was highlighted. It calls for an enduring ethos of integrity, transparency, and accountability in all decision-making and governance practices; for world-class annual congresses; continued research, publication, and education; collaboration between civilian and defense historians; sharing of best practices; a new ICMH-owned open-access academic journal; continued prizes, fellowships, and Ph.D. workshops; deliberate development of younger historians; an annual Presidents Council; partnerships and new commissions; modernization of web and social media; sponsorship and funding; review of specialized committees and statutes; revitalization of the International Review of Military History; and an updated institutional history.
The most significant leadership feature of the ICMH 2025-2030 Strategic Vision may be the explicit emphasis on succession. The President repeated in the Strategic Vision that he intends to serve one five-year term only and facilitate transition to a younger team. That is consistent with the stewardship model visible in the current ICMH leadership: build capability, codify processes, preserve institutional knowledge, and make continuity less dependent on the incumbent.
Several initiatives were already concrete by 2026: financial-governance procedures and account transitions; the proposed Global Military History Journal structure; planning for the 2027 Vienna Spring Symposium; revision and expansion of writing awards; systematic congress-host planning; and a Presidents Council designed to give national commissions a direct forum. These are early-term achievements of the current ICMH leadership and Executive Board.
ICMH leadership is committed to improving good governance, corporate responsibility, worthwhile programs, and financial accountability. If any ICMH members have suggestions for improving these aspects of ICMH’s operations (to include congresses), or if national commission presidents would like to host ICMH annual congresses or spring symposia, please contact Harold Raugh at email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Dr. Paschalidou, Secretary General, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Thank you very much.
