Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Notability guide
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The Military history WikiProject's notability guide is intended to provide recommendations regarding the notability of topics within the scope of the project. Areas covered include events, people and units/formations. The key to determining notability is ultimately coverage in independent sources per the
Events
In general, an event is presumed to be notable if it has received significant coverage in independent, reliable sources. However, determining whether an event should have a stand-alone article (and, if so, what the title of that article should be), or should be mentioned in an existing article (and, if so, which article), can be a more nuanced decision. The evolving nature of warfare has meant that an event that might have been classified as a minor skirmish in the past might now be called a battle; at the same time, not every exchange of fire, IED strike, or bombing needs to be documented, either as a stand-alone topic or within a larger article.
Editorial discretion is required, particularly as media coverage is more prevalent than in the past, meaning that even minor incidents in current conflicts may receive significant press coverage. There are various options for writing about minor incidents; some will warrant stand-alone coverage (in an article titled "Battle of X", "Attack on X", or some other variation), while others can be sufficiently described in a section of an existing article on an overarching battle, campaign or conflict, and can be included there using a summary style of writing. Where an event does not have a specific name that has been accepted by reliable sources, it is more likely that it should be covered in an existing article about a higher-level operation, rather than in a stand-alone article.
In cases where the participating military units have their own articles, it may be appropriate to include mention of a minor incident there, albeit in a manner that does not breach the
People
The notability guidance previously provided by the
Units and formations
As for any subject on Wikipedia, presumption of
- National armed forces or branches thereof. Examples include Special Republican Guard and United States Army;
- Higher level land forces command formations, such as 1st Infantry Division (Germany), I ANZAC Corps and Eighth Army (United Kingdom);
- Land forces units that are capable of undertaking significant, or independent, military operations (including combat, combat support and combat service support units). Examples include battalion-level or equivalent units[2] such as 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment;
- Warships, including submarines, commissioned in recognised naval forces. Examples include HMAS Sydney, USS Enterprise and SMS Blücher;
- Civilian vessels serving as auxiliary warships are notable in the same way as commissioned warships. Otherwise, a civilian vessel's notability is derived from participation in a notable naval action or association with an otherwise notable military figure. Examples include SS Ohio, RMS Lusitania and Queen Anne's Revenge;
- Higher level naval command formations, such as flotillas, squadrons and fleets. Examples include Caspian Flotilla, West Africa Squadron and United States Seventh Fleet; and
- Air force, naval, or marine aviation Western Air Command, Indian Air Force.
As a general rule, sub-units that exist below the level of those formations or units listed above—such as
Independent sources
The requirement for "significant coverage in multiple reliable secondary sources independent of the subject" can be met through published books, journal articles, newspaper articles, and/or reputable websites that discuss in depth the units and their involvement in significant military operations. It does not include websites, newsletters and webcasts
While usually acceptable as sources for content, material published by armed forces, individual branches, or historical divisions (such as the USN's
Significant coverage does not equate to multiple passing mentions in otherwise suitable sources; however, once notability has been otherwise established, it is acceptable to use such sources in constructing an article, per relevant guidelines on
Notes
- ^ For example cohorts, legions or alae or medieval mercenary companies, such as the Catalan Company.
- ^ The availability of sources on different sized units, and hence the intrinsic notability of the unit, can vary from country to country. For example, in Australia most infantry battalions have had at least one detailed book published about them along with a high degree of coverage in various official histories. In other countries with larger military forces, such in depth coverage for similar sized units may not exist. In deletion discussions here and here, battalion-level units were deemed not to be notable due to a lack of suitable coverage.
- ^ Precedents were set for this in deletion discussions here and here, where it was held that information contained in such articles should be merged with the units' parent formations.