▁at ▁M erton ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁where ▁he ▁taught ▁modern ▁history ▁and ▁philosophy , ▁politics , ▁and ▁econom ics ▁( P PE ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁re vised ▁edition ▁of ▁A . ▁B . ▁Keith ' s ▁British ▁Cab inet ▁Government , ▁making ▁significant ▁add itions ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁War ▁Cab inet . ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁began ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁volume ▁of ▁the ▁official ▁history ▁of ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁in ▁the ▁Grand ▁Str ategy ▁series ▁, ▁to ▁be ▁entitled ▁R ear m ament ▁Policy . ▁ ▁Ch iche le ▁Professor ▁Gib bs ' s ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁Ch iche le ▁Chair ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 4 2 ▁marked ▁a ▁turning ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁military ▁and ▁naval ▁history ▁at ▁Oxford . ▁All ▁of ▁his ▁prede cess ors ▁had ▁been ▁career ▁military ▁men , ▁self - tra ined ▁histor ians , ▁or ▁journal ists . ▁Not ▁only ▁was ▁Gib bs ▁one ▁of ▁Oxford ' s ▁own ▁academic ▁histor ians , ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁already ▁established ▁histor ians ▁in ▁Britain ▁to ▁have ▁direct ▁ ▁experience ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁historical ▁research ▁and ▁writing ▁within ▁the ▁British ▁armed ▁forces . ▁His ▁appointment ▁marked ▁a ▁very ▁important ▁change ▁by ▁which ▁war ▁history ▁became ▁a ▁respect able ▁academic ▁field ▁and ▁allowed ▁Oxford ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁military ▁and ▁strateg ic ▁studies ▁throughout ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁era , ▁providing ▁addition ally ▁an ▁important ▁academic ▁link