3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course examines modern warfare from the Second World War to the present. It takes a broad historical perspective. Strategic decision-making, technological change, experiences of the soldier, different concepts of warfare, and the effect of war on societies and the effect of societies upon war will be examined. Students will be introduced to critical texts and key primary source documents. The course will start with the Second World War. It will then go on to the nuclear revolution, the Korean War, and the early Cold War. From there, the subject matter will turn to examine people’s war, focusing on Mao and the Chinese Civil War and then Vietnam. Next, the Arab-Israeli conflicts will be discussed before moving on to the strategic environment of the post-Cold War world and the long war against “terrorism” in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere. Finally, the course will look at recent technological change, clashes, and new players. Throughout, special attention will be paid to non-Western views and experience of war. The five main questions of the class will be: • How has the nature of warfare changed between 1939 and today? What is the nature of war today? What kind of war is possible today? • How has technology changed warfare? • What are the experiences of people, both soldiers and civilians, in war? • How has warfare affected societies and culture? How have societies and culture affected war? • How has warfare affected domestic and international political change?