Mr. Robert Art Brandeis University

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MR. ROBERT ART BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY

Politics 79b Spring 2016

mAJOR GREAT POWER WARS and WORLD HISTORY

Course Description and Requirements

Course Content. This seminar examines the subject of war in world history. We will explore answers to the following questions: why do wars, especially major or great power wars, start? How has war affected the course of world history in various eras? How different, and how similar, does war look across the centuries? How has technological innovation influenced the conduct of war and the evolution of societies? We shall answer these questions by looking at selected classic texts, historical accounts, and movies.

Requirements. The requirements for the course are two papers -- the first, 8 pages; the second, 10 -- and participation in class discussions. Both papers are based on class reading, discussions, and movies; they are not research papers. All students are expected to participate actively in seminar discussions, and to help structure those discussions. This is a seminar, not a lecture course, so class participation is important for the quality of the seminar experience and your grade.

Success in this 4 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, papers, discussion sections, preparation for exams, etc).

Grading. The grade for the course is based on the following: 30% for the first paper, 40% for the second paper, and 30% for class participation. Class participation and papers depend on doing the weekly reading for the course; so, you ignore the reading at your peril! The first paper is based on Part 1 of the course; the second paper, on Parts 2-7.

Paper due dates: The first paper is due February 25; the second paper, May 5. No excuses for late papers, other than a valid medical excuse or a personal emergency, will be accepted. Grades for late papers will be lowered.

If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me

immediately.

Learning Goals: learn how to think critically about arguments; learn how to present arguments clearly and convincingly, both orally and in writing; understand the role that war has played in the evolution of societies and states; appreciate the virtues of the nuclear armed world; understand the similarities to, and differences between, earlier times and our own regarding the causes and consequences of major wars.

Suggested Purchases. All required reading is on reserve (books) and the course’s LATTE website, (selected book chapters). If you can afford it, you should purchase the following books to make the course reading easier for you:

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War (Rex Warner translation)

J. F. Lazenby The First Punic War

Donald Kagan On the Origins of War

Frank Tallett War and Society in Early Modern Europe

Alan Nolan Lee Reconsidered

John Keegan The American Civil War

John Keegan The First World War

Richard Overy Why the Allies Won

William McNeill The Pursuit of Power: Technology, Armed Force, and Society Since AD 1000

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i. cOURSE OUTLINE

PART 1 THE ANCIENT WORLD: THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR,

THE PUNIC WARS, AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE

PART 2 THE MEDIEVAL WORLD: THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR

PART 3 THE EARLY MODERN ERA: THE THIRTY YEARS WAR AND

THE FORMATION OF NATION-STATES

PART 4 THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL WAR: THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

PART 5 THE WAR TO END ALL WARS: WORLD WAR I

PART 6 THE LAST GREAT POWER WAR: WORLD WAR II

PART 7 THE WAR THAT DID NOT HAPPEN: THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

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II. APPROXIMATE COURSE SCHEDULE, PAPER DUE DATE, AND REFERENCE SOURCES

Part 1 three classes (January19 & 26, and February 2)

Part 2 one class (February 9)

Part 3 one class (February 23)

Part 4 three classes (March 1, 8, 15)

Part 5 two classes (March 22 & 29)

Part 6 two classes (April 5 &12)

Part 7 one class (April 19)

First Paper due February 22

Second Paper due May 5

Reference Sources. If you become interested in a particular subject, or if you want to look up a particular battle or get a quick overview of a period, I suggest the following sources:

John Keegan, A History of Warfare
Hans Delbruck, History of the Art of War, 4 vols.
J.F.C. Fuller, A Military History of the Western World, 4 vols.
R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy, The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History.

III. reading assignments AND MOVIES

NOTE ON THE ASSIGNED READINGS: All unasterisked items are required reading and are on reserve and also in the books I have asked you to purchase. Asterisked items are supplemental, not required, and some are on LATTE.

MOVIES: To supplement the reading, we will watch all or part of the following:

War and Civilization – Documentary (seen in entirety)

Henry the Fifth (selections)

Gettysburg (selections)

All Quiet on the Western Front (entire, if time permits)

Documentary on the Cuban Missile Crisis (if time permits)

PART 1 PELOPONNESIAN AND PUNIC WARS AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Thucydides, The Peloponnesian Wars, selections noted on course handout.
Donald Kagan, On the Origins of War, chaps. 1 & 3.

William McNeill, The Pursuit of Power, chp. 1.

F. Lazenby, The First Punic War, entire.

Adrian Goldsworthy, The Roman Army at War

*Edward Luttwak, The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire, entire.

*Polibius, Rise of the Roman Empire, Book I (pp. 41-111); Book II (pp. 178-276).
*Dale Copeland, The Origins of Major War, chap. 8.

Movie: WAR AND CIVILIZATION DOCUMENTARY

PART 2 THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR

William McNeill, The Pursuit of Power, chap. 3.

*C.W., Oman, The Art of War in the Middle Ages, chps. 4 & 6.

John Keegan, The Face of Battle, chap. 2 (Agincourt).

*Niccolo Machiavelli, The Art of War, Book 7.

*Philippe Contamine, War in the Middle Ages, chps.3, 7-8.

*Jean Froissart, The Chronicles.

Movies: HENRY THE FIFTH (Kenneth Branagh production).

WAR AND CIVILIZATION DOCUMENTARY

PART 3 THE THIRTY YEARS WAR AND BEYOND
Frank Tallett, War and Society in Early Modern Europe, chaps. 1, 2, and pp. 105-188 and 148-232.

*Clifford Rogers, ed., The Military Revolution Debate, chaps. 1, 2, and 9.

William H. McNeill, The Pursuit of Power, chaps. 4 & 5.

Movie: WAR AND CIVILIZATION DOCUMENTARY

PART 4 THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Alan Nolan, Lee Reconsidered.

John Keegan, The American Civil War.

*John Keegan, The Mask of Command, chap. 3.

William H. McNeill, The Pursuit of Power, chaps. 6 & 7.
*Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs, chap. 16.

*Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels.

*Geoffrey Ward, The Civil War.

*Clifford Dowdey, Lee's Last Campaign, entire.

*J. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, chaps. 10, 14, 27.

Movies: GETTYSBURG (selections)

WAR AND CIVILIZATION DOCUMENTARY

PART 5 WORLD WAR I

Donald Kagan, On the Origins of War, pp. 145-214.

John Keegan, The First World War.

*John Keegan, The Face of Battle, chap. 4 (the Somme).

William H. McNeill, The Pursuit of Power, chap. 8.

*Erich Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front, entire.

*John Keegan, The First World War, chaps. 1, 2, 4-6, 8-10.

*Tim Travers, The Killing Fields.

*Barbara Tuchman, The Guns of August.

*Martin Gilbert, The First World War.

Movies: WAR AND CIVILIZATION DOCUMENTARY

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930s version)

PART 6 WORLD WAR II

Richard Overy, Why the Allies Won, chaps. 1-6, 9 and 10.

*Donald Kagan, On the Origins of War, pp. 366-417.

*Joseph Heller, Catch 22.

*Gerald Weinberg, A World at Arms

Movie: WAR AND CIVILIZATION DOCUMENTARY

Part 7 THE CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS - THE WAR THAT DID NOT HAPPEN (TIME PERMITTING)

Reading to be assigned.

Movie: Documentary on the Cuban Missile Crisis