HIST2014 War and Society in the Modern World

How true is John Keegan's argument that war is a reflection of the societies and cultures that wage it? This topic aims to familiarize students with the history of warfare and society and the effects of each upon each other from the Seven Years War until the contemporary period. A selection of wars of differing character and context during this period will be covered, such as the Napoleonic Wars, The Crimean War, the Boer War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. The course will treat the wars covered not only in their political and military contexts, but also in their wider social, cultural and technological contexts. Themes such as peace/anti-war movements, nuclear deterrent and the changing role of non-combatants will also be explored. The subject engages with a range of rich textual and visual sources, including two feature films and two documentaries.

This topic aims to:

• Understand the interrelatedness of war and society
• Become familiar with various wars and their effects on society from the mid 18th century until today
• Analyse a range of secondary reading, assessing the value of this material in terms of argument and research
• Analyse a wide range of primary sources and determine their contexts
• Appreciate the value of feature films to historical understanding
• Further students' experience with a variety of historical sources and develop their skills of evaluating these sources to form arguments
• Develop further students' communication skills (written and oral; informal and formal)
• Foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation that encourages students to develop independent and critical thinking and as collaborative learners

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature of warfare and its interrelatedness with society
2. Analyse a range of secondary reading, assessing the value of this material in terms of argument and research
3. Analyse a wide range of primary sources and determine their contexts
4. Develop the ability to use your knowledge to plan, analyse, think critically, reflect upon and evaluate ideas, options and decisions
5. Demonstrate awareness of ethical issues related to the field of history generally and to the issues of this topic
6. Apply effective oral and written communication skills so as to write/present properly structured, clearly argued, fluently expressed essays and oral presentations
7. Exchange and debate ideas with other members of the class and with the tutor with the utmost integrity and respect
8. Worked regularly, independently and collaboratively to meet the prescribed deadlines and activities