Course Description and Goals
This course examines the historical evolution of the conduct and outcomes of war from a theoretical and normative perspective. What
elements of war have changed over time, and what core precepts remain the same? To what degree have advances in technology
altered the conduct, and outcomes of war? Why have some weapons been deemed cruel and inhumane at times and merciful at others?
We will explore the interrelationships among military technology, society, politics, and war, asking how different forces have shaped
warfare from the introduction of gunpowder to the present, focusing on how and why different weapons have been used (or prohibited)
over time.
Students will learn to perform basic research and analysis through writing and thinking about conflict from multiple different
perspectives. Readings are drawn from historic and contemporary scholars of weapons, technology, and war, cover a wide
variety of issues, and are presented in historical order. Assignments are a mixture of analysis, research, and experiential
learning.
Requirements
Class Participation
Students will have the opportunity participate in the class both during and outside of classroom hours. Each student will be assigned to
two to three days during the semester in which they will co-author a short memo (500 or so words) comparing and contrasting that
day’s readings and posing questions for discussion. These memos should be posted in the forums on the course website by 8 PM
the day before the readings are to be discussed. Students are encouraged to respond to the memos as part of their
participation.
Readings
Readings for the course are drawn from books available at the bookstore as well as E-Readings, which can be downloaded directly
from the links on the syllabus. Students are expected to bring a copy of the readings to class every day for reference. Readings marked
“Further” are other relevant articles; they are not required for class. Five books are for sale at the bookstore and are also on reserve at
the library. The library has 22 copies of Keegan and 20 copies of van Creveld; they can be checked out for the entire term if you are
enrolled in the class. Since we will be reading Brodie and Brodie ($11.25 used)as well as Ropp ($16.50 used) throughout the semester,
you should order both; any edition of any book will suffice. All but Biddle are available used on Amazon for essentially the cost of
shipping.
Required
- Theodore Ropp (1962) War in the Modern World. New rev. edition. New York, NY: Collier Books
- Bernard Brodie and Fawn M. Brodie (1973) From Crossbow to H-Bomb. Bloomington: Indiana University Press,
ISBN 9780253201614
- John Keegan (1976) The Face of Battle. New York, NY, ISBN 0670304328
- Martin L. van Creveld (1989) Technology and war : from 2000 B.C. to the present. New York: Free Press, ISBN
002933151X
- Stephen D. Biddle (2004) Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press, ISBN 0691128022
|
Course Website
Frequent reading of the course website will be helpful for success in the class. Discussion and collaboration with your peers is
available to you through the website as well as in class; supplemental and core readings will be made available there; and assignments
will be turned in electronically using the site.
Assignments and Quals
There are two formal assignments for this course. More details regarding the assignments will be available later. If you intend to qual
in this course, you must let me know the first day.
-
The
first
assignment
(due
March
3)
will
be
a
short
(1600-2000
word)
essay.
-
The
second
assignment
(due
the
end
of
week
14)
will
be
a
longer
(3000-3500
word)
essay.
Recommended Films
Due to restrictions on what can be demanded of students and liability problems, it is impossible for Reed College to send you to war
(Your own government, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter). Consequently, the best we can do is to read about it and
watch films. Below is a selection of films that you may find edifying. If time and enthusiasm permits, we may screen some of these
during the semester.
|
|
| pre-20th Century Warfare | World War I |
|
|
| Henry V (Agincourt, 1415) | Paths of Glory |
| Glory (American Civil War, 1863) | All Quiet on the Western Front |
| Gettysburg (American Civil War, 1863) | Gallipoli |
| Zulu (Zulu War, 1879) | Joyeux Noel |
| Breaker Morant (Boer War, late 1800s) | Lawrence of Arabia |
|
|
| World War II | Korea/Vietnam |
|
|
| Thin Red Line | Pork Chop Hill |
| Saving Private Ryan | The Bridges at Toko-Ri |
| Das Boot | Apocalypse Now |
| Patton | Platoon |
| Bridge on the River Kwai | Full Metal Jacket |
|
|
| Cold War | Contemporary Warfare |
|
|
| Dr. Strangelove | Black Hawk Down |
| The Killing Fields | Three Kings |
| Crimson Tide | Hotel Rwanda |
| Battle of Algiers | No Mans Land |
| Thirteen Days | |
|
|
| |
Citation and Plagiarism
A major goal of this course is to encourage good reading, research, and citation habits. Good research requires good documentation of
sources and the ability to put one’s own analysis and thoughts into a paper rather than relying on others. Plagiarism and cheating are
violations of academic integrity and thus violations of Reed’s Honor Principle. As specified by Reed’s academic conduct policy, such
violations will result in disciplinary actions, including suspension or permanent dismissal from the College. For the
purposes of this class, plagiarism is submitting a piece of work which in part or in whole is not entirely the student’s
own work without attributing those same portions to their correct source. For examples of plagiarism and how to
avoid it, see <http://www.csub.edu/ssric-trd/howto/plagiarism.htm> For more information on Reed’s policies see: <http://web.reed.edu/academic/gbook/comm˙pol/acad˙honesty.html>.
Accommodations
If you’d like to request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Associate Dean of Student Services, Sarah
Parshley, Eliot 218, 503/777-7521, parshles@reed.edu. If you have a letter from Student Services, please let me know so we can
discuss those accommodations.
Theories of Outcomes, Conduct, and Technology
1/29/08: 00.0. Introduction
1/31/08: 01.0. Outcomes (104 Pages)
-
Allan Reed
Millett,
Williamson
Murray,
and
Kenneth H.
Watman (1988)
The
Effectiveness
of
Military
Organizations. In
Millett
and
Murray
Military
effectiveness,
1–30
EReading
-
Russell F.
Weigley (1988)
The
Political
and
Strategic
Dimenions
of
Military
Effectiveness. In
Millett
and
Murray
Military
effectiveness,
341–364
EReading
-
D. Scott
Bennett
and
Allan C.
Stam,
III (1998)
The
Declining
Advantages
of
Democracy:
A
Combined
Model
of
War
Outcomes
and
Duration. Journal
of
Conflict
Resolution. 42(3)June,
344–366
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-0027(199806)42:3%3C344:TDAODA%3E2.0.CO;2-X>
EReading
-
Stephen D.
Biddle (2004)
Introduction. In
Biddle
Military
Power,
1–13
-
Stephen D.
Biddle (2004)
A
Literature
Built
on
Weak
Foundations. In
Biddle
Military
Power,
14–27
2/5/08: 01.1. Conduct (137 Pages)
-
Barry
Posen (1984)
Chap. 1-2
in
The
sources
of
military
doctrine
:
France,
Britain,
and
Germany
between
the
world
wars. Ithaca,
NY:
Cornell
University
Press,
Cornell
studies
in
security
affairs,
13–80,
ISBN
0801416337
EReading
-
Richard M.
Price
and
Nina
Tannenwald (1996)
Norms
and
Deterrence:
The
Nuclear
and
Chemical
Weapons
Taboos. In
Katzenstein
The
culture
of
national
security,
114–152
EReading
-
Beth
Kier (1996)
Culture
and
French
Military
Doctrine
before
World
War
II. In
Katzenstein
The
culture
of
national
security,
186–215
EReading
Further
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
The
Rise
of
Professionalism. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
137–152
-
John
Keegan (1976)
Old,
Unhappy,
Far-off
Things. In
Keegan
The
Face
of
Battle,
15–78
-
Dan
Reiter
and
Curtis
Meek (1999)
Determinants
of
Military
Strategy,
1903-1994:
A
Quantitative
Empirical
Test. International
Studies
Quarterly. 43(2)June,
363–387
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0020-8833(199906)43:2%3C363:DOMS1A%3E2.0.CO;2-8>,
ISSN
00208833
EReading
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
Introduction. In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
11–18
2/7/08: 01.2. Technology (104 Pages)
-
Irving Brinton
Holley (1953)
The
Development
of
Weapons:
Procedures
and
Doctrine. In
Ideas
and
Weapons.
Washington,
DC:
Yale
University
Press,
ISBN
0912799110. chapter 1,
4–22
EReading
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
Introduction. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
7–13
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Introduction. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
1–8
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Irrational
Technology. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
67–80
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
The
Invention
of
Innovation. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
217–234
-
Mark C.
Suchman
and
Dana P.
Eyre (1992)
Military
Procurement
as
Rational
Myth:
Notes
on
the
Social
Construction
of
Weapons
Proliferation. Sociological
Forum. 7(1),
137–161
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0884-8971(199203)7:1%3C137:MPARMN%3E2.0.CO;2-9>
EReading
-
Andrew F.
Krepinevich (1994)
Cavalry
to
computer;
the
pattern
of
military
revolutions. National
Interest.(37)Fall,
30–42
EReading
War before 1900
2/12/08: 02.0. War Before 1450 (103 Pages)
-
Lynn
White (1962)
Stirrup,
Mounted
Shock
Combat,
Feudalism,
and
Chivalry. In
Medieval
Technology
and
Social
Change.
Oxford
University
Press. chapter 1,
1–37
EReading
-
Ronald
Hilton (1963)
Technical
Determinism:
The
Stirrup
and
the
Plough. Past
and
Present. 24,
90–100
EReading
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
Antiquity. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
14–27
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
The
Middle
Ages. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
28–40
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Field
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
9–24
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Siege
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
25–36
Further
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
The
Infrastructure
of
War. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
37–50
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Naval
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
51–66
2/14/08: 02.1. Agincourt 1415 and the Hundred Years War (88 Pages)
2/19/08: 02.2. War 1450-1830 (142 Pages)
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
Land
Warfare
from
the
Renaissance
to
the
Neoclassical
Age
(1415-1789). In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
19–59
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
The
Impact
of
Gunpowder. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
41–73
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
War
and
Science
in
the
17th
Century. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
74–99
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
The
18th
Century
and
Napoleonic
Wars. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
100–123
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Field
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
81–98
Further
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Siege
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
99–110
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
The
Infrastructure
of
War. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
111–124
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Command
of
the
Sea. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
125–136
-
Philip A.
Crowl (1986)
Alfred
Thayer
Mahan:
The
Naval
Historian. In
Paret,
Craig
and
Gilbert
Makers
of
modern
strategy,
444–480
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
Naval
Warfare
from
the
Renaissance
to
the
Neoclassical
Age
(1417-1789). In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
60–75
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
The
Anglo-American
Military
Tradition. In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
76–97
2/21/08: 02.3. Waterloo 1815 and the Napoleonic Wars (132 Pages)
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
The
French
Revolution
and
Napoleon. In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
98–142
-
John
Keegan (1976)
Waterloo,
June
18th,
1815. In
Keegan
The
Face
of
Battle,
117–203
2/26/08: 02.4. War 1815-1914 (161 Pages)
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
The
First
Half
of
the
Nineteenth
Century
(1815-1853). In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
143–160
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
The
Wars
of
the
Mid-Nineteenth
Century
(1854-1871). In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
161–194
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
The
19th
Century. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
124–171
-
Peter
Paret (1986)
Clausewitz. In
Paret,
Craig
and
Gilbert
Makers
of
modern
strategy,
186–216
EReading
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Mobilization
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
153–166
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Land
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
167–182
Further
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Command
of
the
Air. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
183–198
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Sea
Warfare. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
199–216
2/28/08: 02.5. Gettysburg 1863 and the American Civil War (98 Pages)
-
Timothy H.
Donovan (1982)
Gettysburg. In
The
American
Civil
War.
Wayne,
NJ:
Avery
Pub.
Group,
The
West
Point
military
history
series,
ISBN
0895293188. chapter 8,
225–260
EReading
-
Craig L.
Symonds (1992)
Gettysburg,
a
battlefield
atlas. Baltimore,
Md.:
Nautical
and
Aviation
Pub.
Co.
of
America,
29.
Pages
0-1,
14-15,
22-23,
30-31,
48-51,
56-57,
68-73,
84-90,
96-97,
ISBN
187785316X
EReading
-
Williamson
Murray (2001)
What
Took
the
North
So
Long?
In
Donald
and
Cowley
With
my
face
to
the
enemy
:
perspectives
on
the
Civil
War
:
essays,
59–71
EReading
-
Gideon
Rose
and
Glenn W.
LaFantasie (2001)
The
Antagonists
of
Little
Round
Top. In
Donald
and
Cowley
With
my
face
to
the
enemy
:
perspectives
on
the
Civil
War
:
essays,
218–237
EReading
3/4/08: 02.6. War at the turn of the Century (114 Pages)
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
The
Years
of
Uneasy
Peace
(1871-1914). In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
195–238
-
Ernest Dunlop
Swinton (1986)
The
defence
of
Duffer’s
Drift. Wayne,
NJ:
Avery
Pub.
Group,
3–72,
ISBN
0895293234
EReading
War between 1900 and 1945
3/6/08: 03.0. Democracy and War (89 Pages)
3/11/08: 03.1. World War I Part 1 (153 Pages)
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
The
First
World
War. In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
239–274
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
World
War
One,
the
Use
and
Non-Use
of
Science. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
172–199
-
Michael
Howard (1984)
Men
against
Fire:
Expectations
of
War
in
1914. International
Security. 9(1)Summer,
41–57
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0162-2889(198422)9:1%3C41:MAFEOW%3E2.0.CO;2-5>,
ISSN
01622889
EReading
-
Paul M.
Kennedy (1988)
Military
Effectiveness
in
the
First
World
War. In
Millett
and
Murray
Military
effectiveness,
329–350
EReading
-
Stephen D.
Biddle (2004)
The
Modern
System. In
Biddle
Military
Power,
28–51
-
Stephen D.
Biddle (2004)
The
Modern
System,
Preponderance,
and
Changing
Technology. In
Biddle
Military
Power,
52–77
Further
3/13/08: 03.2. World War I Part 2 - The Somme (111 Pages)
-
John
Keegan (1976)
The
Somme,
July
1st,
1916. In
Keegan
The
Face
of
Battle,
204–284
-
Stephen D.
Biddle (2004)
Operation
Michael—the
Second
Battle
of
the
Somme,
March
21–April
9,
1918. In
Biddle
Military
Power,
78–107
Spring Break - No Class
3/25/08: 03.3. Between World Wars (102 Pages)
3/27/08: . No Class
4/1/08: 03.4. World War II Part 1 (155 Pages)
-
Theodore
Ropp (1962)
The
Second
World
War. In
Ropp
War
in
the
Modern
World,
314–392
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
World
War
Two. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
200–232
-
Phillip A.
Karber et al. (1979)
Assessing
the
Correlation
of
Forces:
France,
1940. BDM
Corporation
Technical
report
EReading
-
Earl F.
Ziemke (1988)
Military
Effectiveness
in
the
Second
World
War. In
Millett
and
Murray
Military
effectiveness,
277–319
EReading
4/3/08: 03.5. World War II Part 2 - Normandy (80 Pages)
-
Carlo
D’Este (1983)
Chap.
20-23
in
Decision
in
Normandy.
1st edition.
New
York,
NY:
Dutton,
352–407,
ISBN
052524218X
EReading
-
Stephen D.
Biddle (2004)
Operation
Goodwood—July
18–20,
1944. In
Biddle
Military
Power,
108–131
War After World War II
4/8/08: 04.0. Conflict Post-WWII (129 Pages)
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
Operations
and
Systems
Analysis,
the
Science
of
Strategic
Choice. In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
268–278
-
Bernard
Brodie
and
Fawn M.
Brodie (1973)
Recent
Weaponry
Changes
(1962-1972). In
Brodie
and
Brodie
From
crossbow
to
H-bomb,
279–308
-
Andrew
Mack (1975)
Why
Big
Nations
Lose
Small
Wars:
The
Politics
of
Asymmetric
Conflict. World
Politics. 27(2)January,
175–200
<http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0043-8871(197501)27:2%3C175:WBNLSW%3E2.0.CO;2-#>
EReading
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Computerized
War. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
235–250
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Integrated
War. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
265–284
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Make-Believe
War. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
285–296
-
Martin L.
van Creveld (1989)
Real
War. In
van
Creveld
Technology
and
war,
297–310
4/10/08: 04.1. Vietnam (104 Pages)
4/15/08: 04.2. Gulf War (145 Pages)
-
Michael R.
Gordon
and
Bernard E.
Trainor (1995)
Chap.
18-20
in
The
generals’
war
:
the
inside
story
of
the
conflict
in
the
Gulf.
1st edition.
Boston,
MA:
Little
Brown,
375–461,
ISBN
0316321729
EReading
-
Darryl G.
Press (2001)
The
myth
of
air
power
in
the
Persian
Gulf
War
and
the
future
of
warfare. International
Security. 26(2)Fall,
5–44
<http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/international˙security/toc/ins26.2.html>
EReading
-
Stephen D.
Biddle (2004)
Operation
Desert
Storm—January
17–February
28,
1991. In
Biddle
Military
Power,
132–149
Further
4/17/08: 04.3. Kosovo and Afghanistan (112 Pages)
4/18/08: 04.4. Nuclear War (makeup class) (107 Pages)
Contemporary Issues
4/22/08: 05.0. Who Suffers? (173 Pages)
Further
4/24/08: 05.1. Who Fights? (68 Pages)
-
George Q.
Flynn (1998)
Conscription
and
Equity
in
Western
Democracies,
1940-75. Journal
of
Contemporary
History. 33(1)January,
5–20
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