MH 403/MIL 460
War and Society

Course Objectives | Textbook Information | Methodology and Assignments | Links to Readings | War and Society Links | Military History Links | APUS/AMU login

This course addresses the inseparable connection between warfighting and society. It provides a survey of the effects of war and military institutions on society in recent history, primarily in western societies during the two world wars (although students are encouraged to do research papers within a broader understanding of the topic, including earlier or later times and other places). It also examins the

Course Objectives

Students will acquire a broad understanding of wartime societies and military-civilian interaction,especially over the past 150 years. Topics which we will be discussing in class are the following 16 units:

Textbooks

For all sections starting any time up until March, 2009, the textbooks are as listed:

For later sections of the class, the textbook list is:

The textbooks and scholarly articles on war and society we will be reading and discussing cover case studies from the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, the Soviet Union and Israel.

Methodology and Assignments

Class Participation

The class centers on a series of thematic units from week to week. Students will react to the reading and the broad questions posed by the instructor and discuss the material. Student interaction will be graded on quanitity and quality - as measured by the extent to which they indicate student understanding, assimilation and consideration of the material and student responses to each other.

The units include the nature of military history; the armed forces and modern society; gender; besieged and occupied populations; culture (literature, art, societal norms); emotional and physical mobilization; mass death, remembrance and collective mourning; making soldiers, training and violence.

Research Paper

Students will select a topic relevant to our course that is of particular interest to them and write a research paper of no fewer than 10 pages (including title page and bibliography page – so at least eight pages of text). The subject of the paper will take the form of a question. That is, the basis of the paper is an historical inquiry – not just a “topic".

You may come up with an idea of your own from any period or war from the Napoleonic Wars up to the present day on any society. The title of the paper does not need to take the form of a question, but a research question should become clear to the reader in the introduction. And the writing in the paper should be focused on answering that research question. Data and ideas presented should contribute to the answer and not just fill pages.

I will consult with students about topic ideas and suggest improvements for any work submitted in advance. Consultation is mandatory. If you haven’t written a research paper before or have had difficulty doing so, it is suggested that you consult the “Quigley-Nelson Guide". Please see my Policy on Research Papers for more information on my expectations.

Memorial Project

Each student will create public history with a "field" project: Students will make a comprehensive submission of an original memorial along the lines of those at the the Sites of Memory webpage. Students will choose a memorial from near where they live, photograph it, and analyze it in class based on this essay and other readings recommended by the instructor as appropriate. Students will be encouraged to have their work published online at the Sites of Memory webpage.

Readings

These readings are recommended for our discussions and student research on their projects. Some are mandatory for discussions during the class.

LINKS FOR WAR AND SOCIETY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Videos

Military History Links

General Links and Military Strategy and Theory
Journals and Reference Works
World War One Sites and Collections
World War Two Sites and Collections
Russian Military History

General Links and Links on Military Strategy and Theory

World War One Sites and Collections

These three sites will get you started on just about any aspect of the First World War from combat to poetry, zeppelins to women in the workforce.

Various Wars and Conflicts (primarily Russia and USSR)

There are countless summaries of various wars that can be found with a simple google search. The following webpages have been chosen if they provide original or documentary material.

World War Two Sites and Collections

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Russian Military History

Most of these sites are not terribly scholarly. They are more on the level of "hobby." There is some useful information here, however, especially on weapons, uniforms and operations.



Contact / Impressum:
Mark R. Hatlie (ViSdM)
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