07223 - Strategic Studies

Learning outcomes

Examining different theories of war as well as many case-studies, the course will provide students with all the analytical means to understand the evolution of warfare and weapons technology and, most importantly, the role that strategy today has in world politics. Students are advised to have knowledge of military history and (possibly)international relations and history. 

Course contents

The course covers both theory and practice of war and warfare. It is subdivided into two sections. The first part ("Strategic Theory") examines the principal "theories of war" (Sun Tzu, Claisewitz, Jomini and others). The second part ("the Tools of Warfare") is devoted to the analysis of the principal military doctrines, the weapons of mass destructions as well as irregular warfare (insurgencies, guerrilla and terrorism). For this class, English terminology and language are often used to better clarify concepts and theories.

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory for all students  (1) Peter Paret (ed.) Makers of Modern Strategy, Princeton: Princeton University Princeton 1986.    (2) Sun Tzu, The Art of War (any edition). (3) Carl Von Clausewitz, On War (edited by M. Howard and P. Paret) Princeton: Princeton U. Press, Princeton 1976.

*Not attending students will have to include: G. Giacomello and R.C. Nation (eds) Security in the West: Evolution of a Concept, Milano: Vita & Pensiero, 2009 (outside Europe the volume is available from Cornell University Press).

Teaching methods

Lectures and active-learning seminars. The instructor expects all graduate students to regularly come to class and participate in the discussions about the many topics presented in the lectures.
At the end of the lecture period, further seminar sessions (for a maximum of 20 hours) will be dedicated to foreign and Erasmus students (and all Italian students that so wish) for more in-depth analyses and exercises.

Assessment methods

(a) a final exam of 30 questions on the material covered for the whole course (time: 2h)
or
(b) a term paper (25 pages, double spaced, font 12), to be handed in a week before the exam, and final exam of only 10 questions (time 40 minutes). This option is only reserved to students regularly attending the class.
Foreign students can take the exam and write the paper in English, if they choose so.

Teaching tools

40 hours will be reserved as lectures. 20 hours will be dedicated to active learning methods that will include: 1) Documentaries and original video footage to be watched in class, 2) the detailed analysis of material on relevant military operations of the past 3) a field-trip (possibly more) to a battlefield.
Important : All students are required to regularly consult the following relevant websites (answering all questions in the final exam will be possible only be studying the material contained in these websites): http://militaryfactory.com
www.strategypage.com www.isn.ethz.ch   www.fas.org   http://first.sipri.org/   www.globalsecurity.org

Office hours

See the website of Giampiero Giacomello