Total War, Total Peace
| Module title | Total War, Total Peace |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL2105 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Brieg Powel (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
This module adopts a multidisciplinary, global perspective to explore the concept of ‘total war’ in relation to other understandings of ‘war’ and ‘peace’. By considering examples from a broad historical and geographical span, the module encourages you to examine the relationship between societies and the type(s) of war they (or their representatives) practice at particular points in history. By also exploring the total/limited war binary, the module encourages you to develop an appreciation of why societies and governments seek to employ different levels of violence and social mobilisation, and how socio-economic factors influence strategy and the practice of war. Why, for instance did the US employ the ‘draft’ during the Second Indochina/Vietnam War but not during the War on Terror? What drove Iraq to employ chemical weapons in its war against Iran? What was the first ‘total war’, and why was it fought in that manner? The module thus links the nature of war with strategic policy, promoting an understanding of why politicians choose to take military action, and why that action takes the form(s) that it does.
In terms of teaching method, the module will involve 2-hour workshops which merge lectures and seminars into a single, more interactive learning experience. The workshops will involve multimedia delivery in the form of audio-visual resources and experiential learning through simulations. These will be supported by links to further optional online material.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims to explore the different levels of violence and socio-economic mobilisation employed by societies during war. It differs from traditional approaches by being global in approach and in exploring warfare and societies from the much deeper past. Another key aim is that knowledge of the course material will be developed with a focus on your research, participation, and engagement, through simulations and interactive learning activities rather than through passive consumption of lectures. Thus, you will be encouraged to learn empathically by coming to appreciate the contingencies and limitations faced by practitioners when engaging in strategic decision-making.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand distinctions between forms of warfare, levels of violence, and strategic context over the long term.
- 2. Demonstrate good knowledge of the disparities in the levels of violence and socio-economic mobilisation achieved by various belligerents in particular conflicts.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Understand the links between politics, society, economics, and warfare.
- 4. Display good awareness of a range of conceptual frameworks to understand the complex and changing interaction between war and societies.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate empathic appreciation of policy decisions.
- 6. Demonstrate awareness of contingency in decision-making processes.
- 7. Study independently and manage time and assessment deadlines effectively.
- 8. Communicate effectively in speech and writing.
- 9. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills through module assessments.
- 10. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of the internet, online journal databases and other IT resources for the purposes of tutorial and assessment preparation.
- 11. Demonstrate effective applied writing.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- the World Wars
- the Napoleonic Wars
- industrial wars
- ‘tribal’ and ‘nomadic’ warfare
- non-Western ‘total’ wars
- wars and ‘policing operations’ of empires
- post-WW2 conflicts
- civil wars
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x 2-hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Private study reading and preparing for seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 78 | Preparation for essay and pre-seen exam including researching and collating relevant sources; planning the structure and argument; writing up the essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay outline | 500 words | 1-11 | Peer-assessed |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-11 | Written |
| Pre-seen exam | 50 | 2 hours/ 2 questions | 1-11 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-11 | August/September reassessment period |
| Pre-seen exam | Pre-seen exam (2 hours/2 questions) | 1-11 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Black J. 2010. The Age of Total War, 1860-1945. Plymouth: Roman and Littlefield, 1-12.
Giddens, A. 1985. ‘Capitalist development and the industrialization of war’. In: The Nation State and Violence. Cambridge: Polity, 222-254.
Heuser, B. 2010. The Evolution of Strategy: Thinking War from Antiquity to the Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Howard, M. 2005. ‘Total war: some concluding remarks’. In: Chickering, R., Förster, S., and Geiner, B. (eds). A World at War: Global Conflict and the Politics of Destruction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 375-383.
Howard M. 2009. War in European History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Keegan J. 1994. A History of Warfare. London: Pimlico.
Imlay, T. 2007. ‘Total war’, The Journal of Strategic Studies 30:3, 547-570.
Philpott, W.J. 2006. ‘Total war’. In: Hughes, M. and Philpott, W.J. (eds). Palgrave Advances in Modern Military History. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 131-152.
Saint-Amour, P.K. 2014. ‘On the partiality of total war’. Critical Enquiry 40:2, 420-449.
Strachan, H. 2000. ‘Essay and reflection: on total war and modern war’. The International History Review 22:2, 341-70.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 30/08/2018 |
| Last revision date | 04/09/2018 |