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Cities under Siege: urban warfare, past, present and future

Module description

Since humans first began to live in cities 10,000 years ago, they also started fighting each other in and for them. Urban warfare is as old as cities themselves; it a ubiquitous feature of human civilization. However, in the early twenty-first century, there has been a sharp increase in the frequency of urban fighting. Indeed, the longest and most intense battles in the last two decades have all occurred in cities. This course examines the rise of urban warfare today and seeks to delineate its distinctive features, though close examination of the current literature. Cities under Siege is an interdisciplinary module, drawing on sociology, anthropology, politics, IR and security studies. Some knowledge of security issues might be useful, but there are no specific pre-requisites or co-requisites.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module provides an introduction to the study of urban warfare. It highlights the distinctive character of military operations in cities in the 21st century through the critical investigation of selected case studies and themes, facilitated by historical comparison from previous eras. The module will engage with some of the most important contemporary literature on urban conflict and warfare.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate sound knowledge of the causes and character of urban warfare and conflict
• 2. Demonstrate sound knowledge of selected case studies of urban warfare/conflict
• 3. Demonstrate sound knowledge of the distinctive character of urban warfare in the 21st century
• 4. Demonstrate understanding of a range of methodological approaches and theoretical orientations to urban warfare

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Evaluate a range of social and political scientific literature
• 6. Describe key concepts, theories and methods
• 7. Demonstrate ability to evaluate your own political assumptions and those of a range of established social researchers

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Plan and execute work independently, within supportive guidelines, to achieve acceptable outcome
• 9. Discuss ideas and interpretations with others in a clear and reasoned way
• 10. Demonstrate the capacity for structured argumentation both in writing and orally

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:

• History of urban warfare
• Causes of urban warfare
• Understanding cities
• Urban Insurgencies
• Urban Battles
• Information operations

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Gentile, G et al. 2017. Reimagining the Character of Urban Operations for the US Army. (Santa Monica, CA: Rand).
• Graham. S. 2010. Cities under Siege: the new military urbanism. (London: Verso).
• David Kilcullen Out of the Mountains: the coming of age of the urban guerrilla. (London: Hurst and Company)
• King, A. 2021. Urban Warfare in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge: Polity)

Key words search

Urban Warfare, Cities, Conflict, Insurgency