B5165 - History of Military Institutions (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have mastered methods and content of an inherently interdisciplinary nature relating to military regulations from the early modern period to the present day. They will be able to assess the links between military history and other disciplinary approaches, in particular legal, social and economic, and to work in interdisciplinary contexts. They will be able to approach texts and data critically, to analyse different types of sources, including material culture, and to evaluate their different uses for the scholarly study of military orders. They will be able to work consciously in the production of scientific content and also to use for professional purposes (communication, teaching, dissemination, conservation) different knowledge about military orders in relation to mentalities, society, territory, evaluating the implications inherent in the different means of communication, dissemination and didactics. Finally, they will be aware of the value of communication between different disciplines and of the specific contribution of the historian in promoting a critical and scientific approach to subjects of interest in different contexts.

Course contents

The course examines the history of military institutions in the modern and contemporary periods, focusing on their interactions with the political, social, economic, and cultural institutions of their time from a global perspective.

Following an introductory section devoted to historiography, methodology, and the main developments in the history of military institutions in the modern and contemporary eras, the course continues with a thematic module on the concept of the militarization of society. This topic, which is central to contemporary debate and fundamental to understanding the role of military institutions within the broader historical context, will be explored through the analysis of both historiographical and polemical literature, as well as a number of case studies.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of the history of military institutions from a global and comparative perspective and in relation to the major turning points of modern and contemporary history. Through active participation in class, they will be able to identify the connections, continuities, and transformations characterizing these institutions, and to critically assess the broader intellectual currents underpinning the various theoretical and interpretative approaches to the history, nature, and role of military institutions. They will also be able to engage critically with the ongoing public debate on the militarization of society as it appears in the media.

Apart from a general knowledge of modern and contemporary history and the ability to read texts in English and Italian, there are no additional prerequisites for successfully undertaking the course.

Readings/Bibliography

Group 1, Manual:

Lorenzini J., Storia globale delle istituzioni militari. Stati ed eserciti dal XVI al XXI secolo, Carocci, 2026.

 

Group 2, Quadri cronologici. One book of you choice among the following:

Bianchi P., Del Negro P. (a cura di), Guerre ed eserciti nell'età moderna, Il Mulino, 2018.

Labanca N. (a cura di), Guerre ed eserciti nell'età contemporanea, Il Mulino, 2022.

 

Group 3, Approfondimenti tematici e casi nazionali. One book of you choice among the following:

Andrade T., The Age of Gunpowder. China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History, Princeton UP, 2017.

Bassett R., For God and Kaiser: The Imperial Austrian Army, 1619-1918, Yale UP, 2015.

Beattie P.M., The Tribute of Blood. Army, Honor, Race, and Nation in Brazil, 1864–1945, Duke UP, 2001.

Beckett I., Modern Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies. Guerrillas and their Opponents since 1750, Routledge, 2002.

Berkovich I., Motivation in War. The Experience of Common Soldiers in Old-Regime Europe, Cambridge UP, 2017.

Drévillon H., Wieviorka O., Histoire militaire de la France, 2 voll. (uno a scelta), Perrin, 2021.

Glete J., War and society in early modern Europe. Spain, the Dutch Republic and Sweden as Fiscal-Military States, 1500-1660, Routledge, 2001.

Hacker B.C., Vining M. (a cura di), A Companion to Women's Military History, Brill, 2012.

Orbach D., Curse on This Country: The Rebellious Army of Imperial Japan, Cornell UP, 2017.

Parrott D., The business of war. Military Enterprise and Military Revolution in Early Modern Europe, Cambridge, 2012.

Pichichero C., The Military Enlightenment: War and Culture in the French Empire from Louis XIV to Napoleon, Cornell UP, 2017.

Reese R.R., Red Commanders: A Social History of the Soviet Army Officer Corps, 1918-1991, Kansas UP, 2005.

Reid R.J., Warfare in African History, Cambridge, 2012.

Rigouste M., L’ennemi enterieur. La généalogie coloniale et militaire de l'ordre sécuritaire dans la France contemporaine, La Découverte, 2011.

Roy K., Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia, Routledge, 2016.

Thornton J.K., Warfare in Atlantic Africa, 1500-1800, Routledge, 1999.

Van Creveld M., The Sword and the Olive: A Critical History of the Israeli Defense Force, Public Affairs, 1998.

Ward H.M., The War for Independence and the Transformation of American Society. War and Society in the United States, 1775-83, Routledge, 1999.

Ward S.R., Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces, Georgetown UP, 2009.

Welsh C., The Company's Sword. The East India Company and the Politics of Militarism, 1644–1858, Cambridge UP, 2022.

Wilson P.H., Iron and Blood. A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples since 1500, Harvard, 2022.

 

Attending students may substitute the texts indicated in groups 2 and 3 above with active participation in seminar sessions and preparation of a written paper (see sections Teaching Methods and Assessment Methods).

Teaching methods

The course consists of lectures, as well as the reading and discussion of primary sources and scholarly texts.

The instructor will assign a number of short readings (journal articles or book chapters), which all attending students are expected to read in advance. These readings will then be discussed collectively during class. The complete list of assigned texts will be published on the instructor's course webpage and presented during the first class meeting.

All teaching materials and the texts discussed in class will be made available through the University's Virtuale platform or will be accessible via the University's online library collections.

Regular attendance is strongly encouraged. Students who attend at least 75% of the classes will be considered attending students. Participation in the in-class presentation and discussion of the assigned readings is also a mandatory requirement for obtaining attending-student status.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of an oral examination designed to evaluate the student's critical thinking and methodological skills.

Particular attention will be paid to the student's ability to navigate the primary sources and the required bibliography, identify relevant information, illustrate key themes and issues, and establish meaningful connections between them.

Assessment will focus on the following criteria:

• Mastery of the course content.
• Ability to analyse and synthesise themes and concepts.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively using language appropriate to the subject.

Excellent marks will be awarded to students who demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered during the course, the ability to engage with them critically, and a confident command of both academic expression and subject-specific terminology.

Satisfactory to good marks will be awarded to students whose knowledge is primarily descriptive or based on memorisation, but who nonetheless demonstrate adequate analytical and synthetic abilities and communicate in generally correct, although not always fully appropriate, language.

Minimal passing marks will be awarded to students whose preparation displays gaps in knowledge and/or whose use of disciplinary language is inappropriate, despite demonstrating a basic familiarity with the examination material.

Significant gaps in knowledge, inappropriate use of language, and an inability to engage effectively with the course bibliography will result in a failing grade.

For non-attending students, the examination is based on the study of the books listed in the Texts/Bibliography section.

Attending students may replace the study of the texts listed in Sections 2 and 3 with a research paper, provided that they agree in advance with the instructor on an appropriate research topic and bibliography related to the course. The paper must not exceed 30,000 characters (including spaces) and must be submitted at least two weeks before the examination session in which the student intends to sit the exam. During the oral examination, students will be examined on both the contents of their research paper and the course textbook. Students are considered attending students only if they have attended at least 75% of the scheduled classes.

The Summer 2027 examination session will be the last opportunity to take the examination under the attending-student assessment scheme. Thereafter, all students will be examined according to the non-attending syllabus.

Examination sessions are scheduled throughout the academic year in the following periods:

• September (all students)
• November/December (all students)
• January/February (all students)
• March (all students)
• April (all students)
• May (all students)
• June (all students)

With regard to assessment, limited, transparent, and non-substantive use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted for support activities such as translation and language editing. The substantive use of AI for completing any part of the assessed work is not permitted.

 

Teaching tools

Course information and teaching materials will be available through Virtuale, AlmaStart, and the professor's webpage.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLDs) or temporary or permanent disabilities are strongly encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support office at an early stage (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The office will propose any appropriate accommodations for eligible students. Such accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will assess their appropriateness in light of the course's intended learning outcomes.

Office hours

See the website of Jacopo Lorenzini