91193 - Strategic Studies In The Contemporary Era

Learning outcomes

STRATEGIC STUDIES IN THE CONTEMPORARY ERA By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) Appreciate variation in conceptions of international security theories. 2) Understand the origins and evolution of mainstream theories on military strategy. 3) Understand the significance of alternative conceptions of national security for states' policies. 4) Develop an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of modern warfare in strategic international events. 5) Develop analytical skills to be applied to international security issues.

Course contents

Strategic Studies is an established field within the International Relations discipline. Specifically, the course covers both theory and practice of war and warfare, with emphasis on the contemporary era. It is subdivided into two sections (of different lengths). The first part ("Strategic Theory", shorter) will examine some principal "theories of war" (e.g. Sun Tzu & Clausewitz). The first part will provide the participants with the relevant analytics tools to attend the second part ("the Tools of Warfare"), which is devoted to the application of those theories to modern warfare as well as an examination of the principal military doctrines, the weapons of mass destructions and irregular warfare (insurgencies, guerrilla and terrorism).

For this class, it is essential to assimilate the English terminology and professional language necessary to work with strategic studies concepts and theories.

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory for all students

1. Sun Tzu, The Art of War (any edition);
2. Carl Von Clausewitz, On War (edited by M. Howard and P. Paret) Princeton: Princeton U. Press, Princeton 1976;
3. David Jordan et al. Understanding Modern Warfare, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016
4. Alternatively to n. 3, Giampiero Giacomello e Gianmarco Badialetti, Manuale di Studi Strategici, Seconda Edizione, Milano: Vita & Pensiero, 2016
5. Your class notes.

Teaching methods

Lectures with active-learning methods (e.g. discussions). The instructor expects all graduate students to regularly come to class and participate in the discussions about the many topics presented during the lectures.

Assessment methods

The final exam will be a take-home: you will have 24h to provide a written answer (a few pages) to a problem assigned on the day of the exam (the 'appello) by the instructor. Please log in to Microsoft Teams on the day of exam and check the 'assignment' in the course's section. 

Teaching tools

In addition to lectures, (1) documentaries and original video footage to be used in class, (2) the detailed analysis of material on relevant military operations of the past (3) a field trip to the Gothic Line battlefield on the Apennines around Bologna.

Office hours

See the website of Giampiero Giacomello