Why study war?

The purpose of our undergraduate programme, is to provide students with a sophisticated understanding of war, both as a subject worthy of study and as an intellectual preparation for the widest possible range of career choices. These skills include the ability to handle a wide range of evidence, analyse complex issues and present conclusions in a clear and effective manner. Students are encouraged to consider a variety of complex questions, such as:

Why do wars occur? How might wars be prevented, avoided or resolved? How has the character of warfare changed over time? Can wars be 'just'? How will new challenges such as peacekeeping and the information revolution affect the use of armed force? How have developments in modern society affected the military profession? Can 'lessons from history' facilitate our understanding of contemporary conflicts and assessment of future risks?

Compulsory Modules Year One

Contemporary Security Issues The module aims to:

Provide students with a theoretical framework within which to consider the changing nature of security in the 21st Century; Connect the debate over contemporary security issues to the theoretical positions central to international relations theory; Provide an introduction to the ways in which the International System is changing in the aftermath of the Cold War; Examine the types of security issues which have come to prominence in the post-Cold War Era, focusing in particular on the events of 9/11 and its aftermath.

By the end of this module, students will:

Be familiar with the major theoretical schools of thought and the views of the international system they present; Understand some of the key security issues and dilemmas that have arisen in the postCold War period; Have considered the two objectives above and so draw individual conclusions on the adequacy of the different theories as explanations of the post-Cold War situation.

The Art of War Studies The main aim of this module is:

to provide students with an introduction to the main skills that are necessary for the BA War Studies programme.

By the end of this module, students will:

have completed a number of exercises introducing them to a variety of practical academic skills, ranging from essay writing, reviewing, class participation and oral presentation, working in groups, research, effective time management and exam-taking; be aware of the range of academic disciplines that may be brought to the study of war and have considered the multi-disciplinary nature of War Studies at KCL as a practical matter and as a philosophical issue in the humanities and social sciences; have studied Chapter 1, Book 1 of Carl Von Clausewitz, On War, and be able to analyze it critically through the prism of a contemporary work, Martin Van Crevelds On Future War; have a basic understanding of international relations theory as it pertains to the study of war; be able to respond to a basic question in our fieldWhat is war?in a structured and reasoned manner with reference to the authors noted above and a basic appreciation of competing models of international relations.

The Causes of War The aims of this module are to:

introduce students to important theoretical arguments and perspectives on the causes of war and their application to actual cases develop the ability of students to assess these arguments through historical, empirical, and critical analysis foster understanding and application of a range of intellectual and study skills, including close reading, essay writing, and critical analysis, as well as other important skills such as listening and time management

By the end of this module, students should have:

familiarity with key theoretical arguments about the causes of war and to be able to apply those arguments to a variety of historical and current cases demonstrated an ability to asses these arguments, through empirical and critical analysis gained practice and knowledge in a range of intellectual, study and practical skills

The Conduct of War The aims of the module are:

to introduce students to different approaches to the study of war as a political and social phenomenon, and to key aspects of, and developments in, the nature and impact of warfare. to give students a broad chronological introduction to wars and warfare in recorded human history.

The student who successfully completes this module will:

demonstrate a broad awareness of different perspectives and debates on the conduct of war demonstrate an awareness of continuity and change in the conduct of war be able to analyse the principal developments in warfare be able to explain the growing complexity of warfare

The Experience of War The aims of the module are to :

explore the various experiences of war individual, group and community, direct and indirect, battlefield (land, sea and air) and home front, military and civilian, male and female, empirical and cultural; encourage reflection on the meaning and value of experience and the relevance of experience as evidence; promote an understanding of experience in relation to other aspects of war.

By the end of this module, students will:

be familiar with the use of memoirs, biographies, personal testimony, battle studies, literature, poetry, painting, film and other arts to illustrate the impact of war at various levels individual, group and community, direct and indirect, battle (land, sea and air) and home front, military and civilian have experience of personal witness statements by surviving servicemen and civilians and to engage with them have knowledge of a broad range of historical, biographical and cultural sources on the experience of war be familiar with the concept of experience.

Compulsory Modules Year Two

Intelligence in War Studies Module aims The module aims are:

To promote multidisciplinary understanding of concepts, issues and debates regarding intelligence in war; To encourage reflection on the meaning, value and nature of intelligence and of types of intelligence as evidence and bases for action; To encourage understanding of the interactive processes of assessment and analysis; To foster conscious critical reading and discussion of issues of information, intelligence, policy and action; To promote an understanding of scholarly activity in relation to intelligence; To foster appreciation of intelligence skills and tools for understanding future developments; To foster understanding and application of a range of intellectual and study skills; To foster understanding and application of a range of key skills communication and listening, teamwork, flexibility and the use of IT

Learning outcomes Upon successful completion of the module, students should have:

Familiarity with key concepts of information and intelligence. Understanding of the variety of factors affecting the collection, processing and use of information. Command of key concepts such as human intelligence, technical intelligence, assessment and analysis, and operations. Understanding of intelligence as both a challenge to and a support of international order. Examined literature on different approaches to intelligence in history and other forms of social science. Knowledge and understanding of intelligence and security in relation to specific empirical cases. Explored the problems and possible practical solutions to issues of intelligence, war and security. To have contributed to and participated in the formation of a joint project investigating and assessing the relevance and relationship of intelligence to determining future developments, policy or action.

Compulsory Modules Year Three

State, Society & Strategy State, Society & Strategy provides an overview of military strategy from the eighteenth century to the present day. It achieves this with the help of a theoretical framework, around which both historical knowledge and contemporary events can be organized and interpreted. For the purposes of this module, strategy is defined as the instrumental link between military means and political ends. This definition is used to draw attention to the fact that the character of strategy is shaped by the political goals for which war is conducted as well as by the military means available to the belligerents. It follows from this that, throughout this module, we will be looking at what political leaders have hoped to achieve by going to war in addition to examining the military means available to them. The question we shall be asking at each point is exactly how strategy was intended to translate a given set of military means into a desired outcome.

Module aims The aims of the module are to:

provide a coherent overview of strategic theory and practice from the eighteenth century to the present day; provide a theoretical framework around which historical knowledge and contemporary events can be organised and interpreted; provide an ambitious example of the manner in which the multi-disciplinary approach associated with War Studies can overcome the limitations associated with studying war through any single disciplinary lens.

Learning outcomes Upon successfully completing the module, students should have:

understood the important role which strategy plays at the interface between political and military spheres of activity identified the major continuities and discontinuities in the theory and practice of strategy since the eighteenth century understood the role of cultural and political factors in shaping the character of strategic theory and practice understood the merits of a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of strategy

Assessment Home students are assessed via a three-hour examination and two essays. The examination will count for 75% of your final mark. The better of your two essays will count for 25% of your final mark.

Dissertation Researching and writing a dissertation is one of the most challenging and potentially rewarding tasks you will face as a BA student. In contrast with the taught modules, it is your responsibility to:

Identify a viable topic Conduct the necessary research (You must seek ethical approval. See paragraph below.) Produce a sustained and coherent argument within a limit of 10,000 words.

Dissertation aims & learning outcomes The BA dissertation aims to:

Allow students to complete a major piece of independent learning within the field of War Studies Reinforce key skills of research, critical analysis and academic writing Develop skills of oral presentation

Students who successfully complete the dissertation will:

Formulate a practical research project of their own Identify and utilise a relevant body of evidence Produce a sustained argument in written form

Ethical Approval for research projects All research which involves human participants or raises other ethical issues with potential social or environmental implications must be submitted for ethical review. Carrying out research without ethical approval could constitute a disciplinary offence. Please visit the College Research Ethics pages for more information

BA Reading List

Lawrence Freedman (ed), War (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994) Richard Harding, The Evolution of the Sailing Navy 1509-1815 (London: Macmillan, 1995) Michael Howard, War in European History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976) Michael Howard, War and the Liberal Conscience (Oxford: Oxford University Press) Archer Jones, The Art of War in the Western World (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989) John Keegan, The Face of Battle (London: Jonathan Cape, 1976) (Also published as a Penguin) William H. McNeill, The Pursuit of Power: Technology, Armed Force and Society since A.D. 1000 (Oxford: Blackwell, 1982) Hew Strachan, European Armies and the Conduct of War (London: Allen and Unwin, 1983) Baylis, John & Smith, Steve: Globalization of the World Politics (Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press, 2nd edition 2001) Lambert, Andrew: War at Sea in the Age of Sail (1650-1850) (Cassell: London 2002)