Introduction:
French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau once said that war was too important a business to leave to the generals. Similarly, military history is too important to leave exclusively to soldiers. This course has obvious value to ROTC students and those interested in military service, but war has been so central to the human experience that all students of history should be interested in it. Since 9/11 war has returned to the center of the American experience as well, reminding us all of the importance of studying it and understanding it as well as we can. As Leon Trotsky once said, “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.”

This course will present a basic introduction to main themes in military history from the age of Louis XIV to the present day. This course is not simply a study of tactics. It will connect military history to broader themes of political, cultural, social, and economic history. It will make no sustained attempt to cover every battle and war in history, but it will cover themes connected to the development of war since the late 17th century.

Books:
Geoffrey Parker, ed. The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000).

Philip Caputo, A Rumor of War (New York: Owl Books, 1996).

Alistair Horne, The Price of Glory: Verdun, 1916 (London: Penguin, 1993).

In addition you will be asked to read one book from the Potomac (formerly Brassey’s) series of military profiles.

Schedule of classes:
Each week will focus on a single time period in military history. We will begin the week with a discussion of political, economic, social, and cultural changes that impacted the development of the military. On Wednesday we will examine more purely military changes such as tactics, technology, and organization. On Friday, we will bring all of these themes together and examine a battle or campaign that typifies the patterns of the age.

Week one (week of 29 August): The Gunpowder Revolution
Reading: Parker, chapter 6
Case studies: Agincourt, 1415 and Constantinople, 1453

Week two (week of 5 September): War in the Ancien Régime
Reading: Parker, chapter 10
Case studies: Blenheim, 1704 and Malplaquet, 1709

Week three (week of 12 September): Napoleonic Warfare
Reading: Parker, chapter 11
Case studies: Valmy, 1792 and Austerlitz, 1805

Week four (week of 19 September): The US Civil War
Reading: TBD
Case studies: Shiloh, 1862 and Cold Harbor, 1864

Week five (week of 26 September): Industrialization of War
Reading: Parker, chapter 12
Case study: Sadowa, 1866 and Sedan, 1870

Week six (week of 3 October): Imperial Warfare
Reading: TBD
Case studies: Isandhlwana and Rorke’s Drift, 1879

Week seven (week of 10 October): Toward World War
Reading: Parker, chapter 13
Case studies, Mukden and Tsushima Strait, 1905
MIDTERM EXAM 12 OCTOBER

Week eight (week of 17 October): World War I
Reading: Parker, chapter 14
Case study: Gallipoli, 1915

Week nine (week of 24 October): World War I
Reading: Horne, Price of Glory
Case study: Verdun, 1916
BOOK REPORT DUE 28 OCTOBER

Week ten (week of 31 October): The Inter-War Years
Reading: Parker, chapter 15
Case study: The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

Week eleven (week of 7 November): World War II in Asia
Reading: Parker, chapter 16
Case study: Singapore, 1942

Week twelve (week of 14 November): World War II in Europe
Reading: TBD
Case study: Overlord, 1944

Week thirteen: (week of 21 November): The Cold War
Reading: None
Case study: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions, Thursday 11:30am

Week fourteen (week of 28 November): The Wars of Liberation
Reading: Caputo, A Rumor of War
Case study: Tet, 1968
PAPER DUE: 30 NOVEMBER

Week fifteen (week of 5 December): War in the World Today
Reading: Parker, chapter 17
Case study: The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1948 to today

Assignments:
Midterm exam (25%): 12 October
Book report on Potomac Books (15%): 28 October
Paper (25%): 30 November
Comprehensive Final Exam: (35%)

Book report: You will read any book from the Potomac Books (formerly Brassey’s) Military Profiles Series and write a 1,000 to 1,500-word review. A complete list of the books is available at the press’s web site: http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/SeriesDetail.aspx?id=118. Among the questions you might want to address in your review are:

- What contributions to military history did the individual make?
- How can you understand this individual as a person of his place and time?
- What conditioned this individual’s success or failure?

Paper: For the final paper, you will select a battle or campaign (other than those listed in this syllabus as weekly case studies) and analyze it along the lines used in class. You will first set the battle into political, cultural, economic, and/or social context as we will have done in class on Mondays. Then you will analyze the military context of the battle, as we will have done in class on Wednesdays. Finally you will analyze the battle itself, as we will have done on Fridays. Aim for 3,500 to 5,000 words (the word count should not include your bibliography or your footnotes) and use a minimum of 5 sources not assigned for this class (one of these sources may be a reliable internet source). If you are having trouble with a topic or with finding sources, please see me. Also please note the free services available from the writing center (303 LAB, phone: 266-4821, http://www.usm.edu/english/writingcenter/). Use the Chicago Manual of Style for format and documentation.

Ten Tips for Better Writing:

1. Buy and read William Strunk and E. B. White's The Elements of Style. It remains the best short and cheap book on how to improve your writing.

2. Use a semi-colon to separate items in a list or to connect two independent clauses.

3. Make the paragraph your primary unit of composition.

4. Write in the active voice as often as possible. Example: “Islamic terrorists attacked the World Trade Center” instead of “The World Trade Center was attacked.”

5. Be specific in your language. Avoid weak or useless words like "very" and "thing."

6. Omit unnecessary words.

7. Use the positive form as often as possible. Example: “He was often late” instead of “He did not often show up on time.”

8. When discussing events that occurred in the past, use the past tense. Example: “The Americans entered World War I in 1917” instead of “The Americans would enter World War I in 1917.”

9. Write with nouns and verbs as the basis of your sentences. Adjectives and adverbs support nouns and verbs, not vice versa.

10. Revise and rewrite! Do not be content with your first (or even your second) draft.

A Military Order of Battle:

The sizes and terms of military units change over time. In peacetime, units tend to be much smaller. What follows is a typical World War I order of battle from smallest to largest:

Squad: 8-11 men commanded by a sergeant
Platoon: 30-50 men commanded by a lieutenant
Company: 100-200 men commanded by a captain or major
Battalion: 600-1,000 men commanded by a lt. colonel
Regiment: 2,000-3,000 men commanded by a colonel
Brigade: 4,000-5,000 men commanded by a brigadier (one-star) general
Division: 12,000-20,000 men commanded by a major (two-star) general
Corps: two or more divisions commanded by a lieutenant (three-star) general
Army: two or more corps commanded by a (four-star) general
Army group: two or more armies commanded by a five-star general or field marshal

Battalions usually formed the basic tactical unit of an army, regiments the basic social units of an army, and divisions the basic administrative units of an army.

Maps:
There are several good military atlases if you wish to buy one, but West Point has excellent maps on their web site:
http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/web03/atlases/atlas%20home.htm

Notes:
I do expect you to come to class, in large part because I have no intention of using my lectures simply to replicate the readings. I expect you to take notes, be prepared to answer any questions I might pose, and to ask questions if something is unclear. Please turn off all pagers and cell phones in class and have the courtesy to come to class on time. Be prepared to accept serious deductions in grades for work turned in late and be prepared to give me an electronic version of your written work if I ask you for it.

I will be available for office hours, but if these hours are not convenient for you, please email me or see me after class to arrange another appointment. Please also let me know if there are any special circumstances that will require you to be absent or late.

Academic Dishonesty: Scholastic dishonesty will not be condoned under any circumstance. See the current Undergraduate Bulletin for a good definition of such behavior. Cheating on an exam or demonstrated plagiarism on a paper will automatically lead to a grade of “F” for the course and can result in dismissal from the college. The instructor reserves the right to use electronic resources, such as turnitin.com, to detect plagiarism. If you have questions or concerns about this policy—please see the instructor during office hours.

Students with Disabilities: If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities Covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. Mailing address: 118 College Drive # 8586, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001; Telephone: (601) 266-5024; TTY: (601) 266-6837; Fax: (601) 266-6035 or at: http://www.ids.usm.edu/ODA/default.asp