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First-Year Seminar (101-6-25)

Topic

The American Way of War

Instructors

William S Reno
847/467-1574
601 University Pl #106

Meeting Info

Allison Residential Comm 1021: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This course surveys the changing American strategies in the conduct of warfare since the end of the Cold War in 1989. The course opens with a consideration of the massive military buildup and assault on Iraq in 1991. The American military presence in that region never went away. This presence provides us with a framework for analyzing the changing character of warfare. Consideration of the Iraq War (2003-2011) focuses on the development of counterinsurgency and the emergence of multi-domain warfare (i.e., political warfare, information warfare, etc.) and increased reliance on low-profile Special Operations Forces. Our attention then turns to recent challenges of hybrid warfare (i.e., hacking and fake news and their roles in conflicts), and the advent of flexible responses such as increased American reliance on drones and contractors in the conduct of warfare. The course ends with the consideration of several emerging American war-fighting strategies.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, students should be able to:


  • Have the capacity to distinguish among different warfighting strategies in their analysis of any conflict that they encounter.

  • Evaluate the relative efficacy of different strategies in armed conflicts and understand why various actors in conflicts adopt specific strategies.

  • Understand and explain why actors in some conflicts are more prone to certain kinds of violence against noncombatants. • Understand and explain the role official policies (i.e., counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, et al.) play in contemporary conflicts.

  • Make informed judgements about the efficacy of policies and tradeoffs that policy choices entail.

  • Think about and discuss plausible directions in which US military strategy might evolve to address new challenges.

  • Critically evaluate how social science theories can inform the public and government officials about the nature of warfighting generally and about specific contemporary conflicts.

  • In addition, College Seminars are designed to enable students to: Set and evaluate academic goals; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; study effectively; think critically; understand and meet Northwestern's standards of academic integrity; know when and how to ask for help

Teaching Method

Seminar

Evaluation Method

Students need to complete the reading assignments listed under each meeting before the actual class meeting. Grades will be based on the following criteria:
Attendance and Participation (10%)
Reflection Comments (30%)
Bibliographic Essay (30%)
Review & Advise Essay (30%)

Class Materials (Required)

Russell Weigley. 1973. The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy. Indiana University Press (ISBN: 978-0-253-28029-9)

Jahara Matisek & Buddhika Jayamaha. 2022. Old and New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War. Lynne Rienner Publishers (ISBN: 978-1-626-37996-1)

Class Attributes

WCAS First-Year Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for First Year & Sophomore only
Add Consent: Department Consent Required
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required