History of Warfare

This compulsory module is designed to develop the intellectual, historiographical and methodological skills necessary to study the History of Warfare at the Masters level and beyond. Taught through a series of linked lectures and workshops, it combines an examination of significant debates in the study of the history of war from the medieval period to the present day with practical workshops on the broad variety of sources, methods and issues central to the study of warfare in the past. Its portfolio assessment, comprising a book review, an individual research project and a personal statement reflecting on their work, is designed to allow students to develop and practice the skills of the research historian. Particular attention is paid to developing students' critical engagement with source material, and the nature and limitations of historical knowledge.

Aims:

• To develop an appreciation of the study of war in the past and of its relationship to other historical research and cognate disciplines.
• To provide a systematic introduction to the historiographical and methodological debates at the forefront of the discipline.
• To develop the analytical and practical skills required to create and interpret knowledge in the field of the history of warfare.
• To encourage critical engagement with historical sources and originality of thought on the basis of primary research.

Learning outcomes:
By the end of the module, students will have demonstrated:

• An ability to evaluate critically scholarly research in the field to the standard of a professional book review.
• An ability to engage critically with the intellectual approaches and methodologies adopted on a chosen theme.
• A comprehensive understanding of the analytical techniques and different resources used by historians of warfare.
• Self-direction through the conception and completion of an individual research project displaying sound judgement and originality in the analysis and interpretation of primary sources.
• Personal reflection on the nature and limits of historical knowledge.

 
Suggested reading:

• Black, Jeremy, Rethinking Military History (London: Routledge, 2004)
• Gardiner, Juliet, ed., What is History Today? (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1988), esp. chapter one, 'What is Military History?'
• Geyer, Michael, 'War and the Context of General History in an Age of Total War', Journal of Military History, 57 (1993), 145-163.
• Howard, Michael, 'The Use and Abuse of Military History', in his The Causes of War (London: Temple Smith, 1983)
• Hughes, Matthew and William Philpott, eds, Palgrave Advances in Modern Military History (Basingstoke: Palgrave, forthcoming). This is the central text for the course.
• Lynn, John A., 'The Embattled Future of Academic Military History', Journal of Military History 61 (1997), 777-789

Because war and Psychiatry is concerned with cultural differences across time and between nations, this module provides important contextual relevance. Drawing on a range of historical and contemporary case studies, the course provides a comparative and empirically informed examination of the origins, characteristics and dynamics of civil wars. The case studies examined include: the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), the Angolan Civil War (1974-2001), Liberia and Sierra Leone (1991-2001), Somalia (1990-2001) and the Balkans (1991-95).

Drawing upon a range of historical and contemporary case studies, the course provides a comparative and empirically informed examination of the origins, characteristics and dynamics of civil wars. It explores competing theories about the causes of civil wars and is concerned with the difficulties of bringing such wars to an end. Special attention is given to the role of international organisations, international law and outside military intervention in the mitigation, regulation and resolution of contemporary civil wars. The case studies examined include the Spanish civil war (1936-39), the Angolan Civil War (1974-2001), Liberia and Sierra Leone (1991-2001), Somalia (1990-1993) and the Balkans (1991-95).

Aims:

The aims of the module are to provide:

• a conceptual framework in which to understand the place of civil war and internal conflict in contemporary international relations;
• an understanding, informed by historical and contemporary cases studies, of how civil wars start, spread, mutate and are brought to an end;
• an understanding of how international organisations, international law, mediation and foreign intervention have influenced the course of civil wars;
• an appreciation of the policy challenges and dilemmas generated by the persistence of civil war in the international system.

Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this module will demonstrate:

• an understanding of the methodological issues associated with the study of intra-state conflict and civil wars;
• an understanding of the sources, dynamics and consequences of civil wars and the wider relationship of such wars to issues of international peace and security;
• an awareness of the ways in which international organisations, international law, mediation and foreign intervention can influence the intensity, character and duration of civil wars;
• an in-depth knowledge of a number of historical and contemporary instances of civil war;
• an ability to engage critically with the literature on the subject.

The module discusses health, security and development challenges facing modern complex political emergencies. It also provides analysis of the policy debates taking place within the humanitarian sector when addressing these challenges. This course is suitable for students with a keen interest in the health sector.

Aims:

The aims of the module are:

To provide students with an overview of security, health and development-related challenges and policy debates concerning modern complex political emergencies.To demonstrate an understanding of the political, economic and social factors that contribute to complex political emergencies after the end of the Cold War;To analyse the direct and indirect effects of complex political emergencies on global, national and human security;To identify the actors and institutions involved in the international humanitarian system, and the management and coordination issues currently facing them;To provide a framework for understanding humanitarianism, the humanitarian principles, and ensuing ethical dilemmas;To describe and critique the key policy debates currently taking place within the humanitarian field (humanitarianism, relief to development, coordination, evaluation and quality);To describe the challenges of developing context-sensitive responses to public health problems (e.g. reproductive health, communicable disease, mental health); To explore the complexities of the linkages between emergency relief activities and longer term development and post-conflict issues.To gain an insight into some of the key challenges involved in rebuilding health systems in post-conflict situations.

Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of modern complex political emergencies in the context of health, security and development challenges.
• display a critical understanding of the institutions and processes of policy-making within the international humanitarian system.
• to offer a critical analysis of the multidimensional nature of complex political emergencies.
• to critically engage with multi-disciplinary academic and policy literature on the subject and to undertake independent research.
• to critically engage with the methodological aspects of theoretical and operational issues concerning complex political emergencies.
• to structure and communicate ideas effectively both orally and in writing and participate in team-work activities.

- to familiarise students with the various possible mechanisms of conflict simulation, and the strengths and weaknesses of each;

- to allow students to create their own original simulation of a particular historical campaign or battle of their choice;

- to use simulation and modelling to encourage students to analyse the key dynamics of conflict situations, thereby gaining greater insight into the physical and human determinants of conflict;

- to help develop a wide range of skills, including critical appraisal of existing simulations, detailed historical research into a specific campaign, intellectual creativity in devising and testing simulation models, legalistic clarity and precision in drafting simulation rules, and design skills in producing simulation graphics;

- to allow students to practise broader transferable skills, in particular team work in a variety of contacts, familiarity with handling computer graphics, and the use of the internet to find information, disseminate ideas and receive feedback from the wider simulation community.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing the course, students should be able to do the following:

- understand the various mechanisms through which conflict simulation games may operate;

- appreciate the artificialities in conflict simulation games, and the inevitable tension between 'realism' and 'playability';

- discuss the utility and the limitations of conflict simulation games in helping to understand conflict dynamics;

- critically assess existing conflict simulation games, and suggest possible improvements;

- produce to a satisfactory standard their own small conflict simulation game, through all the stages from detailed historical research through concept development, rules drafting, graphic design and rigorous play-testing to the physical production of a finished game with rules, map and counters;

- reflect critically on the design choices made and the strengths and limitations of their game, in extensive designer's notes.

Postcolonial authors highlight the constitutive relationship between colonial domination and modernity. The challenge of a postcolonial reading of the international is its revelation of the Eurocentric particularity of the universal subject of politics, and the relationship between racial and cultural difference and systems of power/knowledge. The aim in this module is to engage with the literature in postcolonial social and political thought, focusing in particular on the continuities of the colonial legacy in late modern practices of conflict, structures of domination, and modes of resistance in global politics.

The aims of the module are:

- To provide students with the capacity to engage critically with the universalising categories associated with theorising the international, relating conceptions of subjectivity to cultural difference and frameworks of knowledge.

- To engage students with key concepts and critiques deriving from postcolonial readings of global politics, including sovereignty, modernity, subjectivity, power, and resistance.

- To develop students' capacity for critique, specifically in relation to traditional understandings of the relationship between 'North' and 'South'.

- To enable reflection on the implications of the colonial legacy in understanding the international and what constitutes knowledge, facticity, and method in social and political thinking related to international relations.

- To develop students' appreciation of the postcolonial critique through an engagement with the primary voices that have influenced postcolonial thinking in International Relations and across the disciplines.

- To focus on issues relating to race and cultural difference and how these relate to conflict, structures of domination, and resistance in late modern conditions in global politics.

- To engage with the question of race and the modern state.

- To highlight the so-called 'woman question' and its place in the colonial legacy and continuities in practices of domination to the present.

- To juxtapose modern conceptions of subjectivity with the colonial, the postcolonial and subaltern.

- To enable reflection on late modern interventionist practices and the place of race and culture as constitutive moments in these practices.

By the end of the module, students will:

- Have the capacity to engage critically with the postcolonial literature, and specifically with postcolonial understandings of international politics.

- Have the intellectual tools necessary to critically draw upon the postcolonial challenge as this relates to the conceptual, theoretical, and philosophical understandings of the international.

- Have the skills to design a research project focusing on the themes of the module.

- Be able to reflect upon the relationship between coloniality and modernity and its implications for the postcolonial experience as this relates to questions of sovereignty and self-determination.

- Reflect upon the relationship between contemporary manifestations of conflict, interventionist warfare and the colonial legacy.

- Be able to engage with gender, the colonial legacy, and the postcolonial experience, as well as the so-called 'woman question' and the politics of racial and cultural difference.

- Be able to conduct research on and reflect on race and cultural difference and how these relate to conflict, structures of domination, and resistance in late modern conditions in global politics.

- Be able to reflect upon questions of political subjectivity, specifically in relation to the modern, the colonial and the postcolonial.

- To engage critically with primary voices in the postcolonial literature and their contributions to our understanding of identity, cultural diversity, power, and the politics of representations.

- To articulate a postcolonial understanding of the state, globalisation, and modes of resistance.

Aims

The aims of the module are to provide:

• an understanding of the origins and dynamics of wars and unresolved military conflicts in the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia, as well as an examination of new possible sources of violence and conflict in the area and in neighbouring regions.
• an examination of the challenges of economic development and its linkages with security in the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asian, as well as an examination of the regions' economic ties with neighbouring countries (Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, the EU).
• an understanding of the dynamics of Islam, nationalism and extremist ideologies in the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia, and of the linkages between international terrorism, al Qaeda and Islam in Eurasia.
• an assessment of the impact of political developments in neighbouring Muslim regions (Turkey, the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia) on Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
• an examination of the involvement of the international community and neighbouring countries in addressing issues of conflict, security and development in the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia.
• critical assessment of the relevant literature on the various topics, as well as guidance in conducting research.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of the module students will demonstrate:

• a clear understanding of the causes, dynamics and consequences of wars and unresolved military conflicts in the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia regions, as well as an understanding of the wider relationship of such conflicts to international peace and security.
• good knowledge of potentially new sources of violence in the region and in neighbouring areas.a thorough understanding of the developmental challenges affecting region, including proper knowledge of possible models of economic growth and development, as well as a thorough understanding of the linkages between development and security during conflicts and in the aftermath of conflicts in the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia.
• a deep understanding of the dynamics of Islam, nationalism and extremist ideologies as they develop in Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus and their linkages with conflict, development, and international terrorism.
• an awareness of the ways in which the international community can assist in addressing issues of conflict, development and political and religious extremism in the region.
• an ability to engage critically with the literature on the subject, and to conduct research.

While the current preoccupation is on on-going operational commitments in the Middle East and Central Asia, significant problems in equipment procurement continue to dog the British defence establishment with claims of enormous gaps in the defence budget provision for existing equipment programmes and future requirements. The Government has embarked upon a 'strategic defence and security review' which is due to report in he autumn of 2010. This module will consider these and other issues in the historical context of British defence policy and in light of current debates.

Aims:

This aims of the module are to:

- provide a framework for understanding and analysing the formulation and delivery of defence policy in the UK;

- foster the skills required for analysis of the various influences on defence policy formulation;

- develop a comprehensive appreciation of the relationship between government, the military and commercial organisations in the delivery of defence capability;

- highlight how commercial calculations affects political decisions and public discourse; and,

- promote an understanding of the impact of new technology on the future of British defence policy.

Learning Outcomes:

On successfully completing the module students will be able to demonstrate:

- an understanding of the key issues facing current British defence policy makers;

- a critical engagement in the methodological questions associated with the study of defence policy making;

- an understanding of the historical context of existing defence policy;

- the ability to evaluate the conflicting pressures on the armed services; and,

- an ability to engage critically with the literature on the subject, to undertake independent research and to exercise informed judgement on current security issues.

Aims:

The aims of the module are to:

- familiarise students with the basic science underlying important contemporary issues in international politics

- develop a systematic understanding of the relevant concepts and theories from Security Studies, and encourage a critical awareness of the theoretical and empirical debates surrounding them

- promote the capacity for critical evaluation, independent judgment and communication at a level commensurate with taught postgraduate study

- foster the skills required for critical analysis of the implications of scientific and technological developments on security

- provide a framework for original analysis of the historical and contemporary role of scientific developments in shaping security problems

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the module, students will have:

- a basic understanding of the science underlying contemporary issues in international politics

- the ability to analyse critically technical claims made in the field of international security

- an ability to provide politically-informed technical analysis in the field of science and security

- critically engaged with key concepts and theories used in security studies, and applied those concepts and theories to an analysis of current and historical security issues

- carried out original, critical analysis of the impact of scientific and technological developments on security, using knowledge of the science involved and tools drawn from IR theory and security studies

- practised a range of intellectual, practical and transferable skills, through participation in classes and through the preparation and submission of course work

• This module will examine the theory, art and practice of diplomacy, both as an instrument of foreign policy and an institution in the international system.
• It will analyse the way in which diplomacy, unlike most other aspects of international life, emphasises that which states have in common as well as those things which divide them.
• It will study diplomacy from the perspectives of politics, international law and history.
• In addition to this, it will look at the roles and functions of diplomacy regarding states and their policies, as well as the conduct of diplomacy in different forums and in different collective activities.

At the end of the module, students should have:

• An understanding of topics such as the following: diplomacy and intelligence; coercive diplomacy; summitry; mediation; the role of diplomacy in multilateral forums; diplomacy in the post Cold War and Post 9/11 worlds;

• Made use of case studies to illustrate general propositions about diplomatic theory and practice;

• A clearer understanding of the role of diplomacy as an institution in international society, its civilising influence and the extent to which its norms and conventions can be regarded as appropriate and effective in an age of globalisation, and new security threats.

The module focuses primarily on the area of the Eurasian continent including countries historically influenced by the Chinese civilisation, China, Japan, the two Koreas, and Taiwan. It reviews cultural assumptions and historical circumstances that shaped the security of the region in the Cold War and beyond. It investigates liberal, realist and constructivist theories of regional security and test them against issues of critical significance for regional stability such as the role of the American alliance system in the post 9/11 era, the power competition between the United States and China, and the questions of legacy and memories of World War II. Further, the module explores the influence of actors such as India, ASEAN and the European Union on regional order and power balance.

Aims:

This module aims to:

• Provide students with an historical and geopolitical understanding of the different notions of East Asia;
• Introduce students to the existing literature and perspectives on East Asian security;
• Enhance students' ability to assess the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to regional security;
• Foster the understanding and application of a range of intellectual and study skills, including critical analysis, independent judgment, as well as oral and written presentational skills and time management.

Learning outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

• Have a comprehensive understanding of the different approaches to the study of East Asian security;
• Evaluate and debate theories and interpretations of East Asian security through critical and analytical analysis;
• Place issues and problems concerning security in East Asia within the context of wider debates on international security affairs;
• Have a substantial knowledge of the methodological issues concerning research on East Asian security;
• Undertake original and independent research on questions related to international relation theories and security in East Asia.

This is a research based option which flows from the work conducted by Professor Frost in the field of Ethics in International Relations. The impetus for this research came from the neglect which the discipline of IR has traditionally shown towards issues to do with ethics in world politics. The central claim developed and defended in this option is that no coherent understanding of contemporary international affairs is possible without a serious and sustained engagement with a core set of ethical issues. Such engagement with ethical thought and argument is required for us to make sense of any of the following actions: actions in defence of state sovereignty, wars of national liberation, new wars, secession, intervention, the war against terror, international crime, international aid, development aid, national self-determination. In recent years IR scholars have gradually paid more attention to the link between ethics and explanation in world politics. This module will introduce students to some of the key debates which have emerged in the burgeoning field of contemporary normative international relations theory.

Aims:

• This module will engage students in a research based programme built around the core text written by the convenor entitled Global Ethics: Anarchy, Freedom and International Relations (Routledge, 2008), but will also refer to his other books, Constituting Human Rights (Routledge, 2002), Ethics in International Relations (Cambridge University Press, 1996) and Towards a Normative Theory of International Relations (Cambridge University Press, 1986).
• It will immerse students in an in-depth, historically informed study of the place of ethics in the discipline of International Relations paying particular attention to the reasons for its neglect in main stream International Relations theory as it developed in the 20th century
• This option will acquaint students with the traditional literature that did take ethical issues in international affairs seriously prior to the advent of modern social scientific method in the discipline. They will consider why this body of literature was submerged by the rise of positivist social scientific approaches to IR.
• It will explore the ways in which ethical matters impinge on the study of world affairs in spite of the sustained attempts by scholars to make a sharp distinction between facts and values in order to sustain the claim the IR is a scientific discipline.
• It will discuss the social scientific difficulties we encounter when studying human actions (which is the material studied by IR theorists) and how these difficulties inevitably lead social scientist to engage with profound ethical issues.
• Students will be lead to discover the salience of the above for our understanding and explanation of all key policy areas in international affairs from trade policy to war making.
• A key aim is to teach students how to move beyond merely pointing out the salience of ethical considerations to what they do as IR scholars, to actually engaging in argument to move towards a solution of some of the pressing ethical issues of our time in the international sphere. They will be required usefully to engage with questions to do with sovereignty, just war theory, normative theories about new wars, the ethical issues produced by the global "war on terror", global governance, democratization, the advancement of freedom by global civil society, human rights in a world of states, and others.Students will be invited to discuss a range of core texts by contemporary political philosophers working in this area including the work of John Rawls, Michael Walzer, Terry Nardin, Charles Beitz, Mervyn Frost, Chris Brown and others.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successfully completing the module students will be able to:

• Spell out and analyse how the distinction between factual/empirically based social science and normative theory was normally drawn by scholars in IR during the 20th century. In doing this they will be able to display advanced knowledge of the ontological, epistemological and normative underpinnings of major contemporary IR theories
• Outline and evaluate the critical turn taken by interpretative approaches to social science which made explicit how ethical matters are implicated in the conduct of all social scientific inquiry. They will be able to display a knowledge based in contemporary post positivist theory.
• Discuss how all our scientific and everyday understandings of world politics are shot through with ethical judgements
• Critically engage with a range of core texts which exemplify some of the contemporary traditions of thinking about ethics in world politics. These texts would include work by some of the following scholars: John Rawls, Michael Walzer, Terry Nardin, Charles Beitz, Mervyn Frost, Onora O'Neill and Chris Brown
• Apply the insights of current scholarship in ethics and international relations to the ethical puzzles which confront actors in the everyday practice of global politics which might include issues to do with war and peace, the individual in world politics, democratizing structures of global governance, promoting the spread of global civil society, dealing with migrants in a world of states, and confronting issues to do with the just distribution of resources in global context.

Aims:

The aims of the module are:

• To promote in students an advanced understanding of the relationship between human rights law and the movement of people across national boundaries. The focus throughout will be on the interrelationships both supportive and conflictual between the domestic law within states dealing with migration, EU law and International Law.
• Unpack the international legal framework in relation to contemporary ethical ideas about individual identity, belonging and citizenship. This will involve students moving beyond "black letter" law to a study of the ethical values which underpin it.
• Set out the legal framework governing the refugees and asylum seekers within the European Union as they were originally set up and the transformations which have been taking place in the post Cold War and in the globalizing environment.
• Expose students to cutting edge analyses which examine the political forces influencing the legal changes mentioned in point 3 above
• Explore the ways in which forced migration is being dealt with in national and international law.Make explicit the opportunities which exist in domestic, EU and International law for migrants to seek remedies which will protect their fundamental human rights in the face of hostile political forces. In doing this detailed consideration will be given to recent developments in the case law pertaining to these matters.
• Study the links between human rights law, family law and migration.
• Explore the economic outcomes of migration and how it has affected human rights law.

Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

• Relate concepts of human rights to the movement of peoples across national boundaries as these have been defined in and controlled by law.
• Specify the complex legal framework within which our modern ideas of identity, belonging, and citizenship are located.
• Understand the legal framework relating to refugees and asylum seekers within the European Union and the transformations taking place therein. In doing this students will be able to demonstrate an ability to find their way around a complicated knowledge base which includes law reports, constitutions, legal text books, works in the field of international relations and also reports in the quality press.
• Appreciate the political context surrounding the complex relationship between human rights and migration policies within the European context.
• Engage with some of the thorny ethical issues which are raised by the legal and political disputes surrounding the problems of migration.
• Understand and analyse the issue of forced migration and the protection of refugees under international human rights law.
• Understand the question of rights and how this relates to family life across national boundaries.Assess the impact of economic migration on human rights law
• Demonstrate skill in articulating the complex interrelationships between law, politics and ethics as they pertain to issues to do with migration across national borders. These skills are likely to prove useful to students in their subsequent careers and as citizens.

• To foster the capacity for critical analysis of insecurity, risk, and unease, developing students' capacity for independent judgement and communication at a level commensurate with postgraduate study.
• To develop an interdisciplinary approach towards questions of security, war, policing, and risk, adding to the traditional knowledge of International Relations concerning these domains, central highlights coming from political theory, history, cultural anthropology, criminology, political sociology, surveillance studies.
• To address the relationship between policing (criminal justice, intelligence, and risk assessment) and defence (war making, antiterrorist operations abroad and peace support operation) as a set of entangled practices whose boundaries are shifting with forms of policing abroad and military intelligence surveillance inside.
• To discuss the boundaries of the networks constituted by different professionals and experts of (in)security at the transnational scale and is based on a deep empirical research concerning the European Union and its transatlantic relations
• To connect to International Relations theories (mainly anglo-american) a line of thought coming from French and continental theorists and sociologists, often misread as post-modern, like Bruno Latour, Ulrich Beck, Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu, and tries to show how they can be operationalised methodologically for empirical research concerning (in)security
• Helps students understand the relationship between agents and institutions relating to (in)security within the European Union and beyond.
• Addresses the impact of these networks of (in)security professionals at the transnational scale on the capacity of the professionals of politics at the national level and within the EU context to govern effectively.
• Discusses the emergence of transnational professional guilds which destabilises the very notion of national government and national state.
• Opens a discussion about contemporary dynamics of social changes seen often as globalisation, and to their relations with order, equality and freedom.
• Enables also students' capacity to analyse the dynamics at works concerning (in)security, risk and unease in other different social and professional universes, including beyond coercive agents, the domains of health, environment, banking, through a reconceptualisation of what (in)security practices means and what they do.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the module students will be able to

• Relate the theoretical and conceptual debates on security and insecurity to wider theoretical and conceptual frameworks.
• Understand of the qualities and limits of contemporary International Relations theories on this subject.
• Understand better the significance of issues raised in the module in relation to wider methodological concerns, and learn from the module how to engage in empirical research while having a background of constructivist epistemology.
• Appreciate the normative dimension of the study of (in)security regarding freedom, equality and justice, and have the capacity to understand the ethical dilemmas surrounding the (in)security dynamics.

Aims

The aims of the module are to:

• enhance student knowledge of the determinants of modern Middle East politics and state formation;
• provide an analytical framework for understanding the Arab-Israeli and Gulf conflicts, intra-regional relations, the politics of oil, and the Middle East policies of the super/global powers;
• allow students to develop their understanding of the role of identity politics (nationalism and religion) in inter-state politics in the region;
• allow students to develop their understanding of the politics of economic and political liberalization in the Middle East in the context of globalization;
• encourage critical engagement with debates about the applicability and utility of different International Relations theoretical approaches in explaining the international politics of the Middle East.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, students will be able to:

• interpret and explain events in the Middle East through application of universal analytical concepts and methods;
• assess critically the impact of global processes on Middle East politics, and equally to draw on the example of the Middle East to re-evaluate the international politics of other regions of the world;
• demonstrate a critical understanding of the levels-of-analysis approach, questions of causality, and critical comparative perspective in International Relations thinking, including the interplay of external and internal factors in the national, regional, and international politics of states;
• explain the relevance of social origins, historical context, and political economy of states to their foreign policy behaviour, affecting the nature, extent, and pace of regionalism, economic and political liberalization, and globalization;
• demonstrate a critical understanding of the role of ideology and culture in international politics;
• communicate effectively about these issues verbally and in writing;display research skills pertinent to the study of international politics of the Middle East.

Aims:

- a critical engagement with the political and ethical dimensions of the media on the one hand and intelligence services on the other

- an appreciation of the institutional developments of open source intelligence gathering and its role in the intelligence cycle

- a framework for understanding and analysing the impact of information operations on the media in times of war

- a critical appreciation of the relationship between government, the intelligence community and the media

- an awareness of how open source intelligence provided by the media affects intelligence reports and political decisions

- a systematic investigation of the challenges media and intelligence professionals face because of the emergence of New Media

- critical analysis, independent judgement, oral and written presentation at a level commensurate with taught postgraduate study

Learning Outcomes:

- an in-depth knowledge of the role of media as a source of intelligence on two historical cases: World War II and the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan

- a critical engagement in the methodological questions associated with the study of intelligence and the media

- a reflexive understanding of the dynamics of the relationship between journalists and the intelligence services in liberal democracies

- an ability to analyse critically issues arising from intelligence services' attempt to use the media in information campaigns

- a critical awareness of the new challenges for journalists and intelligence analysts with the rise of internet and new social media networks

- an ability to engage critically with the literature on the subject and to undertake independent research

Aims:

The aims of the module are:

- Providing the student with an overview of the key academic debates about the role of the media in international politics;
- Giving the student all necessary tools to apply the existing theories about media effects in war and conflict to current events;
- Linking the debate about media and war with some key academic works (and other modules given in the department) about the changing nature of contemporary warfare;
- Giving the student some basic skills of textual interpretation and analysis.

Learning outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to acquire a specific knowledge related to media effects in war and conflict:
- An understanding of the political role of the media in the international arena;
- An understanding of international conflicts' dynamics and of the nature of contemporary warfare;
- An understanding of the present international media market;
- An understanding of the strategies directed to the media by different political actors;
- An understanding of how media effects change in different historical and political contexts.

Trench warfare is one of the most distinct, prolonged and damaging combat experiences in the history of warfare. As such the western front in the first world war will forever be remembered as the epitome of futile military slaughter, with its killing on an industrial scale, its stalemated tactics and strategy, and its deep psychological effect on the surviving combatants. All too often however, the 'trench experience' is dismissed without being understood: this course explores the reality of trench life and combat; the reasons why men continued to fight in such circumstances, and the psychological and medical responses to the strain of prolonged trench warfare, so called 'shell shock'. It takes as its source material contemporary letters, diaries and memoirs of combat, post-war literature and history, and scholarly academic assessments of the nature of combat in the first world war.

Aims:

• To introduce students to the nature, impact and understanding of combat in the first world war, particularly on the western front
• To explain the relationship between combat experience, military morale and psychological trauma in the first world war
• To investigate medical responses to the new phenomenon of 'shell shock'
• To promote reflexive engagement with the variety of contemporary and secondary sources for studying combat experience in the first world war
• To promote critical analysis of scholarly writings on the experience and impact of combat in the first world warto develop students' ability to engage in critical analysis, independent judgement and oral and written presentation at a level commensurate with taught postgraduate study

Objectives:

A student who successfully completes this module will:

• Understand the nature and impact of combat on the western front in the first world warBe able to critically evaluate the factors which affected military morale, discipline and soldier's psychological health in trench warfare
• Be able to reflect critically on scholarly analysis of the nature, impact and memory of first world war combat, using contemporary and post-war accounts of the experience of combat
• Demonstrate appropriate scholarly methodology in classwork and assessment

Aims:

The aims of the module are:

- to provide students with a specialised knowledge of the causes, processes, effects and technical aspects of ballistic and cruise missile proliferation;

- to provide students with a specialised knowledge of the various policy responses for dealing with the challenges posed by missile proliferation including their strengths and weaknesses;

- to provide an understanding of the strategic concepts necessary to understand missile proliferation as part of the security strategy of states and how this relates to other international security issues;

- to enable students to acquire a critical understanding of the significance of missile technology and its spread to further centres of control over time including its historical role, contemporary trends and future direction;

- to use conceptual and theoretical frameworks to analyze and critically examine case studies of missile proliferation;

- to compare and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of historical and contemporary policies for addressing the challenges posed by missile proliferation including export controls and missile defence.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate:

- comprehensive knowledge of the empirical history of missile proliferation, non-proliferation and military-based responses to the problem;

- a sophisticated understanding of the link between missile proliferation and broader international security issues, including the causes of peace and war, military doctrine and strategy;

- their understanding of a framework for critical evaluation of the causes, processes, consequences and policy responses to missile proliferation;

- skills in critical analysis, independent judgment, and oral and written presentation to a level commensurate with taught post-graduate study.

Learning outcomes:
At the end of the module, it is expected that students will be in a position to understand:

• the academic issues surrounding natural resource conflicts, especially the local and international issues that determine their causes and manifestations;
• the policy issues raised by these conflicts, especially the efforts by the international community like the Kimberley Process;
• Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and a host of others; andhow natural resource conflicts have stunted development and affected security in developing societies

Outline:

(a) Contextualising "Natural resources" and "Conflict"

(b) The conflicts over land

(c) Mineral Resources and Conflict

(d) Water, Water resources and Conflict

(e) Governance and Conflicts over natural resources

(f) Globalization and Natural Resource Conflicts

Aims:
The aims of the module are to examine the key issues in the development of naval history and strategy, both as case studies in history, and as historiographical and methodological exercises. It works alongside the MA War Studies and History of Warfare Core Programme, especially the History and Strategy components. The methods of historical enquiry that are set out in those elements will be the starting point for the work of this module. The case studies have been selected with reference to the current state of knowledge in the fields covered, and do not form a continuous narrative.

Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

• Understand the way in which the writing of history reflects the environment in which it is written, the objects of the historian and the importance of academic or service links in naval history.
• Display a critical understanding of the use of evidence, argument and narrative in history
• Assess the development of national naval strategies, both at a national, and a comparative level.
• Demonstrate a critical approach to historiographical issues, enabling them to analyse both historical issues, and the work of the historians who have written about them.

This module will appeal most strongly to students taking the MA in Intelligence and International Security. However, it is anticipated that in line with the commitment of the Department of War Studies to the inter-disciplinary study of war, the module will appeal also to students on the whole range of existing MA programmes and contribute to their respective learning outcomes.

Aims:

This module aims to provide students with:

• an understanding of the history, theory and use of OSINT;
• a critical understanding of the difference between collection and analysis of OSINT;
• specialised knowledge of the methods of collection and analysis of OSINT;
• a framework for applying these methods to two key security issues: nuclear non-proliferation and humanitarian crises;
• practical experience of the application of these methods in both individual and group contexts;
• and an appreciation of the strengths and limitations of these methods.

Learning Outcomes:

On successfully completing the module students will be able to carry out the following:

• plan and organise substantial OSINT projects;
• conduct highly advanced internet research, including the identification of rich sources of information, and the evaluation of the reliability and utility of sources;
• synthesise information from a range of sources, using the full variety of source formats (including hard copy and verbal communications in addition to online sources);
• perform a number of methods and modes of analysis;
• select these methods for use according to their suitability for collected sources;
• and to assess critically the theoretical rigour of their OSINT work.

Aims:

The aims of the module are:

- to provide students with a specialised knowledge of the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation as well as the evolution and effectiveness of the non-proliferation regime;

- to provide an understanding of international relations theory and the strategic concepts necessary to understand weapons proliferation as part of the security strategy of states and how this relates to other international security issues;

- to acquire a critical understanding of the significance of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in the global order, including their historical role, contemporary trends and future direction;

- to utilise conceptual and theoretical frameworks to analyze and critically examine case studies of proliferation;

- to compare and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of historical and contemporary non-proliferation policies.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module, students will have demonstrated:

- comprehensive knowledge of the empirical history of proliferation and non-proliferation;

- a sophisticated understanding of the link between proliferation and broader international security issues, including the causes of peace and war, military doctrine and strategy;

- an ability to engage critically with the concepts and theories of international relations and security studies and to use those tools to critically evaluate the causes, processes, consequences and policy responses to weapons proliferation;

- the development of critical analysis, independent judgment, and oral and written presentation to a level commensurate with taught post-graduate study.

Aims:

This module aims to provide:

- a critical engagement with the idea of propaganda

- an appreciation of the political, sociological and psychological approaches to the study of propaganda

- a framework for understanding and analysing the impact and of persuasive communication on the media in times of war

- a critical appreciation of the relationship between government, the military and media organisations

- an awareness of how propaganda affects political decisions and public discourse

- a systematic investigation of the challenges media professionals face because of the emergence of 24/7 news coverage

- a critical understanding of the impact on new media on the proliferation of propaganda

Learning Outcomes:

On successfully completing the module students will demonstrate:

- in-depth knowledge of the role of propaganda in a number of historical and contemporary wars

- critical engagement in the methodological questions associated with the study of propaganda and persuasion

- a reflexive understanding of the dynamics of the military-media relationship in times of war

- an ability to analyse the impact of persuasive communication techniques on wider domestic and international political decision-making and the ways in which the political establishment strives to control media output

- a critical awareness of propaganda devices, including still and moving images of war and suffering

- an ability to engage critically with the literature on the subject and to undertake independent research

Aims:
This course aims to provide:

• a framework for understanding and analysing the impact and the role of the media in times of war
• a critical appreciation of the relationship between the military and media organisations
• an awareness of how war reporting affects political decisions and public opinion
• a systematic investigation of the challenges military and political decision-makers as well as editors face because of the emergence of 24/7 news coverage
• a critical understanding of media effects and media psychology
• practice in qualitative and quantitative research methods
• critical analysis, independent judgement, oral and written presentation at a level commensurate with taught postgraduate study

Learning Outcomes:
On successfully completing the course students will demonstrate:
 

• an in-depth knowledge of the media coverage of a number of historical and contemporary wars
• a critical engagement in the methodological questions associated with the study of the media and war reporting
• a reflexive understanding of the dynamics of the military-media relationship in times of war and the clash of fundamental interests (secrecy versus publicity)
• an ability to analyse critically of the impact of war reporting on wider domestic and international political decision-making and the ways in which the political establishment strives to control media output
• a critical awareness of the impact of images of war and suffering on the general audience
• an ability to engage critically with the literature on the subject and to undertake independent research

Aims

The aims of the module are:

• 
  To provide students with knowledge and understanding of key social and psychological theories of terrorism.
• To provide students with an understanding of the social dimensions of the origins and prevention of terrorism and their application in de-radicalisation.
• To facilitate an understanding of public responses to terrorism, both in the immediate context of a terrorist event and in relation to the impact that terrorism has on the wider community.
• To provide students with an appreciation of the strengths and limitations of applying social and psychological theories to the origins, prevention and impact of terrorism.
• To encourage critical engagement with the research literature and provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges associated with conducting research in this field.

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to demonstrate:

• An understanding of the key social and psychological factors that may lead to violent radicalisation.
• An understanding of how social and psychological theory can be applied to preventing terrorism.
• An ability to critically evaluate the effectiveness of de-radicalisation programmes.
• An appreciation of public knowledge, understanding, attitudes and responses to terrorist threats.
• An awareness of the role of the media in public understandings of terrorism and its impact on immigration and security policy.
• An awareness of critical perspectives, challenges and controversies associated with terrorism research.
• An ability to critically reflect upon the application of theory in real-world settings

This MA option considers the evolution of insurgency and counterinsurgency from the Maoist version of peoples' war in rural China to the emergence of global jihad in the 21st Century.

Aims:

• to analyse the moral and legal arguments for and against the use of political violence and explain the relationship of urbanisation and social transition to the use of political violence;
• to provide a social and historical context from which to understand the application and utility of insurgency doctrine during the period of the Cold War;
• to analyse the reasons behind the proliferation of insurgent forms after the end of the Cold War;
• to conceptualise emerging trends of globally organised violence after 11th September 2000;
• to assess the principles which underwrite the development of counter-insurgency strategy and to practice critical analysis, independent judgement, oral and written presentation skills at a level commensurate with taught postgraduate study.

Objectives:
It sets out to explain:

• The moral and legal arguments for and against the use of political violence
• The characteristics of Maoist insurgency doctrine
• The principles which underwrite counter insurgent strategies
• How Maoist insurgency doctrine was applied during the Cold War
• How urbanisation and social change altered the nature and techniques of political violence
• The relationship between insurgent movements and the media
• Different insurgent forms which emerged after the end of the Cold War
• Different ways of understanding emerging trends of globally organised violence after 9/11
• The development of post 9/11 counter strategy for the political violence arising from global movements.
  
  

Drawing upon a range of historical and contemporary case studies, this course is designed to give students an understanding of the origins and evolution of the modern British intelligence machinery. In tracing the developments of the various agencies that constitute British intelligence, the course will seek to explore the nature of British intelligence, which at the heart revolves around the workings of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). In doing so it will focus on the disciplines of intelligence (signals intelligence, human intelligence, espionage etc), as well as its products. It will focus on the effects of intelligence gathering on decision making, particularly in the realm of national security and military policy. It will use a variety of case studies to explore and illustrate persistent issues related to the study of intelligence.

Aims:

This  module aims to provide:

• A framework for understanding intelligence, what it is and how it works.
• A critical appreciation of the intelligence cycle, and of the role of the JIC in particular.
• A systematic investigation into how intelligence producers interact with intelligence consumers.
• An examination, through the use of historical and contemporary case studies, into intelligence successes and failures.
• An introduction to the origins and composition of a JIC assessment, through the use of practical investigation.
• The environment for developing critical analysis, independent judgment, and oral and written presentation at a level commensurate with taught postgraduate study.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the module students will be able to demonstrate:

• An appreciation of the way in which intelligence plays a role in governmental affairs.
• A critical engagement with the methodological issues associated with the study of intelligence, within the wider context of governmental decision-making.
• A clear understanding of the sources used to study intelligence.
• An in-depth knowledge of the role played by British intelligence in policy making.
• An ability to engage critically with the literature on the subject, and to undertake primary, independent research.
• A range of transferable skills, including the use of oral presentations, multimedia presentations, written work, and group work.

Israel's presence in the "occupied territories" has now persisted for over forty years, during which time the number of Jewish settlers in these lands has grown dramatically and Israeli control over the territories has been strengthened by the use of checkpoints, bypass roads, military operations and, most recently, the construction of a "security fence". Palestinians perceive themselves to be a society under occupation. There are different views about the causes of this occupation, and even about whether "occupation" is an appropriate word to describe the situation in these areas. This module looks at the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights from 1967 to present as a case of Military Occupation.

It analyses the methods used by Israelis and Palestinians in their struggle to control these disputed lands.

Learning outcomes:

Having successfully completed the module, students will have gained an ability to demonstrate:

• An understanding of the term "military occupation".A familiarity with a variety of sources on military occupation.
• A comprehensive understanding of the main turning points, themes and issues related to the Israeli occupation from 1967 to present.
• An understanding of the ways the Military Government and the Civil Administration function.
• An understanding of how the building of Jewish settlements affects the Palestinians and the resources, particularly, water and land.

Aims:
The module aims to cover the following issues and questions:

1) What does it mean to resist? Where can we situate mental resistance in the spectrum of war?

2) The nature of dissidence: who becomes a dissident and why?

3) In what political and social contexts does dissidence occur?

4) What are the personal, moral costs and dilemmas associated with dissidence?

5) What is the consequence of a study of dissidence for the understandings of war?

Learning outcomes:

On completion of this module students will have attained a knowledge and understanding of the following:

1) The complexity of the origins and the nature of war and the extent to which it can be said to originate in acts of mental resistance.

2) The nature of systems that cause resistance and dissidence.

3) The moral, ethical and political problems that dissidence and resistance can cause.

4) Why, and at what costs, does one become a dissident?

5) The role of moral conscience in politics

An April 2010 poll showed that 88% of the UK defence and security community supported the statement that 'the UK needs a radical reassessment of the position it wants, and is able to play, in the world.' (www.rusi.org)

Yet there is no consensus about what the results of such a reassessment should be. Some of the key contours of foreign policy debate – competing demands from global, European and Atlantic commitments, the role of values and responsibility in foreign policy, the consequences of relative decline – are remarkably similar to those discussed in the 1960's. But both the world and the UK have changed dramatically in the last half century. The threat of major international war, so dominant in foreign policy during most of the 20th century, has diminished sharply, to be replaced by a wide range of transnational threats and challenges. The role of sub-state domestic actors – diasporas, businesses, NGOs – has grown in importance, as has the role of European and international cooperation. The dividing line between domestic and foreign policy has become increasingly blurred, and constitutional change may further limit the powers of the central executive. Across a wide range of issues – military intervention, aid, human rights, climate change – there is no national consensus on what the UK's role should be. As in the 1960's, the depth of the UK's fiscal crisis means that it will not be able to escape the 'radical reassessment' that experts agree is needed.

The purpose of this module is to help students to develop a more sophisticated understanding of these issues, and in particular the context, relationships and actors that shape UK foreign policy. It will be of interest to those with a specific interest in UK politics and policy, and also to others interested in foreign policy analysis more generally.

The Module Convenor, Professor Malcolm Chalmers, is Visiting Professor of Defence and Foreign Policy in the Department. He is also Professorial Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), and previously worked in the FCO as Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary. Further details are available on http://www.rusi.org/about/staff/

Aims:

The module aims are:

• to provide an understanding of the key trends in UK foreign policy since World War Two, and the main forces that have shaped them;
• to introduce students to key debates on the UK's role in the world;
• to develop a more sophisticated appreciation of the interaction between historical legacy, economic and strategic interests, and domestic politics in the formation of the foreign policy of a middle-sized power.

• developed an increased understanding of the main continuities, and discontinuities, of UK foreign policy in the modern era;
• attained an increased ability to critically analyse, and contribute to, debates on foreign policy;
• demonstrated an ability to reflect critically on a range of primary and secondary literature;
• reflected upon, and improved, their research and learning styles.

Aims:

The aims of the module are to:

- provide students with the necessary concepts and tools to analyse the causes and lessons of conflicts in the Middle East, particularly between Israelis and Arabs and in the Gulf region.

- provide students with tools to analyse insurgency in the Middle East, particularly in the occupied territories, Lebanon and Iraq.

- introduce students to specific topics such as oil, water, demography, arms proliferation and more and assess its impact on conflict in the Middle East.

- introduce students to the main sources of information on war and insurgency in the Middle East.

- provide students with tools and background to enable them to critically engage with debates on war and insurgency in the Middle East.

Learning Outcomes:

A successful student will be able to:

- apply his / her understanding of the causes, conduct and lessons of war to the Middle Eastern region and analyse such case studies as the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran-Iraq war and more.

- analyse the motives and methods of insurgency groups operating in the Middle East.

- explain how water, demography, arms proliferation and more affect conflict in the region.

- engage critically with the literature on the subject, to undertake independent research and to communicate effectively about war and insurgency issues in the Middle East to a level commensurate with MA-level study.

This half-module offers students the chance to study the important conceptual, historical and contemporary themes within the ambit of intelligence and its relationship to the practice of warfare in the twentieth century. A particular emphasis of this module will be to illustrate the way that issues in intelligence permeate, or shade-off into, particular types of warfare and military operations characterised by covert activities, which sometimes form a specifically identifiable component within individual conflicts that can be classified as wars within wars. This module will explore how certain wars remain in the shadows and how they might be characterised as dirty wars and secret wars. The module will approach these themes utilising a strategic approach to comprehend the uses and objectives of these shadow wars and emphasise an ethical appreciation of the peculiar moral dilemmas that this particular type of war phenomenon induces.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of the module students will demonstrate:

• A comprehension of the conceptual issues associated with how to define and understand intelligence related phenomena and their impact on warfare.
• An appreciation of how to identify the characteristics and dynamics of conflicts that may be termed dirty war and secret war.
• Through select case studies attain the ability to dissect and analyse forms of conflict that may be termed wars within wars.
• An understanding of the kinds of problems and moral dilemmas generated by these forms of warfare.