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Strategy and War

When you'll study it
Semester 2
CATS points
15
ECTS points
7.5
Level
Level 6
Module lead
Steven Chisnall
Academic year
2023-24

Module overview

The development of Strategy and its implementation, for good or ill, has had enormous impact on shaping the world. It has a fascinating history, traceable from the Hebrew Bible and ancient Greece to the widespread overuse of the word today to cover actions and events that would not have been recognisable years ago. In this module we will explore Strategy in the context of how it has helped to shape security in terms of the application of violence and its avoidance. We will start with Sun Tzu and Machiavelli, moving quickly to the 18th century when the term ‘strategy’ started to gain widespread use and embrace both the military and political dimensions. Each week we will focus on particular theorists and practitioners, considering the development of political and military thinking and its relationship to major conflicts and security, ranging primarily from the Napoleonic wars to the most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will also look at the role of decision making in the application of strategy.

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