HIST 326(S) War in European History
From the ancient world to the twentieth century, war has always played an important part in European history. Europeans have not only constantly been at war
with other Europeans, but also with neighboring cultures and, indeed, most
peoples around the globe. This course will introduce students to the history of
European warfare from its origins in the classical and medieval periods to its
maturation in the early modern period (1450-1815), and its disastrous culmination in the nationalist struggles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Has
there been a distinctively "European Way of War" from the beginning? How do
we explain failure and success in European wars? What exactly happened at the
strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war? And what caused changes in the
organization and waging of European war from one period to the next?
Format: lecture/discussion. Evaluation will be based on class participation, one
short research paper, and midterm and final exams.
No enrollment limit (expected: 30). Open to all.
Groups B and D