MA 20
The Evolution of Warfare
"...kind hearted people might of course think there is some ingenious way to disarm or defeat the enemy without too much bloodshed...Pleasant as it sounds, it is a fallacy that must be exposed: war is such a dangerous business that the mistake that come from kindness are the very worst."
Clausewitz
"You might not be interested in War, but War is interested in you."
Trotsky
Tuesday 5-8 pm, Room 144 Hearst
Instructor: LtCol S. F. Mitchell, United States Marine Corps
Course Description: This course examines five general themes in the evolution of armed conflict from 345 B.C. to the present:
(1) The causes of continuity and of change in the means and methods of armed conflict during important periods in the past
(2) The influence of economic, social, moral, political, and technological factors on strategic thought
(3) The inter-relationship between technological progress and military change in rendering obsolete the successful strategies, policies, doctrines, and tactics of a given period of history
(4) The great military organizations and captains of history in order to discover some of the ingredients or their success
(5) The impact of historical precedent on military thought, theory and action.
Course Format: The course will be conducted using a combination of
lecture and discussion, all supported by readings from the texts and/or
handouts. Students must read and digest assigned materials prior to attending
class and must be prepared to fully participate in discussions and, when called
upon, brief portions of the material to the rest of the class. Students may be
called upon, with or without notice, to brief.