War in the 20th Century

INTA 4803 TP FALL 2013

War in the 20th Century

Syllabus Bibliography Lessons Writing Assignments

A study of armed conflict in the 20th Century with emphasis on the
impact of technology and geopolitics on society and military science.

Instructor: Tom Pilsch
Habersham 141
pilsch@gatech.edu

Course Objectives

The successful student will gain the historical foundation and framework to support analysis and informed discussion of modern war, its causes, conduct, and consequences.

Specifically, the successful student will be able to:

• Identify and describe the historical roots, application and consequences of the strategies, operational concepts, and technology employed in 20th century wars.

• Describe the concept and implications of total war as it evolved during the 20th century.

• Describe instruments of national power and use them in qualitative comparisons of the ability of major participants in 20th century and current conflicts to execute grand strategy.

• Trace key technological threads in the history of modern war and extrapolate their continuing significance in the analysis of contemporary conflict.

• Analyze the significance of strategic- and operational-level intelligence in 20th century warfare and apply that knowledge to a discussion of intelligence requirements and methods in contemporary conflict.

• Analyze and be able to make recommendations on the logistic implications of modern war.

• Discuss the impact of modern war on society and society on modern war and apply that knowledge to support the formulation of current policy.

• Develop an historical appreciation for the moral, ethical and legal issues of armed conflict.

Themes and Threads

• The Circle of Modern War ^©:
Society < = > Technology < = > Military Science < = > Society

• Causes, Conduct & Consequences (C³) of Wars:
WW I, Interwar Years, WW II, Cold War (Korea, Cuban Crisis, Vietnam), Gulf War

• Instruments of National Power

• Geopolitics and its influence on Grand Strategy

• Match/Mismatch between national objectives and instruments of national power

• Levels of War: Strategic, Operational, Tactical

• Logistics as the lynchpin of modern war

• Revolutions in Military Affairs

Top Bibliography