2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST2885 Western Military Intervention since 1945

20 creditsClass Size: 28

Module manager: Dr Adam Richardson
Email: a.p.richardson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Western Military Intervention since 1945 examines a particular aspect of international history over a significant time arc, c. 1945 to the present. It thus encompasses the Cold War, the post-Cold War, and the post-2001 eras. The course focuses on the long-range projection of power using a combination of naval, air, military, nuclear and specialist forces. The United States lies at the centre of the course, although other powers, such as Britain, are significant too. Western Military Intervention focuses on three main aspects of international politics: the ideas that underpinned the practice of invasion and intervention; the development of capabilities that made such interventions possible; and the decision making processes that led to, or in some cases failed to lead to, specific cases of military intervention.

Objectives

To engage students in a major issue for contemporary International History and Politics; to interrogate both secondary literature and primary sources in English.

Learning outcomes
On completing this module students will:
a) have a deeper understanding of the maturation of and subsequent developments in the Anglo-American tradition of global power projection using a combination of air, sea, amphibious, and political warfare;
b) be able to illustrate these developments with concrete historical examples, and therefore;
c) be able to provide the historical 'long view' on a major issue in contemporary politics;
d) be able to demonstrate a firm grasp of the historical and political controversies surrounding this topic.

Syllabus

Indicative Lectures:
1. Introduction: the elements of global power projection
2. Global War
3. Grand Strategy
4. Geopolitics
5. Civil-military relations
6. Naval operations
7. Air operations
8. Amphibious warfare
9. Special Operations
10. Political Warfare
11. Nuclear Weapons

Indicative Seminars:
1. Introduction
2. Torch & North Africa
3. The Pacific
4. SLOCs
5. Suez
6. The Falklands
7. Iraq
8. Afghanistan
9. Revision

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Tutorial	9	1.00	9.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Researching, preparing and writing assessments; undertaking set reading; self-directed reading around the topic.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Regular seminar meetings; oral presentation of students' research in seminars; written assignments.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 2,000 word essay, due by 12 noon on Monday of teaching week 9	40.00
Presentation	Verbal presentation, format to be determined by tutor	10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	2 hr 00 mins	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 28/04/2017

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD