ATS2828 · Battlelines: Combatants and civilians in the history of war

Overview

War has been at the centre of human experience since time immemorial, with profound and lasting effects on politics, the economy, and culture. It shapes the course of individual lives for both combatants and non-combatants. In this unit, we will explore key issues and debates in a comparative context. We begin by introducing core questions and concepts in the history of war: defining what war is, what questions historians ask, and what kinds of sources they use to answer them. To delve into the impact of war on society across time and place, we then turn to two case studies: one premodern and one modern. The case studies are the Crusades and the Vietnam War (subject to change). By taking a comparative approach, this unit will breach what is often treated as a hard premodern/modern divide to highlight similarities and differences that would not otherwise come to the fore. The unit thus grounds in very specific historical contexts one of the biggest questions of history—what has war meant to humanity?

Offerings

The Handbook publishes no offerings for this unit.

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Explain key issues in the changing historical experience and remembrance of war across diverse places and times;
2. Critically evaluate the historiographical debates about war and society;
3. Critically analyse historical sources;
4. Communicate research effectively through writing.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.