This course examines the role of warfare as a transformational force in world history. The causes of conflict range from the personal, to the ideological, to the political, to the economic, and reflect on the very nature of power in all its forms. Further, warfare often serves as a catalyst for significant technological, social and political transformation. The course seeks to understand conflict at various points in world history and in various areas of the globe. The study of conflict is therefore the study of each culture’s approach to understanding itself and its place in the global community.

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Browse the Conflict in World History (Course Curriculum) Collections:

Unit 1: Key terms and Origins of War, Chariots and the Iliad
Students will develop an understanding of the origins of “conflict” in human history. They will see this become formalized in Bronze Age.

Unit 2: The Greeks and Alexander
Students will know the importance of the Classical Greeks (and Hellenistic world) in the development of conflict in World history.

Unit 3: The Roman Republic and Empire
An introduction to the connection between military structure and society in the Roman Republic and Empire.

Unit 4: Han China and India (Persia and later Sui, Tang & Song China)
Students will look at the complexity of the Chinese founding history and seeing how “China” came into being.

Unit 5: The Feudal World 500-1400: Warbands, Castles, Crusades and Ottomans
Explore the Western civilization from the end of Rome to the rise and establishment of the Medieval world. To see the importance of the Ottomans as a historical force.

Unit 6: Nomadic and Steppe Warfare
To look at the very long and destructive history of semi-nomadic “raiders” and their impact on Western, Islamic and Eastern civilizations.

Unit 7: The Age of Gunpowder: A “Military Revolution”
Understand the revolutionary nature/impact of gunpowder weapons as the beginning of “modern” conflict and the modern state.

Unit 8: From a Linear Age to the French Revolution and Napoleon: Social Change without technological change?
Understand the finalization of the age of gunpowder. Express the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon on political and military power.

Unit 9: Age of Imperialism and Technology, 1815-1914
Ability to appraise the dynamism of the age of industrial development. To evaluate the rapid rise of European Empire.

Unit 10: The First World War 1914-1918: Industrial, Total war and Conflict becomes “Modern”
Evaluate the impact of technology and the mass politics of the modern state on shaping conflict.

Unit 11: World War II: Europe: Armor, Air Power, and Industry: Technology and development: 1918-1937. War in Europe to 1945
To express the interaction of ideology and technology and its impact.

Unit 12: World War II: Pacific and Asia: Airpower and Navies
To relate the important changes in warfare, especially naval, occurring during the conflict.

Unit 13: The Cold War: Nuclear Warfare and Proxy Wars: “Decolonization” – limited warfare returns?
Students will be able to generalize about the theories and technologies of nuclear war and weapons. Also the impact of insurgent movements in the post-WWII world.

Unit 14: Conflict: Terrorism and Asymmetry
To predict the impact of present conflict issues and technologies and their impact.