10390 War and Strategy 1

Credits: 6 advanced credits in International Relations

Prerequisites: 36 credits, including Introduction to International Relations. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.

The course is based on War and Strategy by Yehoshafat Harkabi (in Hebrew) and a reader including articles in Hebrew and English, edited by Avi Segal. It acquaints the student with approaches to security, war, and strategy; analyzing them through a combination of theories, analytical approaches and historical sources.

Topics: War – definition of war; war in primitive and in developed societies; war and the world order; ethics and war; trends in the development of wars; wars in the modern era; terrorist and guerilla warfare; nuclear war; reasons and grounds for war – human nature, the state and the international system. Strategy – theory and doctrine; limited and total war; policy and strategy; national security; strategic difficulties and failures; victory in war and political arrangements. National and international security at the turn of the century – war becoming obsolete; globalization and mutual dependence; security regimes and defense communities.

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1Students may write a seminar paper in this course, although it is not required.