Military Strategy – from Classical Theories to Modern Concepts
Course content
This course will introduce the many different theories within military strategy. It will start out with the classical work of, Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Mahan, Douhet up to more contemporary work. It will furthermore introduce the concept of strategic culture and strategic environment.
It will present the different strategic levels within strategy from military operation to national security strategy. In will give an insight in the different national strategies of Russia, USA and China and how they have been formulated within strategic methodology, history and culture.
Full-degree students enrolled at the Department of Political Science, UCPH
- MSc in Political Science
- MSc in Social Science
- MSc in Security Risk Management
- Bachelor in Political Science
Full-degree students enrolled at the Faculty of Social Science, UCPH
- To be informed
The course is open to:
- Exchange and Guest students from abroad
- Credit students from Danish Universities
- Open University students
Knowledge:
- Understand theories within military strategy from classical theories to modern works
- Understand the different levels of strategy from single arms and joint strategy to national security strategies
- Understand the process of strategizing.
- Have a higher awareness of the contemporary national security strategies of the US, China and Russia.
Skills:
On the basis of strategic theories and methodology
- Able to critically analyze an international strategic setting.
- Able to analyze a military strategy in its components and reflect critically about the limitation of military strategy
- Reflect on the importance and implications of classical strategic theories on today’s national security strategies.
Competences:
- Able to advice on basic military strategic terms, within the
following fields
- Land, air, maritime and joint strategy
- Nuclear strategy
- Cyber strategy
- Strategy on counterterrorism and irregular warfare
- Formulate a military strategic within the terms ends-ways-means- risks and assumptions.
Theories will be presented through oral lectures. Case studies will be done as group assignment on how to understand strategy. Student should expect to present to each other during certain lectures presenting and analyzing different national security strategies and theories.
Alberque W.(2024) “Russian Military Thought and Doctrine Related to Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons: Change and Continuity” IISS, pp. 1-33, https://www.iiss.org/globalassets/media-library---content--migration/files/research-papers/2024/01/iiss_russian-military-thought-and-doctrine-related-to-non-strategic-nuclear-weapons_012024.pdf
Baylis J. & Wirtz J. (2019), “Strategy in the Contemporary World”, in: Baylis, Wirtz & Gray (eds.), Strategy in the Contemporary World, Oxford University Press, pp. 1-15.
von Clausewitz C.(1909) , On War, The Project Gutenberg EBook, chapter 1 and 2 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1946/1946-h/1946-h.htm (30 pages)
Corbett, J.S(1911), Some Principles of Maritime Strategy, The Project Gutenberg EBook, pp. 91-152 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15076/15076-h/15076-h.htm
Cohen, R. S(2017). Air Force Strategic Planning: Past, Present, and Future, RAND, pp 1-56 https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1765.html
Eun, Y and Aßmann J.S.(2016). “Cyberwar: Taking Stock of Security and Warfare in the Digital Age.” International Studies Perspectives 17.3 pp. 343-360.
Evans, C. V.(2020) "Future Warfare: Weaponizing Critical Infrastructure." The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters 50.2, pp.35-42. https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters/vol50/iss2/6/
Heuser, B. (2010), “What is Strategy” in Heuser, B, The Evolution of Strategy: thinking war from antiquity to the present, Cambridge University Press, pp 3-36
Heuser, B. (2010), “Four Schools of Air Power” in Heuser, B, The Evolution of Strategy: thinking war from antiquity to the present, Cambridge University Press, pp 313-350.
Heuser, B. (2010), “Nuclear Strategy” in Heuser, B., The Evolution of Strategy: thinking war from antiquity to the present, Cambridge University Press, pp 351-384.
Lantis J. & Howlett D. (2019), “Strategic Culture”, in: Baylis, Wirtz & Gray (eds.), Strategy in the Contemporary World, Oxford University Press, pp. 89-107.
de Jomini, Henri(2004) ,The Art of War, ( The Project Gutenberg EBook),
pp.13-15 and pp. 66-91 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/13549/13549-h/13549-h.htm
Le Miére, C. (2014), Maritime diplomacy in the 21st Century, Routledge, pp. 6-28
Liddell Hart, B.H(1991), The Classic Book on Military Strategy, Penguin Books, pp. 319-371 https://archive.org/details/strategy-b.-h.-liddell-hart/mode/2up?view=theater
Lykke Jr., Arthur F. (2001). “Toward an Understanding of Military Strategy” in U.S Army Guide to Strategy, USAWC Press, pp. 179-184. https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=monographs
Mahan, A.(2007), The Influence of Sea Power Upon History 1660-1783 (The Project Gutenberg EBook), pp. 25-67, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/13529/13529-h/13529-h.htm
Ornelas T.A.” China’s active Defence Strategy” Marine Corps Gazette (2021) pp. 57-62, http://www.mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/57-Chinas-Active-Defense-Military-Strategy.pdf
Riber J.(2024), “Reconceptualization of strategic culture. Leaving the generational separation behind” (conference paper) pp 1- 24
Riber J.(2022), “ Russia’s Twenty-First-Century Naval Strategy—Combining Admiral Gorshkov with the Jeune École” Naval War College Review: Vol. 75: No. 3, Article 6. https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol75/iss3/6/
Roy K.(2022), Modern insurgencies and counterinsurgencies, chapter 8 and 9, Routledge , 40 pp
Strachan, H. (2013), Tthe Direction of War: Contemporary Strategy in Historical Perspective, Cambridge University Press, 200 pp
Silove, N. (2018). “Beyond the Buzzword: The Three Meanings of “Grand Strategy” Security Studies 27(1): pp. 27-57.
Till, Geoffrey (2018), Sea Power. A Guide for the twenty-first century 4th edition pp. 110-143 and 306-331
Tse-tung(1989), Mao, On Guerilla Warfare, U.S. Marine Corps, 60 pp. https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/FMFRP%2012-18%20%20Mao%20Tse-tung%20on%20Guerrilla%20Warfare.pdf
Tzu, Sun (2000), The Art of War, Allandale Online Publishing, pp 1-11
https://sites.ualberta.ca/~enoch/Readings/The_Art_Of_War.pdf
Yarger H. (2008), Strategy and the National Security Professional, Prager, pp. 135-157
US Department of Defence “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2023 – Annual report to congress”, Department of Defense, pp. 1-47 https://media.defense.gov/2023/Oct/19/2003323409/-1/-1/1/2023-MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA.PDF
When registered you will be signed up for exam.
- Full-degree students – sign up at Selfservice on KUnet
- Exchange and guest students from abroad – sign up through Mobility Online and Selfservice
- Credit students from Danish universities - sign up through this website.
- Open University students - sign up through this website.
The dates for the exams are found here Exams – Faculty of Social Sciences - University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Please note that it is your own responsibility to check for overlapping exam dates.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Free written assignment
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Re-exam
-
- In the semester where the course takes place: Free written assignment
- In subsequent semesters: Free written assignment
Criteria for exam assessment
Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 28
- English
- 28
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- ASTK18464U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
Bachelor
- Duration
-
1 semester
- Placement
- Spring
- Price
-
http://polsci.ku.dk/uddannelser/eftervidereuddannelse/aabent_universitet/
- Studyboard
- Department of Political Science, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Political Science
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Johannes Riber (3-6d7275436c6976316e7831676e)
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