War destroys, mutilates, ravages, and maims. War kills men, women,
children, animals, trees, societies, generations, even entire civilizations.
The technologies of war have clearly changed and will continue to change.
Yet war remains a fundamentally political phenomenon.  Conflict is the core
fact of political life at all levels, from the very local level of
organization in families and villages to arms limitations negotiations. As
an expression of international conflict, modern war is destructive on a
scale that makes natural disasters pale in comparison.
	These realities make war a worthy subject of study. Understanding
the political sources of war requires reference to multiple factors at
different levels of analysis, from the very personal motivations of
individuals to imperatives originating in the international environment.
This course draws from a mixed array of theories and approaches,
incorporating a broad survey as well as in-depth readings of two classic
works. This course is not a general survey of all wars, all twentieth
century wars, or even all wars in the last decade. Similarly, it is not a
comprehensive review of theories of wars. Instead, we will focus on four
"conflict case sets". Possibilities include World War I, the Vietnam
conflict, the Arab-Israeli wars, and the South Asian wars. Rather than
simply "learning history", we will critically evaluate specific theories in
light of actual wars.
	The prerequisite for this course is Y109 Intro to World Politics.
However, this can be waived if the student has a strong background in
international relations. Course requirements will include several brief 1-2
page memos and a final paper.