C Strategic Studies – POLS 4730 521 Fletcher Argue

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL STUDIES
TERM : FALL 2012/WINTER 2013
SECTION
CREDIT HOURS: 6
COURSE TITLE: Strategic Studies – POLS 4730
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Marcus Souza
FORMAT: Lecture/Seminar
OFFICE LOCATION: 521 Fletcher Argue
TELEPHONE: (204) 474-7108
LOCATION OF CLASS: 503 Tier
EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
TIME OF CLASS: Thursdays from 14:30-17:25 p.m.
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. (or
by appointment)
COURSE CONTENT AND DESCRIPTION
This course deals with strategy as related to war and peace, with particular reference to the role, development
and use of military power as a strategic resource, and its impact on the international system. It covers some
basic notions of strategic studies, and then explores the tensions between the imperatives of security, the need
for international order and the quest for peace.
This course consists of a combination of lectures, seminars, and group discussions. By the end of the course, the
student is expected to: grasp the fundamentals of strategic theory and culture; understand the evolution of
modern warfare and the challenges posed by asymmetrical conflicts; perceive the interplay between law and
politics in the field of the use of force; comprehend the limits and challenges of the international regime of
control and non-proliferation of WMDs; understand the evolution of the debate on humanitarian intervention;
be able to analyze, interpret and evaluate strategic threats; improve her/his intellectual, social and transferable
skills.
REQUIRED READING
Baylis, John, James J. Wirtz, Eliot A. Cohen, and Colin S. Gray (eds). Strategy in the Contemporary World: An
Introduction to Strategic Studies. 3rd Edition. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2010.
COURSE OUTLINE
What follows is the course outline. No changes to it are expected, but should this occur due notice will be given.
The topics are organized in the expected order of consideration, but be advised that the study of each topic will
cover several classes. Readings are assigned for each topic, and students are strongly encouraged to prepare
properly for each class by reading the course materials indicated by the instructor.
1. Course Introduction
Baylis, Introduction (1-14).
2. Strategic Theory
Baylis, Chapter 3.
Clausewitz, Carl von. On War, Book I, Chapters 1-2, Book II, Chapter 2, Book III, Chapters 1-2.
Howard, Michael. Clausewitz – A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: OUP, 2002, 80p.
3. Strategic Culture
Baylis, Chapter 4.
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Kennan, George F. “The Sources of Soviet Conduct.”Foreign Affairs 25(4), (July 1947): 566–582.
4. Geography and Strategy
Baylis, Chapter 6.
Cohen, Saul. Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield:
2008, Chapters 1-3.
Kaplan, Robert D. “The Geography of Chinese Power.” Foreign Affairs (May/June 2010).
5. The Practice of Strategy
Baylis, Chapter 18.
6. Strategic Studies and its Critics
Baylis, Chapter 17.
7. Does Strategic Studies have a Future?
Baylis, Chapter 19.
8. The Causes of War and the Conditions of Peace
Baylis, Chapter 1.
Howard, Michael. The Invention of Peace: Reflections on War and International Order. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 2000), 113p.
8.1 Case study: World War I
Tuchman, Barbara. The Guns of August. New York: Macmillan, 1988, Chapters 1-3.
Van Evera, S. The Cult of the Offensive and the Origins of World War I. International Security, Summer
1984: 58-107.
Sagan, Scott D. “1914 Revisited: Allies, Offense, and Instability.” International Security 11(2), (Autumn
1986): 151–175.
Nye, Joseph. Understanding International Conflicts. New York: Pearson, 2009, 71-84, 97-106.
9. The Evolution of Modern Warfare
Baylis, Chapters 2 and 7.
Van Creveld, Martin. The Transformation Of War. New York: Free Press, 1991, Chapter VII.
Boot, Max and Jeane J. Kirkpatrick. “The Struggle to Transform the Military.” Foreign Affairs,
(March/April 2005).
Gates, Robert. “A Balanced Strategy-Reprogramming the Pentagon for a New Age.” Foreign Affairs,
(January/February 2009).
10. Law, Politics, and the Use of Force
Baylis, Chapter 5.
Roberts, Adam. “The Use of Force.” In The UN Security Council: from the Cold War to the 21st century,
edited by David Malone, 133-152. Colorado: Lynne R. Publ., 2004. (or Roberts, Adam and Dominik
Zaum. “Chapter One: The Inherent Selectivity of the Council's Roles,” Adelphi series, 47(395), (2007):
11-30).
11. Irregular Warfare: Terrorism and Insurgency
Baylis, Chapters 8 and 9.
Pape, Robert. “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism.” American Political Science Review 97(3)
(August 2003): 343-361.
Kydd, Andrew and Barbara Walter. “The Strategies of Terrorism.” International Security
31(1), (Summer 2001): 49-80.
Counterinsurgency. Washington DC, Headquarters, Department of the Army, 2006, FM 3-24.
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Rubin, Barnett and Ahmed Rashid. “From Great Game to Grand Bargain Ending Chaos in Afghanistan
and Pakistan.” Foreign Affairs 87(6), (Nov/Dec 2008): 30-44.
12. Nuclear Weapons in the Twenty-First Century
Baylis, Chapters 10.
Schulte, Gregory L. “Stopping Proliferation Before It Starts.” Foreign Affairs (July/August 2010).
12.1 Case Study: Nuclear proliferation and stability in South Asia
Sagan, Scott D. “The Perils of Proliferation: Organization Theory, Deterrence Theory, and the Spread of
Nuclear Weapons.” International Security 18(4) (Spring, 1994): 66-107.
Sagan, Scott D. “Nuclear Instability in South Asia.” In The Use of Force: Military Power and International
Politics, edited by Robert Art and Kenneth Waltz, Chapter 27. New York: Rowman & Littlefield
Publishers, 2009 (or International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues, 9/E, edited by
Robert Art and Robert Jervis. New York: Pearson, 2009, Part II)
Waltz, Kenneth. “Nuclear Stability in South Asia.” In The Use of Force: Military Power and International
Politics, edited by Robert Art and Kenneth Waltz, Chapter 28. New York: Rowman & Littlefield
Publishers, 2009 (or International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues, 9/E, edited by
Robert Art and Robert Jervis. New York: Pearson, 2009, Part II).
13. The Control of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Baylis, Chapter 11.
Koblentz, Gregory. “Biosecurity Reconsidered: Calibrating Biological Threats and Responses.”
International Security 34(4), (2010): 96-132.
14. Humanitarian Intervention and Peace Operations
Baylis, Chapter 15.
Doyle, Michael and Nicholas Sambanis. “The UN Record on Peacekeeping Operations.”
International Journal, (Summer 2007): 495-518.
International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, The Responsibility to Protect. Ottawa:
International Development Research Centre, 2001, 91p.
14.1 Case study: NATO’s intervention in Libya (2011)
Report of the International Commission of Inquiry to investigate all alleged violations of international
human rights law in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (A/HRC/17/44).
UNSC Resolutions 1970 (2011) and 1973 (2011).
15. Homeland Security: a new strategic paradigm?
Baylis, Chapter 14.
16. A New Agenda for Security and Strategy
Baylis, Chapters 16.
Additional reading material will be suggested during the course. Most reading materials are easily accessible
through University of Manitoba’s library resources (umanitoba.ca/libraries).
EVALUATION
There will be six means of evaluation:
(1) Group assignments: 1 Group Presentation, 1 Critical Review (20% of the final grade). In this course,
teamwork is extremely valued and considered an important tool which encourages active learning and develops
communication, social and decision-making skills. Be prepared to do collaborative work which will require your
active involvement and willingness to share information, proposals and ideas with your group colleagues, in an
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environment of mutual respect, tolerance and full academic freedom.
(2) One Discussion Paper (individual assignment, worth 25% of the final grade). Students are required to hand
in their papers at the beginning of class (if you decide to send it by email, the paper has to be submitted before
the beginning of class), on 14 March 2013, while keeping a copy that will be used during our in-class discussion
of the topic. Late submissions will be subject to a late penalty of 5% per day (weekends and holidays included).
Specific guidelines on what is expected from the discussion papers are found in the course web site.
(3) Group participation (5% of the final grade). This item should reflect the assessment by the other group
members regarding your participation in the group assignments (both graded and non-graded).
(4) Individual participation (5% of the final grade). This will be graded on the basis of active, relevant and
informed individual participation in class discussions.
(5) Midterm Exam (20% of the final grade). This in-class exam is scheduled to take place on 22 November 2012,
during regular class period.
(6) Final Exam (25% of the final grade). Date: TBA.
 Students are required by the Department to retain a copy of each assignment submitted to their
instructors.
 Students should acquaint themselves with the University’s policy on plagarism, academic fraud,
cheating, and examination impersonation (see the U of M Undergraduate Calendar 2012-2013). Those
are very serious offences, so you should be careful to follow the appropriate rules when producing a
written assignment.
 All students are expected to do their academic work on time. Late submissions will only be accepted if
justified by circumstances beyond the student’s control (e.g. illness, accident).
 The university recognizes the right of all students to observe recognized holidays of their faith, which
fall within the academic year. Necessary arrangements can be made to ensure studies are not
jeopardized. The instructor should be notified in advance of a student’s intended absence and at least
three week’s notice of absence should be given where special arrangements are sought.
 Students with special learning requirements should identify themselves to the instructor at the
beginning of the term in order to arrange suitable accommodation with Disability Services.
 Disruptions due to excessive talking or early departures from the classroom are especially distracting to
large classes. Please be considerate and respectful of the needs and rights of others in the class.
Students should be aware that persistent disruption may result in disbarment from the course. Any
student who has a legitimate reason for leaving class early should inform the instructor at the
beginning of class.
 Voluntary withdrawal deadline date March 20, 2013.
GRADE SYSTEM
Letter
Grade Point Value
Percentage
A+
4.5
90 to 100%
Exceptional
A
4.0
80-89%
Excellent
B+
3.5
75-79%
Very Good
B
3.0
70-74%
Good
C+
2.5
65-69%
Satisfactory
C
2.0
60-64%
Adequate
D
1.0
50-59%
Marginal
F
0
0-49%
Failure
4/4