Military Power and Modern Warfare: An Introduction to War Studies

In an uncertain era marked by turbulent international relations and conflict, we need to understand the contemporary use of military power.

The course aims to enhance your understanding of how different armed actors use military power to achieve political and strategic objectives within the framework of contemporary warfare.

What does the course lead to?

The course provides insight into the use of military power—primarily in the form of various military operations—in current inter-state conflicts and civil wars. You will have the opportunity to engage in depth with a number of case studies focusing on contemporary inter-state conflicts and civil wars. This structure gives you a basic understanding of key theoretical perspectives in war studies and how these approaches can help us explain the use of different military interventions in today’s conflicts.

Structure of the course

The course combines online lectures, web-based seminars and written seminar assignments to provide students with opportunities to develop their analytical skills in examining how states and non-state actors use military means to achieve strategic and political objectives. Through active participation in the course and independent study, students enhance their ability to identify the various conditions shaping, and consequences arising from, the use of military power in today’s conflicts.