This is the second course of Specialisation 7: Conflict, Violence and Security.
(English track International Relations/History).
Barbarian and cowardly – these words are often used to describe the acts committed by IS in Syria, Iraq and beyond. It is said that the military techniques employed by jihadists are in no way comparable to prior forms of political violence, and that they have completely discarded the rules of regular warfare. But is there such a thing as ‘regular warfare’? Or is the concept of an orderly ‘western way of war’ merely an idealistic one, even in the west?
Using historical case studies from modern history – ranging from irregular warfare in the Ottoman Balkans to the conflicts in the modern-day Middle East – students conduct an in-depth study of the role played by war in historiography, conceptualisation and identity. They learn to historicise and criticise the common view of warfare by also examining non-standard forms of organised violence, such as banditry, guerilla warfare, ethnic violence and terrorism.
Soldiers, Guerillas, Terrorists enables students to practise working with historical source materials at a more advanced level, with an emphasis on conducting independent research. Under the supervision of a lecturer, students learn to determine a personal stance in existing historical debates, and to contribute to increasing our knowledge and understanding of the historical backgrounds underlying modern issues. Students choose their research topic from a list of suggested topic areas, learn to demarcate their research, to formulate their research question(s) and to relate this to specific introductory literature.
Early Exit option (5 ECTS)
Exchange students who are required to return to their home university before January, are allowed to choose an Early Exit option for this course. The Early Exit option means that students can finish the course before Christmas break, receiving 5 ECTS for the course. Students must make arrangements with the course coordinator at the start of the course.
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