OVERVIEW

The course aims at providing students with basic knowledge on strategic studies. The course

Illustrates the relationship between war and politics through the study of strategic thinking and of conflicts, from Napoleon to Ukraine. Different ways and dynamics of using forces will be examining, focusing on key-moments and theories. A specific attention will be devoted to the interaction between democracy and war.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• The module aims at providing basic knowledge on strategic thinking; 
• The module aims at providing a comprehensive conceptual toolkit to understand the evolution of war;
• The module will illustrate the debate over the interaction between politics and war, as well as between peace and war;
• The module aims to provide students the proper tools to understand the complexity of strategic studies, also through active learning and role-playing

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

By attending the module and its activities the students will:

• Acquire the basic knowledge to understand the evolution of war 
• Describe the main features of war, from modern age till today 
• Understand the complex interaction between politics and war
• Understand the different theories and approaches in strategic studies
• Know and understand the perspective of the peace research
• Understand how research centres, institutions, and other actors practically deal with security studies
• Analyse report, scientific papers, official docs on security studies
• Present papers and documents in the classroom, also through simulation and role-playing

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching activities will be based also on active learning and seminars with experts on the field of security studies in order to foster debates and a constant involvement of students. Movies, blogs, papers will be adopted. 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will focus on

• War and strategic thinking from Machiavelli di Napoleon
• Clausewitz;
• Industrial Revoluzion and War
• WWI and WWII
• Nuclear deterrence and the Cold War
• The evolution of the strategic thinking. Peace Research;
• Conclusion: From revolutionary war to the Revolution in Military Affairs.  (RMA).

Focus:

• US military operations in Vietnam and Afghanistan
• The war in Ukraine (2022)

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Compulsory texts

Selected chapters of: Paret, P. (a cura di) (2007) Guerra e strategia nell'età contemporanea, Genova. Marietti.

Selected chapters of: Giacomello, G. e Badialetti G. (2016), Manuale di studi strategici, Milano: Vita e Pensiero

Selected chapters of: Panebianco A. (a cura di) (2021) Democrazia e Sicurezza, Bologna: Il Mulino.

Additional (non-compulsory) texts 

Bianchi, P. e Del Negro, P. (2021) Guerra ed eserciti nell’età moderna. Bologna: Il Mulino.  

Bonanate, L. (1998). La guerra. Roma-Bari: Laterza

Brighi E., Chiaruzzi, M. (2009) “Per un lessico della politica: pace e Guerra”, Rivista italiana di scienza politica, XXXIX, numero 1, 2009, pp. 113-129

Catanzaro A., Coticchia F., (2018) "Al di là dell'Arcobaleno. I movimenti pacifisti italiani tra ideologie e contro-narrazioni strategiche’”, A. Catanzaro and F.Coticchia, Milano, Vita e Pensiero (2018), 

K. Von Clausewitz, Della guerra (ed.ridotta), Einaudi, Torino, 2000 

Colombo, A. (2012), “Guerra e discontinuità nelle relazioni internazionali. Il dibattito sul declino della guerra e i suoi limiti”, Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica, 3, 2012, pp. 431-457.

Colombo, A. (2006). La guerra ineguale. Bologna: Il Mulino

Coticchia, F. (2014) “La guerra che non c’era. Opinione pubblica e interventi militari italiani dall'Afghanistan alla Libia”, Milano, UBE Egea.

Coticchia, F. (2020) “La Politica di Difesa”, in G.Capano e A.Natalini, Le politiche pubbliche in Italia, 77-94, Il Mulino.

Del Negro, P. (2001). Guerra ed eserciti da Machiavelli a Napoleone. Bari-Roma: Laterza

Galtung, J. (2011), Affrontare il conflitto. Trascendere e trasformare. Pisa Università Press

Howard, M. (2001) “L’invenzione della pace. Guerra e Relazioni Internazionali”. Bologna: Il Mulino

Keegan, J. (1993) La grande storia della guerra. Milano: Mondadori

Machiavelli, N. (edizione 1995) Il Principe. Garzanti.

Sipri - Rapporto Annuale (Sommario)

Smith, R. (2009) L'arte della guerra nel mondo contemporaneo. Bologna: Il Mulino.

Altro materiale

Documentari: Burns, K. And Novick, L. “The Vietnam War”, PBS, 2017

Riviste. (Per esempio alcuni articoli ne “Rivista IL Mulino, 2/2022”, “L’Italia nella Bufera”)

In English: Freedman, L. Strategy. A history. Oxford. Oxford University Press;

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

FABRIZIO COTICCHIA (President)

GIAMPIERO CAMA

FABIO MAINA (Substitute)

MATTEO MAZZIOTTI DI CELSO (Substitute)

JEAN-MARIE REURE (Substitute)

MARGHERITA SALVIA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First Semester - October 2023

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Students have the possibility to obtain additional points by presenting in classes scientific papers or also describing movies and TV series related to security studies. The (oral) exam will assess the acquired knowledge in the field of security studies, evaluation the students’ skills in addressing specific security studies.

The exam allows assessing the student’s capability in interpreting different security scenarios and actors.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam allows assessing the student’s capability in interpreting different security scenarios and actors.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

The course contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda 2030:

Goal 4: Quality Education

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

 “Si consigliano gli studenti con certificazione di DSA, di disabilità o di altri bisogni educativi speciali di contattare sia il referente Prof. Aristide Canepa (aristide.canepa@unige.it), sia il docente, all’inizio del corso, per concordare modalità didattiche e d’esame che, nel rispetto degli obiettivi dell’insegnamento, tengano conto delle modalità di apprendimento individuali e forniscano idonei strumenti compensativi”.