Strategic Studies
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The Strategic Studies course aims to provide the necessary elements to understand the nature and logic of war as a permanent phenomenon of international political reality. Firstly, the course intends to focus on the fundamental concepts of Strategy, understood as the "link" between the political interests of the actors operating in the international arena and the use of military force; more specifically, the "spectrum" of use of military force will be defined (the deterrence/compellence/war continuum), the levels of application of military force (tactical, operational, strategic) and the main dimensions of the Strategy (technological, logistical , social, operational). Secondly, the dialectic between military practice and strategic theory in the contemporary age will be reconstructed, analyzing the mutual influences between the theoretical level and that of military action from the Napoleonic wars to the present day. Thirdly, the fundamental directions of the evolution of strategic theory and practice after the end of the Cold War will be examined (with particular attention to the debate on the so-called "Military Affairs Revolution", the rebirth of the doctrines of independent air power, the phenomenon of nuclear proliferation and the re-emergence of irregular forms of strategy (guerrilla warfare, terrorism).
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student must be able to understand the military dimension of international relations and the logic of strategic action of the subjects of international politics. They will also have learned to distinguish between the different levels of use of military force (tactical and strategic), to master the concepts of deterrence, to identify the salient dimensions of war (logistics, technological, operational, social), to focus on the interaction between the different geo-strategic arenas of war (land, sea, air, cyberspace) and also to grasp the specificities of regular, irregular and hybrid warfare.
Understanding the strategic dimension will constitute a precious enrichment of the wealth of knowledge acquired by students in the framework of the teaching of International Relations and will significantly increase their ability to read and interpret international political reality, to the benefit of the continuation of their studies or of the professional path undertaken in an international context.
Understanding the strategic dimension will constitute a precious enrichment of the wealth of knowledge acquired by students in the framework of the teaching of International Relations and will significantly increase their ability to read and interpret international political reality, to the benefit of the continuation of their studies or of the professional path undertaken in an international context.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
- Fundamental concepts of strategy
- The relationship between war and politics
- The levels of application of military force (tactical, operational, strategic), the principal dimensions of warfare (technological, logistic, social, operative), and the "spectre" of the use of military force (war proper-compellence-deterrence).
- Napoleon and birth of modern strategy
- Napoleon and the evolution of military thought: Jomini and Clausewitz
- First World War and the crisis of the Napoleonic paradigm
- Liddell Hart and the indirect approach
- Naval Strategy
- Air Strategy
- Nuclear Strategy
- Irregular Warfare
- Strategic thought and military practice after the End of the Cold War (cybwerwar, hybrid war, strategic air power)
- The relationship between war and politics
- The levels of application of military force (tactical, operational, strategic), the principal dimensions of warfare (technological, logistic, social, operative), and the "spectre" of the use of military force (war proper-compellence-deterrence).
- Napoleon and birth of modern strategy
- Napoleon and the evolution of military thought: Jomini and Clausewitz
- First World War and the crisis of the Napoleonic paradigm
- Liddell Hart and the indirect approach
- Naval Strategy
- Air Strategy
- Nuclear Strategy
- Irregular Warfare
- Strategic thought and military practice after the End of the Cold War (cybwerwar, hybrid war, strategic air power)
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knowledge of International Relations and Contemporary history is presumed
Teaching methods
Lectures
Teaching Resources
Attending students:
Lecture notes
P. Paret (a cura di), Guerra e strategia nell'età contemporanea, Marietti, Genova-Milano, 1992
- C. Stefanachi, 'Guerra indolore'. Dottrine, illusioni e retoriche della guerra limitata, Vita e Pensiero, Milano, 2011
One text of student's choice among the following:
- K. Von Clausewitz, Della guerra (ed.ridotta), Einaudi, Torino, 2000
- B. Liddell Hart, Paride o il futuro della guerra, Libreria Editrice Goriziana, Gorizia, 2007
- G. Douhet, Il dominio dell'aria, in Il domino dell'aria e altri saggi, Aeronautica Militare, Ufficio Storico, Roma, 2002, pp.5-171
- S. Biddle, J.A. Friedmanm The 2006 Lebanon Campaign and the Future of Warfare: Implications for Army and Defense Policy, USAWC Press, 2008
- M. Galeotti, Russian Political War. Moving Beyond the Hybrid, Routledge, 2019.
- J. Arquilla, Bitskrieg. The New Challenhe of Cyberwarfare, Polity Press, 2021.
Not attending students:
- P. Paret (a cura di), Guerra e strategia nell'età contemporanea, Marietti, Genova-Milano, 1992
- C. Stefanachi, 'Guerra indolore'. Dottrine, illusioni e retoriche della guerra limitata, Vita e Pensiero, Milano, 2011
- G. Breccia, L'arte della guerriglia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2013
One text of students' choice among the following:
- K. Von Clausewitz, Della guerra (ed.ridotta), Einaudi, Torino, 2000
- B. Liddell Hart, Paride o il futuro della guerra, Libreria Editrice Goriziana, Gorizia, 2007
- G. Douhet, Il dominio dell'aria, in Il domino dell'aria e altri saggi, Aeronautica Militare, Ufficio Storico, Roma, 2002, pp.5-171
- S. Biddle, J.A. Friedmanm The 2006 Lebanon Campaign and the Future of Warfare: Implications for Army and Defense Policy, USAWC Press, 2008
- M. Galeotti, Russian Political War. Moving Beyond the Hybrid, Routledge, 2019.
- J. Arquilla, Bitskrieg. The New Challenhe of Cyberwarfare, Polity Press, 2021.
Lecture notes
P. Paret (a cura di), Guerra e strategia nell'età contemporanea, Marietti, Genova-Milano, 1992
- C. Stefanachi, 'Guerra indolore'. Dottrine, illusioni e retoriche della guerra limitata, Vita e Pensiero, Milano, 2011
One text of student's choice among the following:
- K. Von Clausewitz, Della guerra (ed.ridotta), Einaudi, Torino, 2000
- B. Liddell Hart, Paride o il futuro della guerra, Libreria Editrice Goriziana, Gorizia, 2007
- G. Douhet, Il dominio dell'aria, in Il domino dell'aria e altri saggi, Aeronautica Militare, Ufficio Storico, Roma, 2002, pp.5-171
- S. Biddle, J.A. Friedmanm The 2006 Lebanon Campaign and the Future of Warfare: Implications for Army and Defense Policy, USAWC Press, 2008
- M. Galeotti, Russian Political War. Moving Beyond the Hybrid, Routledge, 2019.
- J. Arquilla, Bitskrieg. The New Challenhe of Cyberwarfare, Polity Press, 2021.
Not attending students:
- P. Paret (a cura di), Guerra e strategia nell'età contemporanea, Marietti, Genova-Milano, 1992
- C. Stefanachi, 'Guerra indolore'. Dottrine, illusioni e retoriche della guerra limitata, Vita e Pensiero, Milano, 2011
- G. Breccia, L'arte della guerriglia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2013
One text of students' choice among the following:
- K. Von Clausewitz, Della guerra (ed.ridotta), Einaudi, Torino, 2000
- B. Liddell Hart, Paride o il futuro della guerra, Libreria Editrice Goriziana, Gorizia, 2007
- G. Douhet, Il dominio dell'aria, in Il domino dell'aria e altri saggi, Aeronautica Militare, Ufficio Storico, Roma, 2002, pp.5-171
- S. Biddle, J.A. Friedmanm The 2006 Lebanon Campaign and the Future of Warfare: Implications for Army and Defense Policy, USAWC Press, 2008
- M. Galeotti, Russian Political War. Moving Beyond the Hybrid, Routledge, 2019.
- J. Arquilla, Bitskrieg. The New Challenhe of Cyberwarfare, Polity Press, 2021.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final evaluation is based on an oral examination to test the students' ability to present the fundamental concepts of strategy, their knowledge of the classics of strategic thought and of military history. The examination consist of an interview based on 3-4 questions.
Modulo
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Modulo
SPS/04 - POLITICAL SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)