MAMS 520 - The American Way of War 3 hours

An examination of the American military with a focus on how the nation thinks about, prepares for, and conducts warfare. By emphasizing the interaction of the social and cultural factors that have shaped combat operations over four centuries, this course will examine how Americans organized state-sponsored violence to reflect the intertwined views of civilian leaders and military professionals. The advent of “total war” produced massive destruction, while the nation continued to confront asymmetrical threats. The cases examined throughout the course address the degree to which those responsible for national defense balanced the requirements of the armed forces across the spectrum of conflict.