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Overview

Through a series of case studies we explore how war has transformed the modern world. Themes include imperialism and colonial wars, war and nationalism, genocide, and war and memory.

This paper examines the changing nature of warfare and its economic, political and cultural consequences in Western and non-Western societies during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We aim to understand why the period from about 1850 to 2000 was the most belligerent in human history.

About this paper

Paper title War and the Modern World
Subject History
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2026 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,103.10
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Prerequisite
One 100-level HIST paper or 54 points
Schedule C
Arts and Music
Contact

Associate Professor John Stenhouse - john.stenhouse@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Co-ordinator: Associate Professor John Stenhouse

Lecturers:

Associate Professor Miranda Johnson

Professor Takashi Shogimen

Associate Professor John Stenhouse

Textbooks

Highly Recommended: Charles Townshend, ed., The Oxford Illustrated History of Modern War(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997).

Roger Chickering et al., eds, The Cambridge History of War Volume 4: War and the Modern World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012) eBook.

Additional sources will be made available to students via Blackboard.

Course outline

Available via Blackboard.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will gain an historical understanding of how and why warfare has shaped economic, political and cultural life in the modern world. They will also learn how to engage critically with secondary literature and assess diverse historical interpretations.

Overview

Through a series of case studies we explore how war has transformed the modern world. Themes include imperialism and colonial wars, war and nationalism, genocide, and war and memory.

This paper examines the changing nature of warfare and its economic, political and cultural consequences in Western and non-Western societies during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We aim to understand why the period from about 1850 to 2000 was the most belligerent in human history.

About this paper

Paper title War and the Modern World
Subject History
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2027 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Prerequisite
One 100-level HIST paper or 54 points
Schedule C
Arts and Music
Contact

Associate Professor John Stenhouse: john.stenhouse@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Co-ordinator: Professor John Stenhouse

Lecturers:

Associate Professor Miranda Johnson

Professor Takashi Shogimen

Professor John Stenhouse

Textbooks
  • Highly Recommended: Charles Townshend, ed., The Oxford Illustrated History of Modern War(New York: Oxford University Press, 1997).
  • Roger Chickering et al., eds, The Cambridge History of War Volume 4: War and the Modern World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012) eBook.

Additional sources will be made available to students via Aoroa.

Course outline

Available via Aoroa.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will gain an historical understanding of how and why warfare has shaped economic, political and cultural life in the modern world. They will also learn how to engage critically with secondary literature and assess diverse historical interpretations.

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