This course offers an integrated treatment of the main features of strategy. It is designed to help students develop strong analytical frameworks for understanding how military operations contribute to achieving political objectives.  In that sense, the course links courses on Australia’s strategic policy and environment to subsequent courses on the operational art and the conduct of military operations.  The course will examine influential theorists in their historical context.  Separate sessions will examine how geography and nuclear weapons condition strategic behaviour.  The influence of international law and ethics of war on the use of force, and the interface between military high command and political leadership in war and peace, will also be major themes.  The course concludes with a discussion of major historical case studies, which students will have researched as part of their tutorial work throughout the course, and which illuminate the relationship between major themes of the course in particular historical contexts.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the fundamentals of the major concepts on how military operations can achieve political goals;
2. Understand the making of strategy and identify the role which the nature of political objectives, geostrategic location, strategic culture, and law and ethics have on determining strategic approaches;
3. Understand the application of concepts of strategy to historic, current and hypothetical situations;
4. Critically evaluate arguments on strategy and their practical relevance;
5. Express themselves clearly and eloquently in a variety of formats, including verbal and written;
6. Function effectively as part of a small group conducting the activities.

Student Participation (10%), Short Assignment (20%), Reflective Journal (30%). Take-home Examination (40%)

Students undertaking this course could expect a workload of 10 hours per week.  This is inclusive of actual contact hours for lectures and also out of class preparation time.

Students can only enrol in this course if enrolled in one of the following programs:

 6827XGCMS

 6826XGDMS

 7827XMMS

 7826XMAMS

None

Core reading materials will be available as an e-brick.