Global History of Warfare

Wayne Lee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Historians are increasingly interested in the movement of ideas, goods, and even institutions from one society to another. "World" history has long been defined as the study of connections--connections often invisible when societies are examined only from within a national or even regional perspective. The point of doing world history is not merely to be comparative (examining, for example, feudalism in Japan compared to feudalism in Europe), but to explore the many ways that human societies are constantly responding to change around them, often change generated by activities of which they have no knowledge. Military phenomena are a crucial component of this story. Change or innovation by one society that proves more effective than its neighbors often produces a ripple effect in surrounding societies as they try to adapt to the changing threats. Change also can proceed along global lines of connection independent of a sense of threat. Exploring the process of global military interaction and response to innovation is complicated. Traditionally the field has been defined by the study of the movement of technology. But military historians are increasingly interested in the spread of ideas as well. This course will examine the broad sweep of human military experience on a global scale, focusing on innovations through the themes of precedent, connections, and legacy. We will not try to construct a single narrative of military experience, nor will we try to examine every society at every time. Although broadly inclusive of many times and places, we will follow several innovations in military practice as their implications careened around the globe.