Bachelor of Arts in Military History

The purpose of this course is to prepare the student for upper-division course work, research, and writing based on historical methodologies such as quantification or paleography. It is designed to familiarize the student with what historians do and how they do it, and affords the student the opportunity to develop their own skills as a historian by interpreting and evaluating primary and secondary source material and presenting their findings in a written, properly referenced format.

This course is a survey of the changing patterns of warfare within Western civilization, to include analyses of principal military thinkers and the evolving relationship among Western societies, warfare, and their military institutions.

This course is a study of the American military institution from the colonial period to the current environment in the 21st century. Students will examine military traditions and employment of forces during war and peace as well as the relationships between the military and society. Recommended prerequisites are two lower level survey courses in U.S. or World History.

This course is a survey and discussion of warfighting during ancient times through to the beginning of the 17th century with emphasis on technological advances in the military arts and sciences and their short term and long term effects on strategy and tactics.

This course is a survey and discussion of warfighting from end of the 17th century until now, to include military arts and science as well as combined arms employment. Emphasizes the innovations and changes in strategy, tactics, organization and technology engendered by the decisions of the great captains of each age.

This course is a study of military leadership of ancient to present day commanders through selected readings. Emphasis will be on the burden of command and the various solutions that military leaders employed in the prosecution of war. Ancient and modern leadership will be examined, but the primary focus will be on the modern era. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is a study of basic concepts in military strategy and tactics viewed through the prism of the selected readings from well-known military philosophers. Both ancient and modern philosophers will be studied. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is a comprehensive survey of ancient and classical warfare (prehistory to c. AD 500) in Western Civilization from the origins of warfare in the Paleolithic period to the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century. The millennia under study in this course were a dynamic period in warfare, full of important discoveries and innovations in martial technologies, strategy, organization and combined-arms tactics, fortification, siege craft, and naval warfare. Students will read and analyze a wide variety of sources on ancient and classical warfare in Mesopotamia and the Near East (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Hittite, Assyrian and Persian), Egypt (Old, Middle and New Kingdom), Greece (Mycenaean, Archaic, Hellenic and Hellenistic) and Rome (Republican and Imperial) in order to develop an appreciation of the important contributions of these civilizations to the continuity of warfighting in the Western world. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course covers the history of warfare from the Spanish Armada in 1588 to the dawn of the French Revolutionary wars in the 1790s. The 17th and 18th centuries were an era in world history abound in continuous warfare. The militaries of Europe in particular were still primarily composed of mercenaries, politically and often militarily unreliable. Warfare in this era was not confined to the plains of Europe; the world’s oceans also played host to their own form of combat. The 17th and 18th centuries at sea began with Great Britain on the verge of invasion from the Spanish Armada to Great Britain becoming the unquestioned master of the ocean. Thus, the 17th and 18th centuries began in an aura of indecisiveness and closed awash in the destruction of “world” war. The evolution of warfare from the inconclusive to the decisive battle is explored in depth. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is a comprehensive study of European post-classical warfare from the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century to the integration of reliable gunpowder technologies at the beginning of the sixteenth century (c. 450 to c.1500 AD). Students will read and analyze a wide variety of sources on medieval warfare in order to develop an appreciation of the important contributions of the European Middle Ages to the continuity of warfighting in Western civilization. Contrary to popular belief, the millennium under study in this course was a dynamic period in warfare, full of important rediscoveries and innovations in fortification, siegecraft and combined-arms technology, organization and tactics, all of which allowed Europe to become the preeminent military power in the period after 1500 AD. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course examines the theory and practice of warfare in Europe from 1785 to 1870. It will emphasize the rise of Napoleon as a military leader, as a practitioner of the operational art, but will also examine his political, economic and legal impact on Europe as a whole. This course will focus on the wars of the French Revolution, Napoleon's northern Italian campaigns, his expedition to Egypt, his battles while leading the Grand Army at Austerlitz and Jena, and his march to Moscow where he led the largest army in European history to date. It will also cover the 1813 and 1814 campaigns, the reactions of Napoleon's enemies to his innovations in warfare, and his final defeat at Waterloo. The course then looks at the status of Europe in 1815 and the conditions which set the terms for the “Long Peace”. The course ends prior to the start of the wars of 1870 and the lessons learned. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

The French and Indian War, otherwise known as the Seven Years War, was fought in North America between the years 1754 and 1763. The British and their American colonists fought against the French and the Indians initially over territorial disputes of the Ohio River Valley. This resulted in one of the world’s first global wars, and consequently set the stage for the foundations of the American Revolution. This course will focus on the beginnings of the war, both domestic and international, military events, and the consequences of the war. Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only

This course examines the American Revolution from its antecedents to its legacy. The events leading to the revolt and the Declaration of Independence; the strategy and tactics of the war emphasizing the land campaigns; and the aftermath of war on the new Nation. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course examines the history of armed conflict between native peoples and European settlers in the "new world." This course will cover both eastern and western tribes. Methods and technology of warfare will receive emphasis. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course will focus on the “Second War of Independence.” The War of 1812 demonstrated that the United States of American was no longer dominated by the colonial powers. It showed Europe that we could defeat the British along the eastern coast, invade British controlled Canada, and defeat the British Navy both in the Atlantic and the Great Lakes. Topics also include the role of Native Americans in the war, plus how involvement led to the nation’s rapid westward expansion and the future of our military forces. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course examines the Mexican War. Students will gain an understanding of the three major campaigns, the battles, the terrain, the leaders, and the soldiers that all made up the American experience in Mexico. Along with spreading the concept of Manifest Destiny, it served as a training ground for many great leaders of the American Civil War and propelled a general into the presidency. However, today the American Civil War totally eclipses the Mexican War, yet the war expanded American frontiers. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course has been designed to provide students with an in-depth study of the military, political, economic, social, and cultural forces that shaped the direction and outcomes of the American Civil War. From the turbulent decade of the 1850’s through the initial outbreak at Ft. Sumter; from Bull Run and Shiloh to Nashville and Appomattox; military grand strategy, the roles of individual soldiers and civilians, and the aftermath of the war and its effects on the American character will be examined. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course explores North American history from the dawn of the British colonization of North America to the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, which sparked subsequent British Colonial Policy and thus set into motion the events leading to American Revolution in 1775. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

The Early Republic, 1783-1815 examines the development of American political, social, and cultural institutions during the formative years of the new Republic. Through a study of the primary and secondary literature of American history this course surveys the individuals and groups who influenced the American experience, as well as the cultural, political, and socio-economic movements that shaped the nation. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

Jacksonian America, 1815-1846 examines the nature of Jacksonian democracy and its treatment in American historiography. Through a study of the primary and secondary literature of American history this course surveys the individuals and groups who influenced the American experience, as well as the cultural, political, and socio-economic movements that shaped the nation. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

Antebellum America, 1846-1861 examines the divisive political, social, and economic forces which intensified in the 1840s and culminated in the Civil War. Through a study of the primary and secondary literature of American history this course surveys the individuals and groups who influenced the American experience, as well as the cultural, political, and socio-economic movements that shaped the nation. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877 examines the wartime problems of the Union and Confederacy, as well as the consequences of the war and the postwar efforts to create a new Union. Through a study of the primary and secondary literature of American history this course surveys the individuals and groups who influenced the American experience, as well as the cultural, military, political, and socio-economic movements that shaped the nation. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is a comprehensive international study of the struggles between and among states, beginning with ancient times and ending with the Congress of Vienna, and of the relationship between diplomacy and war in pursuing national objectives. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is a comprehensive international study of the struggles between and among states, beginning with the restructuring of Europe after the Congress of Vienna and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and of the relationship between diplomacy and war in pursuing national objectives. (Prerequisite: MILH411/MH353). (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

Pre Reqs: Diplomacy and War I(MILH411)

This course examines the overall evolution and functioning of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) during the Cold War period. Emphasis is on the significance of individual peacekeeping missions, including their background, functioning, military operations, and end result. The origins and evolution of UN peacekeeping are explained in military, diplomatic, and political terms. This course describes how superpower conflicts shaped both the direction and scope of UN PKOs. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).(Students eligible for certificate from the UN upon completion of this course).

This course examines the strategy, operations, evolution, and functions of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) from the end of the Cold War to the present. Emphasis is on the significance of individual peacekeeping missions, including their background, functioning, military operations, and end result. While the United Nations peacekeeping operations are studied in detail, other forms of peacekeeping are presented as well. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only). (Students eligible for certificate from the UN upon completion of this course).

This course is a study of the role of naval warfare in the development of the art of war at sea. It starts with the age of galley warfare and continues through the age of sail. The topics include the impact of propulsion improvements and technological advances in weapon systems and ends with the impact of nuclear power and missiles on naval warfare. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

Warfare is inherently spatial in nature. People strive for the control of places using military art and science. The geographer’s study of the location and distribution of features on the Earth’s surface is central to this endeavor. These features are both natural and man-made, both physically and culturally determined. The effects of geographic factors on the planning, preparation, and conduct of military operations are the focus of this course.

This course explores the origins of modern maneuver warfare theory, teaches its fundamental tenets, and examines the ramifications on military unit tactics, training, organization, doctrine, and command philosophy. Students practice application of maneuver warfare in ground, air, and naval "Tactical Decision Games" and analyze historical conflicts from a maneuver warfare perspective. The course finishes with discussions of current maneuver warfare controversies. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course addresses the contemporary special operations strategy and tactics used in U.S. and foreign special operations units. Students address the implementation of foreign/national security policy objectives and learn specific strategies and tactics to achieve national objectives. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course examines the strategic, operational, and tactical aspects of asymmetric warfare throughout history. Defined as a form of warfare that differs significantly from traditional conflict, asymmetric warfare is a tool of weaker and less resourced non state actors who seek parity with state's military power. Non state actors resort to asymmetric warfare to offset their obvious lack of conventional military power base and capacity. Moreover, signs and methods of asymmetric warfare are found in all facets of unconventional warfare - terrorism, insurgency, revolution, guerilla war, and irregular war - throughout history. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course examines the national security challenges for the United States. It will encompass the internal security framework, organizations and stakeholders as well as the concept of ''power'' in relation to national security decision making and our national interests. Students will review the changing security environment include Russia, East Asia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Europe. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is a one-time offering on an area of special interest and may be applied to fulfill major course requirements or electives (with permission of the Department Chair). (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

An opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Course is open to History majors only. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. To be eligible for an independent study, students must be enrolled in a bachelors degree program, must have completed 24 hours at APUS toward their current degree program, and should have already contacted a professor and gained approval for the independent study topic. Once these conditions are met the student should contact his/her student advisor. Once the course is open the student must complete an official online registration for the course. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course addresses the inseparable connection between warfighting and society. It examines societal advances that have significantly influenced the military strategy and tactics as well as political, economic, and technological changes during wartime. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is a study of major themes and ideas regarding the future of warfare. Emphasis is on historical trends and departures that might provide clues into wars of the future. Students evaluate and analyze contemporary assessments and explore military analysis and recent military historical trends to forecast the nature of future war. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).

This course is designed to provide a solid foundation for undergraduate study in the online environment. Students will be introduced to learning theory, the tools available in the online classroom and campus, and online research. Identification of personal learning style allows students to improve their study/learning techniques and prepares them to succeed in college level courses. Students will be introduced to formatting and citation styles. APUS policy and procedure is addressed. There is an emphasis on written communication to assist students in the transition to the online environment.

The Senior Seminar in Military History is designed to integrate the student's past work in their major field of study and to review as well as strengthen their understanding of their focus area in military history. After a review of the student’s academic experience, the student and professor will design a course of study to complete the student’s preparation for research and writing a major paper in their field of interest. This is a capstone course to be taken after all other Military History courses have been satisfactorily completed. Student must have SENIOR standing to register. (Prerequisite - HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only).