The course aims to offer an introduction to the study of war as a recurrent phenomenon of international politics, with a focus on recent crisis and their impact on the evolution of Defence systems and the posture of International Organizations.

The students will approach the study of war and conflict from a variety of different disciplines including history, politics, international relations, diplomacy and strategic studies. They will become familiar with the interconnections between Defense, Armed Forces Diplomacy, and Politics, acquiring analytical skills that will allow them to understand and critically discuss contemporary geopolitical phenomena.

The course will outline the main conceptual and theoretical tools of Defence in its international dimension, introducing the students to the evolution of Western strategic thought, with a focus on the main domains of warfare and presenting the major current strategic debates and their implications for military doctrines and international politics, in Western Countries and beyond.

Meijer, Hugo, and Marco Wyss. The Handbook of European Defence Policies and Armed Forces. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2018. Web Retter, Lucia et al. European Strategic Autonomy in Defence: Transatlantic Visions and Implications for NATO, US and EU Relations. Santa Monica, Calif: RAND Corporation, 2021. Web. Solis, Gary D. The Law of Armed Conflict : International Humanitarian Law in War. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2021 Kosal, Margaret E. Disruptive and Game Changing Technologies in Modern Warfare Development, Use, and Proliferation. Ed. Margaret E. Kosal. 1st ed. 2020. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. Web NATO’s “Strategic Concept for the Defence and Security of The Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization” Council of the European Union, A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, 21 March 2022

Traditional lectures, lectures by external experts and case studies

- paper on a topic agreed with the lecturer - 50% of the final grade - oral examination - 50% ppt presentation on assigned team work

active participation in the course, interest in the discipline, and good average grade in the final exam