Syllabus
History 102H
War and History
Spring 2012
Professor Andrew Wiest
Office: Liberal Arts 450
Phone: 266-5076
Email: andrew.wiest@usm.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-12:00 or by appointment
Objective – The course is designed to look at some of the most important events of the second
half of world history through the lens of modern conflict. War is often the harbinger of great
change, and the class will not provide the “movie” of modern history, but will instead provide
detailed “snapshots” of critical moments in modern history.
Nature of the course – By necessity the course will be lecture based – but since we are a small
class I will also rely on readings, class discussions and fieldtrips to augment the classroom
learning experience. Participation in the fieldtrips is a requirement of the course. Classroom
participation will make up 10% of your final grade.
Writing –Students will read John Ellis’ Eye-Deep in Hell and Bernard Edelman’s Dear America,
Letters Home from Vietnam, and produce review essays on the books. The average of the two
essays will make up 20% of your final grade.
Testing – Students will take two mid terms and a final based on the readings and classroom
notes. The midterms will count for 20% of your final grade each, while the final will count for
30% of your final grade. The tests will consist of short answer and essay questions.
Office Hours -- Professor Wiest is located in office 450 on the fourth floor of the Liberal Arts
Building. His office hours for the spring semester 2012 are MW 9:00-11:00. Students are
welcome and encouraged to come in and consult regarding their academic work during this time.
Professor Wiest is also available by appointment for those students with schedule conflicts.
COURSE SCHEDULE
17 January -- First class/introduction
19 From Knights to guns -- Pre Modern Warfare
24 “This thing doesn’t shoot straight,” – Linear Warfare
26 “My neck hurts,” – Revolutionary Warfare in America and France
31 “In can win a war in one battle,” – Clausewitz and theories of modern war
2 February “We’re gonna’ win!” – Civil War I
ESSAY # 1 DUE
7 “Dagburn it, were gonna’ lose,”
9 “Something evil this way comes,” – The approach of World War I
14 “Mud and death,” – World War I in Europe
16 World War I Continued
21 Mardi Gras Holiday
23 Mid Term I
28 The Coming of World War II
1 March A World Besieged, World War II
6 World War II, Conclusion
8 “The world’s policeman,” – the coming of the Cold War
13 Spring Break
15 Spring Break
20 “We all nearly died,” – crises of the Cold War
22 “Find ‘em, Fix ‘em and Finish ‘em,” – Vietnam the early years
27 Vietnam – Conclusion
29 Mid Term II
30-31 March – Trip to Vicksburg
3 April, The Transformation of War
10 STUDY DAY
12 STUDY DAY
17 PTSD Roundtable Discussion; Essay # 2 Due.
19 The Gulf War
24 Crisis in the Middle East
26 The Global War on Terror
28 April CLASS VISIT TO THE ARMED FORCES MUSEUM AT CAMP SHELBY,
LIVE FIRE DEMONSTRATION AND SQUAD INFANTRY DEMONSTRATION
1 May, Iraq and Afghanistan
May 3 -- In Class Final
Academic Dishonesty: Scholastic dishonesty will not be condoned under any
circumstance. See the current Undergraduate Bulletin for a good definition of such behavior.
Cheating on an exam or demonstrated plagiarism on a paper will automatically lead to a grade of
“F” for the course and can result in dismissal from the college. The instructor reserves the right
to use electronic resources, such as turnitin.com, to detect plagiarism. If you have questions or
concerns about this policy—please see the instructor during office hours.
Students with Disabilities: If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for
Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures.
Disabilities Covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic
health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical
condition/disability qualifies. Mailing address: 118 College Drive # 8586, Hattiesburg, MS
39406-0001; Telephone: (601) 266-5024; TTY: (601) 266-6837; Fax: (601) 266-6035 or at:
http://www.ids.usm.edu/ODA/default.asp