Modern War: What Is It Good For?
Osher Online | Available (Membership Required)
Vietnam, viewed by many as a turning point between old and new approaches to war, raised many questions about the role of superpowers, asymmetrical resources, and counterinsurgencies on the world stage. In this course, we will look at the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Gaza. All of these wars are asymmetrical, but what else do they have in common, and how are they informed by Vietnam? We will discuss how superpowers are central players in these conflicts by way of their supplies and support. In this course, we will examine human ways of evaluating the politics and strategies, particularly what happens when three vectors cannot agree: the public, politicians, and the military.
Class schedule: Live lecture will take place on Tuesdays via ZOOM
- Tuesday, January 28, Live lecture 1
- Tuesday, February 4, Live lecture 2
- Tuesday, February 11, Live lecture 3
- Tuesday, February 18, Live lecture 4
- Tuesday, February 25, Live lecture 5
- Tuesday, March 4, Live lecture 6
As this class is delivered by the National Resource Center for OLLIs (NRC) at Northwestern University, you will receive a welcome email from osheronline@northwestern.edu. The email will include your credentials (username & password) as well as a hyperlink to the Osher Online Website through which you will access your course website.
Modern War
Jeff Rice
Jeff Rice received an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University then pursued graduate work in African Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He completed a dissertation entitled "Wealth Power and Corruption: A Study of Asante Political Culture." He returned to Northwestern to teach history and political science and became a Weinberg College academic adviser. He is currently an Emeritus Senior Lecturer in political science, specifically West African history, US history of the 60's, Marx & Weber, African politics, military strategy, the politics of famine, and student protest and free speech.