Comprehensive Study Notes for History 02/2009 at the University of Auckland

Overview of Course Structure

  • Class size: Approximately 260 students, indicating a large cohort

  • Discussion of significant historical topics that induce suffering globally

  • Expectation that the course will be challenging due to its important content

Historical Context of Warfare

  • Definition of warfare as involving bloodshed and lethal violence among communities

  • Importance of studying warfare historically versus through other disciplines (e.g. political science, sociology, psychology)

  • Historians prioritize understanding over solutions and examine power dynamics and justifications for war

Introduction of Teaching Team

  • Core teaching team includes:

    • Professor Malcolm Campbell: Responsible for lectures and stage two tutorials

    • Sarah Russell: PhD candidate, will lead some tutorials and assess student work

Guest Lecturers and Their Expertise

  • Contributions from various colleagues will include:

    • Associate Professor Gordon Morrell: Soviet and British history, interwar lectures

    • Associate Professor Ellen Makamura: Meiji restoration and Japan at war

    • Doctor Rowan Light: New Zealand wars

  • Details of staff available on Canvas

  • Instructor office hours: Wednesdays from 2:00 to 3:30 PM in Building 206, Room 703

Communication Protocols

  • Emails should be sent during office hours

  • Emphasis on engaging with course materials through Canvas before reaching out directly for queries

Course Schedule and Assessment

  • Two lectures per week; attendance strongly encouraged as lectures are tailored to student engagement

  • Lectures are recorded and available for review within 24 hours

  • First stage two test will be scheduled for week six

  • Importance of referencing lectures in assignments

Tutorials

  • Tutorials commence concurrent with the first lectures, designed for deeper engagement with the material

  • No recordings permitted during tutorials for privacy reasons; violation may lead to disciplinary action

  • Flexibility in attending alternate tutorials due to capacity constraints

Core Historical Concepts

  • Definition of war: A moment where two or more groups are contesting something using lethal violence

  • Notions of legitimacy: Authority and justification for going to war

  • Wars often centered on resources, territory, and population control

  • Examination of ideas and belief systems shaping justifications for war

  • Peace as a more complex and difficult term to define than war

Historical Inquiry Into War

  • Historians approach the concept of warfare through various perspectives, asking, “What does it mean to study warfare historically?”

  • Importance of understanding the perspectives and worldviews of people from the time being studied

  • Encouragement to confront uncomfortable ideas and perspectives

Importance of Perspective

  • Acknowledgment that historians create narratives shaped by their identities and contexts

  • Emphasis on engaging with multiple perspectives to understand motivations behind warfare

  • Historical inquiry to consider security and insecurity dimensions affecting communities

Legacy of Warfare

  • Acknowledge that many societal structures and norms stem from historical conflicts

  • Discussion of how global conflicts have personal implications for individuals

  • Consideration of the nuclear threat in contemporary dialogue

Controversy and Complexity of War

  • Recognition that war is rarely universally supported; perspectives must be carefully evaluated

  • Understanding that conflict and its motivations are multifaceted and often contested

  • History emphasizes the importance of context, including social, political, and economic factors

Historians' Methodology

  • Historical inquiry must answer fundamental building blocks: Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why?

  • Understanding of multiple causality: there is rarely a single explanation for historical events

  • Requirement for strong evidentiary foundations in historical claims

Empathy in Historical Studies

  • Emphasis on empathy as a core attribute for historians engaging with the topic of warfare

  • Methodological development through stages with increasing complexity as students progress

  • Encouragement of critical thinking and self-reflection on historical narratives

Conclusion

  • The lecture ends on a note of encouraging students to develop their understanding and engagement with the course material and historical inquiry.

  • Importance of personal responsibility in representing history appropriately and empathically.