POL 375: Terrorism, Revolution & War
Course description
This course examines how traditional interstate wars have been replaced by struggles for independence, civil conflicts, revolutions, and acts of terrorism in the contemporary world. It explores the political and moral dilemmas surrounding the use of violence, as well as the challenges faced by governments and international institutions in maintaining peace and security. Students will engage with major theories of conflict, including realism, liberalism, neoconservatism, and just war theory, to understand why political violence emerges and how it may be justified. These frameworks will be applied to case studies such as Ukraine, the Arab Spring, the Balkan wars, Rwanda, and interventions in Libya and Syria, along with European examples of terrorism. The course draws on primary sources such as manifestos and testimonies to encourage critical analysis of global conflict dynamics.
Learning objectives
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
distinguish among different types of political violence
enumerate and analyse the factors contributing to the escalation of violence in the contemporary world
understand the political and moral justifications for resorting to force in war, or near-war, scenarios
comprehend the dilemmas which both countries and international organisations must confront, in order to address political violence in their own country and/or abroad
master the concepts and terminology of international relations with reference to conflict studies