In this course, we will expose how modern war functions as a weapon of empire to extract profit, land, and labor. We will track the global architecture of imperialism over the past 150 years, from colonial conquests to drone strikes, paying close attention to the rise of militarization and the resistance movements it provokes. Key questions include: How do corporations, states, and armed force reflect global power? Case studies span the colonization of Africa, U.S. interests in Latin America, the Vietnam War, WWI & II, the Spanish Civil War, guerrilla insurgencies in Algeria and Mexico, drone warfare, and ongoing war in the Middle East. Students will read primary and secondary sources, including guerrilla manuals, declassified CIA documents, survivor memoirs, vintage documentaries, and radical theory. Assignments include two essays, weekly reading responses, and a final research project of your choice. The course blends lecture and seminar.
- Teacher: Cris Culton