History 2179 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Ottoman Empire, Ethnic Nationalism, Plan Xvii
22 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
Why the world wars are unique: these wars are more ideologically driven than the wars or con icts that precede them. Ideology = the world views of the participants. The world views affect their military strategies and their motivation for participating: mark turning points in human history, where con ict become more destructive. Wars in the 19th century are radically different from those wars in the 20th century: the methods of ghting have not changed much. Despite of the technological advancements, similar artilleries were used in the american civil war (50 years prior) and wwi. Need to consider the similarities and differences how much impact does the both wars really have: human agency in wartime. Focus on the cause and effect of human agency in wars. Key themes: wars are the consequences of human decisions. The characteristics of wars are functions of an incalculable number of human actions.
