War studies is the multi-disciplinary study of war

War

War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

. It is distinct from military history

Military history

Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....

 in that it encompasses a variety of fields:

• Laws of war
  Laws of war
  The law of war is a body of law concerning acceptable justifications to engage in war and the limits to acceptable wartime conduct...
  
  
• Philosophy of war
  Philosophy of war
  The philosophy of war examines war beyond the typical questions of weaponry and strategy, inquiring into such things as the meaning and etiology of war, the relationship between war and human nature, and the ethics of war...
  
  
  • Ethics
    Ethics
    Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
    
     of war
    • Just War Theory
  • Deterrence theory
    Deterrence theory
    Deterrence theory gained increased prominence as a military strategy during the Cold War with regard to the use of nuclear weapons, and features prominently in current United States foreign policy regarding the development of nuclear technology in North Korea and Iran. Deterrence theory however was...
    
    
• Psychology
  Psychology
  Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
  
   of war
  • Post traumatic stress disorder
  • Psychological operations
• Military history
  Military history
  Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
  
  
• Motivations, Conduct and Effect of War
• Economics of war
• Sociology of war
• Sociology of the military
• International relations
  International relations
  International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
  
  
• Political Science
  Political science
  Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
  
  
• Anthropology
  Anthropology
  Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
  
  

Programs

War studies is a multi-disciplinary program. Students explore the military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

, diplomatic, philosophical

Philosophy of war

The philosophy of war examines war beyond the typical questions of weaponry and strategy, inquiring into such things as the meaning and etiology of war, the relationship between war and human nature, and the ethics of war...

, social

Social

The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...

, political, psychological or economic dimensions of human conflict

War

War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

. In the context of modern warfare, it considers issues of defence policy

Policy

A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...

, strategic planning

Strategic planning

Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible avenues...

, logistics

Logistics

Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...

 and operations.

Students

War studies programs may be aimed at military students in the regular and reserve forces, non-commissioned members and civilian students.

See also

• Department of War Studies, KCL
  Department of War Studies, KCL
  The Department of War Studies at King's College London is a political and military research and teaching facility, considered a world leader in the quality of its work output, as well as for the career prospects of its graduates...
  
  
• Centre for Security Studies, University of Hull
• International Humanitarian Law
  International humanitarian law
  International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
  
  
• International Relations
  International relations
  International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
  
  
• Laws of war
  Laws of war
  The law of war is a body of law concerning acceptable justifications to engage in war and the limits to acceptable wartime conduct...
  
  
• Strategic Studies
  Strategic studies
  Strategic studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning the relationship between politics, geography and natural resources, economics, and military power, such as the role of intelligence, diplomacy and threats in the preparation and use of force...
  
  
• Peace Studies

External links

• King's College London, Department of War Studies
• University of Hull, Centre for Security Studies
• Royal Military College of Canada, Department of War Studies
• University of Wolverhampton, War Studies Information
• University of Birmingham, War Studies BA Information
• University of Glasgow, War Studies MLitt Information
• University Of Kent, War Studies
• War Studies Primer - An introductory course on the study of war and military history
• Michigan War Studies Review
• University of Buckingham, MA in Modern War Studies