History 380 - SciTechWar-20thCenturyUS/Europ

This course will examine the nexus of science, technology, and war in the 20th century United States and Europe. This course will cover topics such as the development and use of chemical and biological warfare; scientific, political, medical, and philosophical implications of nuclear technology; the Manhattan Project and Big Science; Nazi science; Soviet agriculture; Cold War technology and the Space Race; missile technology; and psychological research and the military. As a unifying theme we will consider the impact of technological determinism and the centrality of science and technology in wartime politics and practice. Readings will consist of primary and secondary sources as well as historical and contemporary films. Requirements will include writing several short papers as well as a longer historiographical essay.

Open to Seniors, Juniors & Sophomores only. Course will be asynchronous. This course will examine the nexus of science, technology, and war in the 20th century United States and Europe. Topics covered will vary widely, including subjects such as the development and use of chemical and biological warfare; scientific, political, medical, and philosophical implications of nuclear technology; the technology of prostheses; the Manhattan Project and Big Science; Nazi science; Cold War technologies and their role in political and domestic spaces; the Space Race; and psychological research and the military. As a unifying theme we will consider the symbiosis of science and technology with war, examining the ways in which war influences science and tech alongside the ways that science and technology inform practices and philosophies of war . Readings will consist of primary and secondary sources as well as historical and contemporary films. Requirements will include writing several short papers as well as a longer historiographical essay.