War, economy and resources

The course aims to provide a basic understanding of the relationship between economic resources and war, with a particular focus on the 20th century, i.e. the period of industrialised wars. The course will show how the endowment, access and control of resources can contribute to military conflict and the outcome of wars. The course will explore the complexities of war economies, including armament production, and discuss strategies of economic warfare such as naval blockades and bombing, as well as counter-strategies aimed at increasing the economic resilience of countries. It will also look at the economic impact of war on the home front.

A candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome according to the course curriculum, defined as knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The candidate has

• in-depth knowledge of what are the central elements of war economies
• knowledge of methodological challenges in the historical study of war economies and economic warfare
• in-depth knowledge of the development of war economies and economic warfare from the year 1900 until our time
• knowledge of basic economic concepts necessary to understand war economies, the role of resources and the effects on home fronts

Skills

The candidate should

• be able to assess and analyze the role economic factors played during the war and its effect on home fronts
• have the ability to apply historical methods to study various wars, their implementation and their effects
• to use and interpret relevant quantitative data

The course is taught digitally, where lectures, podcasts and other teaching material are made available through a digital platform. This platform will constitute a digital classroom where digital meeting points are established for teaching, student active learning, follow-up, guidance, etc.

In addition to the digital "core", one physical gathering will be held during the semester.