Wars of Empire: Europe's Small Wars of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries

The 19th and early 20th century wars through which the modern European empires 'pacified' the regions they conquered were considered 'Small Wars': conflicts that were imbalanced, with well-trained and equipped troops on one side, and what one theorist called 'savages and semi-civilized races' on the other. In these clashes, 'civilized' Europe was expected to easily triumph, but Europe's great empires consistently found themselves challenged and thwarted by the indigenous forces on the battlefields of Asia and Africa. This course will look at examples from the histories of the British, French, Italian, and Russian Empires, discussing both the military and imperial contexts of these struggles.