Women in Combat: A History

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Despite ongoing controversy about women in combat positions in the U.S. armed forces, history shows that women have taken up arms since the birth of the country. This course will follow women's combatant roles in armed conflict through American and international history, using case studies from state militaries, violent political organizations, and revolutionary movements. What can women's participation in war tell us about how wars are fought? How have state and non-state groups tried to regulate women's roles? What happens to women combatants when wars end? And what does the response to women in combat say about culture, politics, and the possibilities for peace?