Columbia University History Department

HIST3455S - Empire of Liberty: A Global History of the U.S. Military

America’s wars in context, from King Philip's War in 1675 to present conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

This course charts the expansion of U.S. military power from a band of colonists to a globe-girdling colossus with over two million personnel, some 800 bases around the world, and an annual budget of approximately $598 billion — 54 percent of federal discretionary spending, and more than the next nine nations combined. It introduces students to the history of American military power; the economic, political, and technological rise of the military-industrial complex and national security state; the role of the armed services in international humanitarian work; and the changing role of the military in domestic and international politics. A three-point semester-long course compressed into six weeks.

Student Reviews

[2014] “Prof. Neer is one of the very best professors I have ever had. He's professional, courteous and, most of all, truly cares about his students. And he really knows his materials.”

[2015] "Very strong in all respects. One of the best professor's I have had." "Super approachable, friendly and knowledgeable."

[2016] "Dr. Robert Neer is a passionate and talented instructor. He is deeply knowledgable about the US military and is able to articulate and guide the classroom discussion towards gratifying arguments."

[2017] Fantastic course. It is a very informative class and Professor Neer is a great teacher that is interested in his students learning rather than busywork and excessive coursework. The class requires quite a bit of reading, yet nothing that isn't manageable.

[2018] "He is an excellent professor. His lectures are all really interesting and he allows for conversation and debates within in class that are respectful and he allows students to challenge him and encourages us to form our own opinion with the class material and I think that is a wonderful way to promote a positive discussion."

[2019] I'll admit that I had absolutely no idea what I had signed up for, Empire of Liberty was the only thing that fit in my schedule over the summer, but I am so glad I took this class. ... Overall, I really liked taking Professor Neer's class and would recommend it to anyone interested in history academically or recreationally.

[2020] “Prof. Neer masterfully weaved different forms of media together to exploit the remote format's full potential. The course's strength are the strong central topics, excellent readings, and vibrant class discussions.”

1918 WWI Piave Front — Syllabus

**Readings, Research Paper, Midterm & Final examinations, Class participation**

Required Readings

The primary goals for this class are:

Command of the materials — readings, lectures and discussions, and field trips.
Paradigmatic thinking — interpretive constructs, supported by evidence, for a global history of the U.S. military.
Rhetoric — persuasive speaking and writing, developed through class discussions, a research paper, and examinations.
Academic collegiality — intellectual teamwork through collective engagement with course materials.

Requirements:

Assigned readings (approximately 50 pages of reading per class hour: 150 pages per class meeting, usually in two books);
A 2,500-3,000 word research paper (approximately 10-12 pages);
A one-hour midterm and three-hour final examination, both open-book;
Two films;
Online field trips to a worldwide constellation of locations;
Class attendance and participation, including brief summaries of a few assigned readings;

Graduate students should read the entirety of all books assigned and write a paper of around 10,000 words (about 40 pages). They do not need to take the examinations.

Grading:

15% One hour Midterm Examination (open book)
35% Three hour Final Examination (open book)
35% Research paper
15% Class attendance and participation

Books:

BookCulture bookstore, 112th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, and Barnes & Noble Columbia bookstore.
Butler library reserves, and online through the library.
Amazon.com.

US Army Jasmine Jenkins — Classes

**1607 to 2021 in six weeks**

YouTube Playlist

CLASSES:

Boots on the Ground
- Reading: Jill Lepore (1998 rpt. 1999). The Name of War: King Philip’s War and the Origins of American Identity. Vintage. 3-18, 71-121 (65 pages)
- Reading: Fred Anderson (2000). Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754–1766. Faber and Faber. 94-123, 240-258, 400-414, 453-475, 729-746 (100 pages) (total 165 pages)
- Field Trip: Please visit ONE of the following locations , and write a few sentences about your reaction to it: (a) "Roger Williams: King Philip's War," Providence, RI. National Park Service (2015). NPS.gov; OR (b) ”Great Swamp Fight Monument,” South Kingston, RI. Atlas Obscura (2020). AtlasObscura.com; OR (c) “Timeline.” Mashpee, MA. Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (2015). MashpeeWampanoagTribe-nsn.gov.
Empire of Liberty
- Reading: Russell Weigley (1973). The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy. Indiana University Press. 3-55 (52 pages)
- Reading: Frank Lambert (2005). The Barbary Wars: American Independence in the Atlantic World. Hill and Wang. 3-48, 123-155, 179-202 (100 pages)
- Reading: Anthony F. C. Wallace (1993). The Long, Bitter Trail: Andrew Jackson and the Indians. HarperCollins. 50-101 (51 pages) (total 203 pages)
- Field Trip: Please visit the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, and review the History & Culture page, then write a few sentences about your reaction to the way the U.S. military is portrayed there. National Park Service (2020). NPS.gov.
- Guest Speaker: Nicole Perlroth, Reporter, The New York Times (2021). This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race. Bloomsbury. Chapter 2 "The Fucking Salmon" (approximately 10-15 pages)
America Rising
- Reading: Anders Stephanson (1995). Manifest Destiny: American Expansion and the Empire of Right. Hill and Wang. 3-65 (62 pages)
- Reading: Amy S. Greenberg (2012 rpt. 2013). A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico. Vintage. 76-85, 95-110, 119-161, 168-175, 200-224, 229-240 (108 pages) (total 170 pages)
- Field Trip: Please visit The Alamo, “A global cultural icon,” and “the Shrine of Texas Liberty,” according to Alamo Trust, Inc. Visit the “Battle and Revolution” page, and write a few sentences about your assessment of the history offered there. You might also find the “Mapping Texas History” page of interest. Alamo Trust, Inc. (2021). TheAlamo.org.
President Emperor
- Reading: James McPherson (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford. 369-453, 718-773 (141 pages)
- Reading: Max Boot (2002). The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars And The Rise Of American Power. Basic Books. 56-128 (72 pages) (total 213 pages)
- Field Trip: Please visit the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, MD, and look at whatever interests you on the History & Culture page. Write a few sentences on whether you think this field trip was worthwhile. National Park Service (2020). NPS.gov.
Crusaders Keen
- Reading: Russell Weigley (1973). The American Way of War. 167-241 (55 pages) (74 pages)
- Reading: Max Boot (2002). The Savage Wars of Peace. 205-230 (25 pages), 253-278 (25 pages) (50 pages) (total 124 pages)
- Field Trip: Please visit the Polar Bear Expedition Collection at the University of Michigan's Bently Library, have a look around, and in a few sentences describe something unexpected that you found. Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan (2021). Bentley.UMich.edu.
- Guest Speaker: Max Boot, Columnist, The Washington Post. See MaxBoot.net.
Discovery of the New World
- Reading: Russell Weigley (1973). The American Way of War. 269-359 (165 pages)
- Reading: John Ellis (1990). Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War. Viking. 343-388 (45 pages)
- Field Trip: Please visit the American Battle Monuments Commission's Cemeteries & Memorials page, choose a cemetery or memorial to investigate, and write a few words about which one you chose, and what you found there. American Battle Monuments Commission (2021). ABMC.gov.
- Guest Speaker: Stephen Wertheim. Fellow, Center for Global Legal Challenges, Yale Law School. Recommended Reading: Stephen Wertheim (2020). Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 47-79, 173-182 (41 pages
Stranger in a Strange Land
- Reading: Richard Rhodes (1995). Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb. Simon & Schuster. III. 27-48, 482-512 (50 pages)
- Reading: David Halberstam. The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War. Hyperion. 395-502 (107 pages) (total 157 pages)
Prometheus Bound
- Reading: Robert Neer (2013). Napalm, An American Biography. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 1-108 (108 pages)
- Reading: Neil Sheehan (1988). A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. Random House. 127-265 (138 pages) (total 246 pages). Optional: 617-699 (82 pages)
- Guest Speaker: Marsh Carter, MIT Sloan School of Management.
Notes from Underground
- Reading: Tim Weiner (2008). Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Anchor. 83-194 (111 pages)
- Reading: James Bamford (2002). Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency from the Cold War Through the Dawn of a New Century. Doubleday. 1-91 (90 pages) (total 201 pages)
- Field Trip: Please visit the campus of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and write a few sentences about where you went, and what you thought about what you saw. U.S. Military Academy at West Point (2021). WestPoint.edu
Taking Care of Business
- Reading: Andrew Feinstein (2012). The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade. Picador. 237-329 (92 pages)
- Reading: Dana Priest (2014). The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America’s Military. W. W. Norton. 11-57 (46 pages)
- Reading: Michelle Sandhoff and Mady Wechsler Segal (2013). "Women in the U.S. Military: The Evolution of Gender Norms and Military Requirements." In David M. Kennedy, Ed. The Modern American Military. Oxford University Press. 273-289 (16 pages) (total 154 pages)
To the Ends of the Earth
- Reading: Rajiv Chandrasekaran (2007). Green Zone: Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone. Vintage. Part II Shattered Dreams Chapter 9: Let This Be Over, The Green Zone, Scene VII-Chapter 14: Breaking the Rules, 184-257 in 2006 Knopf first edition, pages numbers may be different in different editions (73 pages)
- Reading: Andrew Bacevich (2016). America's War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History. Random House. 217-294, 342-370 (105 pages) (total 178 pages)
Galadriel’s Mirror
- Reading: Daniel Immerwahr (2019). How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. 355-401 (46 pages)
- Reading: Nicole Perlroth (2021). This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race. Bloomsbury. Chapter 2 "The Fucking Salmon" (10-15 pages) (total 61 pages)