HY 503 – The First World War

Course Description and Objectives - The objective of this course is to provide students with a better understanding of the relationships between the political, economic, and military aspects of the First World War through analyzing assigned readings then discussing the strategic, operational, and tactical facets of the conflict.

Course reading list in assigned order:

Strachan, Hew. The First World War. New York: Viking, 2005.

ISBN-10: 0143035185

ISBN-13: 978-0143035183

Sondhaus, Lawrence. The Great War at Sea: A Naval History of the First World War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.

ISBN-10: 1107036909

ISBN-13: 978-1107036901

Kennett, Lee. The First Air War: 1914-1918. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1991.

ISBN-10: 0684871203

ISBN-13: 978-0684871202

Horne, Alistair. The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916. New York: Penguin, 1993.

ISBN-10: 0140170413

ISBN-13: 978-0140170412

Hašek, Jaroslav. The Good Soldier Švejk and His Fortunes in the World War. New York: Penguin, 2000.

ISBN-10: 0140449914

ISBN-13: 978-0140449914

About the instructor:
Dr. Jeff Gentsch, a Professor of Military History at the University of West Alabama, earned his doctorate from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, and has presented papers at the Institute of Historical Research, London, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Since 1994, he has been an interpretative historian for Shiloh National Military Park, where he has conducted staff rides for the U.S. military and led hikes to commemorate the anniversary of the battle. Specializing in modern military history between 1859 and 1975, Gentsch holds a degree in geography which he integrates into his course methodology of strategic, operational, and tactical analysis. He is an avid collector of Imperial German military memorabilia, his collection containing pieces dating from the reign of Frederick the Great.

For more information please contact Dr. Gentsch, jgentsch@uwa.edu or (205) 652 - 3844