IR5064 The Military in Politics

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 11

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

Tues 10am - 12noon

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr H A C Marshall

Dr H A C Marshall
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Holly Marshall

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

Military forces are called upon to defend against armed aggression, both foreign and domestic. Yet militaries can also disobey civilian leaders, allow governments to fall, and even overthrow the political order themselves. The loyalty and effectiveness of security forces are thus vital to government security and stability. This module introduces students to the study of civil-military relations, beginning from the perspective of the armed forces and when they directly intervene in politics, examining the techniques, causes, and means for preventing coups d'?tat as well as the consequences of coup-proofing for other dimensions of military effectiveness. We then analyze how armed forces impact states? domestic politics, including their behaviour during uprisings and their affect on democratic governance. Finally, we examine different theories of how civilian leaders should manage armed forces and assess the acute challenges that leaders face as they respond to international crises.

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

3-hour Written Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2-hour seminars (x 11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

22

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

270

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Have an advanced understanding of civil-military relation
  • Have a nuanced overview of the relationship between strategy, defense policy and armed forces
  • Be able to assess critically historical and social science research on this topic
  • Have developed their written skills through essays
  • Have gained a practical understanding of strategy issues, through empirical research, policy documents, and a crisis simulation.