Short course
The First World War in Perspective
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online
Dates:
27/01/2027 - 09/04/2027
Study format:
Online - flexible
Fees:
£430.00
The First World War is widely regarded as the defining event of the twentieth century, and continues to fascinate and appal in equal measure. This course seeks to explain why and how the war was fought, and to understand why its legacy remains relevant more than a century after it ended.
The carnage of the trenches and the suspicion of futility continue to exert a terrible fascination for commentators both academic and popular. Indeed, the flow of publications and media outputs about the war shows no sign of abating. This course, while not overlooking fundamental moral or ideological dilemmas posed by the First World War, focuses on examining the claim that it was the first genuinely global, total and modern war. The course therefore studies all major participants and campaign theatres – not only the Western Front – and explores the war’s transformative impact on technology, diplomacy, national economies, relations between states and their citizens, and cultural creativity. Finally, it seeks to appreciate how what happened between 1914 and 1918 shaped the years that followed, and why the ‘Great War' retains its title.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
The course is broken down into 10 units over 10 weeks, each requiring approximately 10 hours of study time. The following topics are covered:
- Unit One: Introduction and Origins of the War
- Unit Two: The war in Europe – Western Front (Part 1 Key issues)
- Unit Three: The war in Europe – Western Front (Part 2 Key events)
- Unit Four: The war in Europe – Eastern and Southern Fronts
- Unit Five: The war outside Europe
- Unit Six: Diplomacy – war aims and peace initiatives
- Unit Seven: Total war – economic mobilisation
- Unit Eight: Total war – social mobilisation
- Unit Nine: Culture and Propaganda
- Unit Ten: Legacy of the ‘Great War’
We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.
Course aims
Study the First World War from a variety of perspectives – military, political, economic, social and cultural. It will introduce students to the debates surrounding the War as the first global, total and modern conflict, and analyse the meaning of these concepts. It will also endeavour to examine the ongoing legacy of the Great War.
Objectives:
This course will enable participants to:
- Gain basic information about – and some understanding of – the War’s origins, overall development and outcomes.
- Appreciate the various dimensions of the conflict (economic/social/cultural as well as military/diplomatic) and the perspectives of a cross-section of its participants.
- Examine the significance of the terms ‘global’, ‘total’ and ‘modern’, as applied to the First World War, and analyse the debates surrounding these concepts.
- Develop skills of historical analysis through the study of primary sources, and evaluation of a range of scholarly debates and interpretations.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students will be expected to understand:
- Why the First World War occurred and became a global conflict, and the ways in which it was both similar to, and different from, previous wars between major states.
- The impact of the War on the economies, societies and cultures of the various belligerents, as well as on their military establishments.
- The practical and psychological legacy of ‘The Great War’ for the rest of the twentieth and into the twenty-first centuries.
By the end of this course, students will be expected to have gained the following skills:
- The ability to assess critically a range of historical sources on the First World War – both primary and secondary – and to utilise these effectively in presenting their own arguments.
- The ability to engage with other students in informed debates regarding the relative merits of different scholarly interpretations of the First World War.
- The ability to view and analyse the First World War from a range of different perspectives, beyond those with which they may already be familiar from their own particular academic or national background.
Level and demands
This course is open to all and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level) and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.
English Language Requirements
We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.
IT requirements
This course is delivered online; to participate you must be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.
Teaching methods
- Guided reading of texts and internet resources
- Group discussions (both structured and informal) of particular issues
- Research topics with student feedback
- Set questions on primary sources
- Online quizzes
Assessment methods
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first 500 words are due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome, but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Mr Carl Wade
Carl Wade originally studied history at Jesus College, Cambridge. He specialises in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries history. Since 2004 he has written and taught courses for OUDCE in modern European history. He also teaches on summer school programmes for Oxford University.
Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points
Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework. All those enrolled on an online courses are registered for credit and will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.
See more information on CATS points
Digital credentials
All students who pass their final assignment will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £430.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Textbooks
To participate in this course, you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following textbooks:
- Sondhaus, L., 2021 (2nd edn) World War One: The Global Revolution, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
- Strachan, H. (ed.), 2014 (2nd edn) The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War, Oxford University Press
Please ensure that you can access copies of any required textbooks before enrolling on a course. While cancellations are uncommon, courses may not run if enrolment is too low. The Department accepts no responsibility for books purchased in anticipation of a course running.
Module code: O26P415HIV
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.