"Knowledge of the great principles of warfare can be acquired only through the study of military history... the battles of the Great Captains and through experience. There are no precise determinate rules. Everything depends on ... a thousand circumstances which are never twice the same."
Napoleon
The core curriculum consists of six courses (Strategic Thinking, Theory of War and Strategy, Strategic Leadership, National Security Policy and Strategy, Theater Strategy and Campaigning, and Joint Processes and Landpower Development) and the Strategic Decision Making Exercise. Classroom instruction centers on U.S. experience with
excursions into broader fields. Major topics include the human dimension
of combat, the history of strategic thought, problems of coalition warfare,
and case studies in operations and campaign planning.
Factual materials support the lessons. Students read from old and new classics, to include Clausewitz' On War, and Russell Weigley's American Way of War among others. Special texts tailored for War College use in case studies complement these insightful works. Moreover, several formal lectures focus on historical studies. The heart of the core program, though, is the faculty-led seminar discussion.
Each of the 20 seminars has its own experienced history instructor to lead discussions. Instructors lead the discussions, structure student readings, and offer advice to those with special interests in historical topics. Although not an all-inclusive showing of the utilization of military history, the following core courses draw appreciably from it and are indicative of its broad application: "Military History [is] the most effective means of teaching war during peace."
