Bodies at War

Catalog description

War creates the perfect setting for health crises. Militaries are disease vectors, transporting germs to new lands. Soldiers living in close quarters and poor conditions suffer from dysentery, trench foot, and malaria. And of course, the central aim of warfare is to inflict bodily injury. Since ancient times, wars have created public health problems, ranging from the Plague of Athens to the spread of sexually transmitted infections during the World Wars and Vietnam. Soldiers have been used as test subjects, helping to shape ideas about ideal intelligence and body types. As military technology advances, so does the damage that new weapons create, evidenced by the devastating wounds inflicted by mini balls and improvised explosive devices. This course explores the many ways that health, disability, and war have intersected across history. From the Peloponnesian War, to the Hundred Years War, to Operation Iraqi Freedom, we will discuss topics including physical and mental war wounds, sexuality, public health, the rise of military medical authority, eugenics, and chemical and biological weapons. USH, PRE