International Relations and Military History

International relations and military history is a combination that examines conflict and its consequences from two complementary perspectives. International relations provides the theoretical and analytical frameworks for understanding why states go to war, how peace is maintained, what role international institutions play, and how power is distributed in the international system. Military history provides the empirical depth: the study of how wars have actually been fought, who fought them, what technologies and tactics were employed, and how military conflict has shaped societies, politics, and cultures across centuries.

Together they produce a particularly rigorous understanding of one of the most consequential dimensions of international life.

At Aberystwyth University, home to the world's first Department of International Politics, this three-year full-time programme draws on more than a century of pioneering scholarship in the study of international relations and warfare. The programme explores the key dynamics of past conflicts and traces their impact on contemporary militaries and societies, connecting historical analysis to the current international order. You will engage with the theory and practice of war, the evolution of military technology and strategy, the politics of alliance and deterrence, and the international legal and ethical frameworks that attempt to govern armed conflict.

You will develop skills in historical research, political analysis, critical reading of theory and evidence, and sustained written argument. The ability to think clearly about conflict, strategy, and international power is valuable across a range of careers.

Graduates from international relations and military history programmes pursue careers in defence, the foreign service, intelligence analysis, journalism, think tanks, security consultancy, NGOs, international organisations, and academic research. Postgraduate study in international relations, security studies, military history, or strategic studies is a natural continuation.