U.S. Military Power
This MIT OpenCourseWare course examines the missions, capabilities, and costs of the conventional, largely non-nuclear forces that make up most of the U.S. military. Students learn methods for assessing relative military strength between adversaries in specific theaters of operation, then apply those methods to historical and recent cases of military action that illuminate current defense debates. Materials include the full syllabus, readings, and assignments used in the MIT class, taught within the Political Science department. The course is free to audit, with no cost for accessing the lecture notes and course materials, though no certificate is offered through OpenCourseWare. It suits students interested in defense policy, strategic studies, or the practical side of comparing military power rather than nuclear strategy alone.