I really enjoy history and tactics myself; but have found that real learning comes by continually asking "why" and comparing and drilling down into every case study looking for what the root causes, or "truths" if you will, are there to be extracted. Much of what is written on Iraq and Afghanistan is much more about TTPs based largely on that current experience than about any great analysis seeking the truths about the root causes and solutions to the problem.
I see a lot of what I call "Dust Bowl Strategy": A lot of people replowing the the top 6" of the problem; creating a lot of dust and noise, but never getting to the root of the problem.
My one piece of advice is for you to challenge your students to look past the vignettes and the conclusions of "experts," and to take their own journey to to attempt to get deeper into the question of why such conflicts occur in general, and what aspects of the relationship between the distinct populaces and governments that you study caused these factors to manifest in violence, and then, to look at how all this combined with the total environment and military/insurgent actions and reactions to lead to what was then captured in history. This might be hard if your syllabus is too much like the Platte river: A mile wide and an inch deep.
Not a show stopper, just keep everyone focused on WHY.
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