Introduction
Many of the most
enduring questions regarding international politics revolve around
war. War has altered the landscape of international politics since the
times of the Greeks and Romans and is responsible for the birth and
death of nation-states.
Why do wars happen? What features either facilitate war or help keep peace? What are the social, political and economic effects of war? How has technology changed both the process and results of war? How has war as an idea and practice evolved and to what extent has it transformed the world in which we live? This course seeks to provide answers to these questions by examining a series of international conflicts.
Along the way, we will examine several historical and contemporary cases of armed conflict, including the Peloponnesian War, the two World Wars, conflicts in the Balkans, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Learning Objectives
This is an upper level Politics and Government elective as well as an elective in the International Studies "Global Conflict" track. Students should enter the course possessing a basic background in the logic of international politics as well as knowledge of contemporary world affairs. By the end of the course students should hold a command over the history of major wars during the 20th century as well as more recent regional conflicts emerging after the end of the Cold War. In addition, students will be expected to be able to evaluate and apply broader theories and explanations of war to these conflicts. Finally, students will engage in independent research in order to delve more deeply into at least one of these conflicts.
As a writing intensive course, students will practice and become more effective in writing clearly and in the social science tradition.