International Relations in the Twentieth Century Higher School of Economics (Moscow) School of History (Fall 2015) Instructor: Martin Beisswenger

Transcription

1 International Relations in the Twentieth Century Higher School of Economics (Moscow) School of History (Fall 2015) Instructor: Martin Beisswenger

2 Course description: This course examines the international relations of Europe, Russia (the Soviet Union) and the United States in the twentieth century. It focuses on the main foreign policy events, such as World War I, the Paris Peace Conference, the establishment of the League of Nations, the Munich Agreement, World War II, the Yalta Conference, the establishment of the United Nations, the Cold War, and the emergence of the European Union. The course explores how states used different means to achieve their foreign policy goals and how these means changed over time. We will also pay attention to the biographies of the political and diplomatic actors and try to determine to what degree their personalities and individual decisions (rather than political circumstances) shaped and determined international relations. While the lectures will present a general outline of the main foreign policy events of the twentieth century, in seminars we will discuss the various and often conflicting interpretations of these events by historians. Course aims and learning objectives: to introduce students to the international history of twentieth-century Europe and the world to gain knowledge about the main trends in twentieth-century international relations, important foreign policy events and international institutions to familiarize students with key historiographical debates about twentieth-century international history to develop skills in close reading, critical evaluation and analysis of primary documents and relevant secondary literature to enable students further to explore the topic of twentieth-century international history and to relate it to their own research interests to enhance students foreign language skills and apply them to individual research and presentations Assignments, tests and grades: In order to receive a passing grade in this course you are expected to: participate regularly in class discussions, do all the required readings, write one book review (2-3 pages) in English on a monograph (written in English) of your choice (and in consultation with the instructor) related to the topic of our course; the review is due TWO WEEKS before the last day of class, make an in-class presentation on the book you are going to review, pass a final exam. Participation in class and the book review will count for 30% of your final grade each, while the final exam determines the remaining 40% of your grade; successful presentation of your book review topic will add one credit point to your participation grade. Attendance: This is a lecture and discussion course. You will be expected to have done the reading assignments and participate in class discussions. Attendance is mandatory, and you must be on time and prepared. You can have two unexcused absence throughout the course. More absences may lower your course grade. More than five unexcused absences may result in a failing grade for the course. Arriving more than 15 minutes late in class counts as an unexcused absence as 2

3 well. It is your responsibility to make up missed work, or to meet with the instructor to go over lectures or assignments that were covered while you were absent. Academic Integrity: As in all university courses, students are required to maintain the personal integrity of their work at all times. In this class, any instances of major plagiarism on any assignment may result in a failing grade in the course and in referral to the Dean s Office. Plagiarism includes submitting a paper written or significantly revised by someone else, lifting ideas or words from sources without giving credit, quoting without the use of quotation marks, or any other borrowing of materials or writing skills without appropriate acknowledgement. Please come and see me if you are ever unclear about what constitutes plagiarism or how to avoid it. See also: Course program: CLASS ONE: The Global Context of International Relations (Introduction) [Lecture 1] CLASS TWO: World War I and the Search for Peace [L2] CLASS THREE: The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles [Seminar 1] CLASS FOUR: International Relations in the 1920s [L3] CLASS FIVE: The League of Nations [S2] CLASS SIX: International Relations in the 1930s [L4] CLASS SEVEN: The Munich Agreement [S3] CLASS EIGHT: World War II [L5] CLASS NINE: The Yalta Conference [S4] CLASS TEN: The Origins of the Cold War [L6] CLASS ELEVEN: The United Nations [S5] CLASS TWELVE: The Cold War and Détente [L7] CLASS THIRTEEN: The Vienna Summit [S6] CLASS FOURTEEN: Presentations I [S7] CLASS FIFTEEN: The Non-European World: Latin America and the Middle East [L8] CLASS SIXTEEN: Presentations II [S8] CLASS SEVENTEEN: The Camp David Accords [S9] CLASS EIGHTEEN: Presentations III [S10] CLASS NINETEEN: The End of the Cold War [L9] CLASS TWENTY: Presentations IV [S11] CLASS TWENTY-ONE: The Geneva Summit [S12] CLASS TWENTY-TWO: Presentations V [S13] CLASS TWENTY-THREE: The Unification of Europe [L10] CLASS TWENTY-FOUR: European Unification [S14] CLASS TWENTY-FIVE: International Relations at the End of the Twentieth and in the Early Twenty-First Centuries [L11] CLASS TWNETY-SIX: International Relations in the Twentieth Century: Results and Lessons? (Conclusion) [S15] 3

4 CLASS 1: The Global Context of International Relations (Introduction). Keylor, William R. The Twentieth-Century World and Beyond: An International History since th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011: 1-39 (Prologue: The Global Context of International Relations at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century ). CLASS 2: World War I and the Search for Peace. Keylor: (ch.:1 Germany s Bid for European Dominance ( ) and ch.2: The Peace of Paris and the New International Order ). CLASS 3: The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles. The Versailles Treaty (Parts II, VII, VIII and XIV): Lentin, Anthony. Treaty of Versailles: Was Germany Guilty? History Today. Vol. 62. No.1 (2012): originally published as: Germany: a New Carthage? History Today. Vol. 62. No.1 (2012). P Mazower, Mark. Two Cheers for Versailles. History Today. Vol. 49. No. 7 (1999). P CLASS 4: International Relations in the 1920s. Keylor: (ch.3: The Western World in the Twenties: The Era of Illusions ). CLASS 5: The League of Nations. The Covenant of the League of Nations (Part I of the Treaty of Versailles): Pedersen, Susan. Back to the League of Nations. American Historical Review Vol.112. No. 4 (2007): CLASS 6: International Relations in the 1930s. Keylor: (ch.4: The Western World in the Thirties: The Illusions Dispelled ). CLASS 7: The Munich Agreement. The Munich Agreement ( Reynolds, David. Summits: Six Meetings that Shaped the Twentieth Century. London: Allan Lane, 2007: (ch.2: Munich 1938: Chamberlain and Hitler ). Keylor. The Twentieth-Century World and Beyond. P (sections: The Pursuit of Peace at Czechoslovakia s Expense and A Settlement at Munich ). 4

5 CLASS 8: World War II. Keylor: (ch.5: Germany s Second Bid for European Dominance ( ) ) CLASS 9: The Yalta Conference. Declarations of the Yalta Conference ( Reynolds: (ch.3: Yalta 1945: Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin ). Keylor. The Twentieth-Century World and Beyond. P (sections: Allied Plans for Liberated Europe, The Political Future of Germany, and The Political Future of Eastern Europe ). CLASS 10: The Origins of the Cold War. Keylor: (ch.8: The Formation of the Bipolar World in the Truman-Stalin Era ( ) ). CLASS 11: The United Nations. Charter of the United Nations: Amrith, Sunil and Glenda Sluga. New Histories of the United Nations. Journal of World History. Vol.19. No.3 (2008): Mazower, Mark. The Strange Triumph of Human Rights, The Historical Journal. Vol. 47. No. 2 (2004). P CLASS 12: The Cold War and Détente. Keylor: (ch.9: Coexistence and Confrontation ( ) and ch.10: Détente and Multipolarity ( ) ). CLASS 13: The Vienna Summit. Universal news report on the Vienna summit: Reynolds: (ch.4: Vienna 1961: Kennedy and Khrushchev ). CLASS 14: Presentations I. CLASS 15: The Non-European World: Latin America and the Middle East. Keylor: (ch.12: The Resurgence of East-West Tensions ( ) and ch.13: Latin America s Quest for Development and Independence. ) CLASS 16: Presentations II. 5

6 CLASS 17: The Camp David Accords. The Camp David Accords: Reynolds: (ch.6: Camp David 1978: Begin, Carter and Sadat ). CLASS 18: Presentations III. CLASS 19: The End of the Cold War. Keylor: (ch.16: Moscow, Washington, and the End of the Soviet Empire ). CLASS 20: Presentations IV. CLASS 21: The Geneva Summit. Reynolds: (ch.7: Geneva 1985: Gorbachev and Reagan ). CLASS 22: Presentations V. CLASS 23: The Unification of Europe. Keylor: (ch.17: Europe: Integration and Disintegration ). CLASS 24: European Unification. Fischer, Joschka. From Confederacy to Federation Thoughts on the finality of European integration, May 2000 ( tegration_berlin_12_may_2000-en-4cd02fa7-d9d0-4cd2-91c9-2746a html). Nelson, Brent F. and Alexander C-G. Stubb (ed.). The European Union: Readings on the Theory and Practice of European Integration. 2 nd ed. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998 [excerpts]. CLASS 25: International Relations at the End of the Twentieth and in the Early Twenty- First Centuries. Keylor: (ch.22: From the Old to the New Century ). CLASS 26: International Relations in the Twentieth Century: Results and Lessons? (Conclusion). 6