2.0

credits

Average Course Rating

The end of the Cold War that dominated the second half of the twentieth century tore apart longstanding patterns of global politics. Some former objects of the great powers became players on the global stage, sometimes important, sometimes bit actors, but always aspiring for a role in shaping events. Many great powers of the 19th and early 20th centuries became less consequential. Long suppressed grievances arose among those on the rise and those in decline. The rise of China, the Arab Awakening and its tumultuous aftermath, the financial crises in Europe, Japan and the United States reinforce these tendencies. This course will explore some of these momentous changes through selected international crises, related events and looming future threats, and how America may deal with them. Attention will focus on cold war and post-cold war Europe, on Iran and the Middle East, on East Asia and globalization, and their historical contexts. We will explore and discuss the implications of these changes for United States interests and for American foreign policy. Each class will consist of a lecture covering the subject of the week to be followed by class discussion and Socratic questioning designed to deepen students' understanding of the trade-offs inherent in the issues and skill in analyzing them. Although this is a two-credit course, it will count as one of the five required courses for AFP concentrators and one of the three required courses for AFP minors. <a href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s" target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations, syllabi, and faculty bios</a>