Ido Oren
1375 Social Sciences Bldg.
Phone: 625-1850
E-mail: oren@polisci.umn.edu
Hours: M 4-5 PM, W 10-11, or by appointment
The primary aim of the course is to introduce students to prominent theories of international conflict and peace. More specifically, we will examine several theoretical explanations of the origins of World War I (WWI): (a) that its origins were rooted in the rapid rise of German power, (b) that the war was caused by the undemocratic structure of the German political system, and (c) that it was a war nobody wanted which arose out of the dynamics of the Anglo-German arms race and/or the dynamics of the July 1914 crisis. But our interest will not be limited to WWI per se. We will also discuss how the emergence and the relative popularity of these theories may have been affected by changing historical and political context since the war, and how they may be relevant to understanding contemporary debates on security issues.
It is assumed that students have taken at least one previous course in international relations (e.g., POL 3835 or equivalent). I do not assume that you have a detailed knowledge of the history of the pre-WWI period, but a healthy interest in diplomatic history and in current international security affairs will be a useful asset.
Coursework: Students are expected to complete all the readings and to actively participate in class discussions. There will be two midterm quizzes, both consisting entirely of multiple choice questions (the quizzes will be given during the first 15 minutes of regular class sessions). The major assignment for the class will be a 10-12 page research paper, a description of which is attached to this syllabus. To facilitate progress toward completing the paper, students are required to submit in advance a 1-2 page prospectus describing their chosen topic, a general outline, and bibliography. (I will not grade the prospectus for quality, but you will receive 10% of the total grade just for submitting it on time. The idea is to prompt you to start your research early) During the week following the submission of the prospectus, I will schedule additional office hours in order to give students an ample opportunity to receive feedback on their paper-in-progress.
Important Course Dates and Deadlines:
W September 29 No class (Yom Kippur)
W October 28 Quiz I (during first 15 minutes of session)
F November 20 Paper prospectus due at noon
F November 27 No class (Thanksgiving break)
W December 2 Quiz II (during first 15 minutes of session)
W December 9 Paper due at 4 PM
The distribution of the final grade will be as following:
Midterm quiz I 10%
Midterm quiz II 10%
Paper prospectus 10%
Class participation 10%
Term Paper 60%
Late papers will be penalized at a rate of 5 points (out of 60) per 24 hours. Incompletes will be given only if cleared with me before the deadline for submitting the term paper.
Required Readings: The following books (all in paperback) may be purchased at the H.D. Smith (west bank) Bookstore:
Paul Kennedy, The Rise of The Anglo-German Antagonism, 1860-1914
L.C.F. Turner, Origins of the First World War
Marc Trachtenberg, History and Strategy
David M. Kennedy, Over Here: The First World War and American Society
Richard Bernstein and Ross H. Munro, The Coming Conflict With China
Some of the required readings are assigned from journals and books other than the above volumes. These course materials are compiled in a reading packet, available for purchase at the Copies on Campus counter, located in the H.D. Smith (west bank) Bookstore. I did not place any course materials on reserve.
Class Schedule
I. INTRODUCTION
Melvin Small and J. David Singer. Resort to Arms. Chapter 4. [20 pp.]
II. DIFFERENTIAL GROWTH AND INTERNATIONAL STATUS
A. The Past: The Rise of Germany and the Origins of World War I
Paul Kennedy, The Rise of The Anglo-German Antagonism, 1860-1914. Read chapters 1, 2, 9-14, 20, 22, and Conclusion. [224 pp.]
B. More Recent Past, Present and Future
"A 'Wasting Asset': American Strategy and the Shifting Nuclear Balance, 1949-1954," chapter 3 in History and Strategy. [53 pp.]
Bernstein and Munro, The Coming Conflict With China. Read entire book. [221 pp.]
III. DOMESTIC STRUCTURE, DEMOCRACY, AND WAR
A. The Past: German Domestic Politics and WWI
Eckart Kehr, "Anglophobia and Weltpolitik," in Economic Interest, Militarism and Foreign Policy (A collection of Kehr`s essays). [28 pp.]
Michael Gordon, "Domestic Conflict and the Origins of the First World War," Journal of Modern History, Vol. 46 (June 1974): 191-226.
B. The Past: WWI`s Impact on American Society
David Kennedy, Over Here. Read Prologue and chapters 1, 2, 5. [208 pp.]
C. Present and Future: Will Democratization Bring an End to War?
Ido Oren, "The Subjectivity of the 'Democratic' Peace: Changing U.S. Perceptions of Imperial Germany," International Security, Vol. 20 (Fall 1995): 147-84.
IV. ARMS RACES, CRISIS DYNAMICS, AND WAR
A. The Past: Sarajevo and the July 1914 Crisis
Turner, Origins. Read entire book [115 pp.]
Trachtenberg, History and Strategy. Read chapter 2. [53 pp.]
B. The Past: The Anglo-German Arms Race as Cause of WWI
Lewis Richardson. Arms and Insecurity (Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1960). Read pp. xvii-xx and 1-36 (skim the mathematical parts).
C. Recent Past and Present: "Lessons" of 1914, "Stability", and Arms Control
Robert Jervis. Perception and Misperception in International Politics. (Princeton University Press, 1976), pp. 58-100.
Trachtenberg, History and Strategy. Read chapters 1, 5, 6. [136 pp.]
Description of Term Paper
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SUMMER 2001
SPRING 2001
FALL 2000
SUMMER 2000
SPRING 1999
WINTER 1999
FALL 1998
SUMMER 1998
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