PS216-World History from 1945 to 1991-Charles Lipson

The course provides a survey of major wars, the development of states' military and financial capacity, the course of imperial expansion and retreat, diplomatic alignments and alliances, arrangements for international trade and investment, as well as efforts to create international institutions. In short, it surveys the history of modern inter-state relations in the twentieth century.

This course uses multimedia extensively. Class presentations feature computerized maps, graphs, historical photos and paintings, and newspapers from the period. I also show my lecture notes in class (although not online). To give a flavor of the historic periods we cover, the class presentations include propaganda posters and political cartoons. In this online syllabus, I have included links to appropriate collections of online documents, as well as historical speeches and radio broadcasts from the period (in streaming RealAudio). Listening to these broadcasts is a wonderful way to gain a sense of the historic moments, with their tensions and uncertainties about the future.

To cover so much material, even in a survey fashion, requires intensive reading. This is a heavy reading course, and, I hope, an equally rewarding one. Please note that it is an introductory survey course and not a research course. Students with a strong background in modern history should take other, more advanced courses that encourage detailed inquiry and independent research.

There is also one required article, on electronic reserve:
Melvyn P. Leffler, "The Cold War: What do 'We Now Know'?", American Historical Review 104 (1999), 501-24.

For your short paper: Pick any aspect of the early Cold War and write a brief paper on it. Examples: the division of Germany, the Marshall Plan, the creation of NATO, rebuilding Europe, rebuilding Japan, the origins of the Korean War, the civil war in Greece, and so on. This paper must be done by you individually. You can use any books or articles you wish; that is, you are not restricted to the assigned books. Ideally, the paper goes beyond a mere recounting of facts and develops a clear argument or interpretation. (Question: can the paper include material outside the 1945-50 time period? Yes, it can include material before or after the time period, but the "center of gravity" of the paper should be between 1945 and 1950.)

For your timeline and dictionary: Pick one issue or theme within the time period of the course and create (a) a timeline of major events related to that topic and (b) a dictionary of key people and events for that same topic, with brief descriptions. If possible, please put the exact day of any event you list. The timeline and dictionary may be done individually or, if you wish, as a small group project with friends in the class. This is a real opportunity for group learning.

All papers must have a title and must include your name, phone, and e-mail address. Please staple.

Since the course requires papers, you will need to do more detailed readings to explore your paper topics. To aid your search for the best readings, please feel free to ask your section leaders or me for suggestions.

P. M. H. Bell, The World Since 1945: An International History ( New York: Oxford University Press, 2001). This is an excellent text. (Paperback ISBN 0340662360)

Keith Robbins, The World Since 1945: A Concise History (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998). This is an excellent overview, similar to the "very short introduction."

Edward Whiting Fox, The Emergence of the Modern World (Cambridge, MA and Oxford, UK: Basil Blackwell, 1991).

J. M. Roberts, A History of Europe (New York: Allen Lane, 1996). D20.R645 1997 Harp

Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes: A History of the World, 1914-1991 (New York: Pantheon, 1994). D421.H5820 1994

Larry H. Addington, The Patterns of War Since the Eighteenth Century (2nd ed.; Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994). Paperback ISBN: 0253208602

The Fox book essentially begins with the French Revolution (he has a little material on the earlier period) and goes up through the Cold War. Roberts covers a longer period and in greater depth, but focuses exclusively on Europe. Hobsbawn’s book is also an intelligent overview, global in its coverage, but much more opinionated. Addington's book covers military issues. All are well-written and require no prior knowledge of the subjects.

For supplementary readings on the Nineteenth Century, go to the syllabus for 19th c. World Politics

Graham Ross, The Great Powers and the Decline of the European States System 1914-1945 (London: Longman, 1983). clear summary of the period.

Melvyn P. Leffler, A Preponderance of Power: National Security, the Truman Administration, and the Cold War (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1992).

Marc Trachtenberg, A Constructed Peace: The Making of the European Settlement, 1945-1963 (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999). D1058 .T718 1999

Robert J. McMahon, The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003). Paperback ISBN 0-19-280178-3

William R. Keylor, The Twentieth Century World: An International History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001). Paperback ISBN: 0195136810

John Lewis Gaddis, We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003). Paperback ISBN 0198780710

Vladislav Zubok and Constantine Pleshakov, Inside the Kremlin's Cold War: From Stalin to Khrushchev (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996). Paperback ISBN: 0674455320

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World News-Web Audio		Democracies in World Politics
Advice for students		Israel's Challenges
How to Write a Thesis		China in World Politics
Getting a Recommendation		The Cold War
		Why We Fought WW2
		© Charles Lipson, 2008

World Politics in the Twentieth Century, 1945-91: A History