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Charles
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E-mail: c-lipson@uchicago.edu Voice: 773.702.8053 Fax: 773.702.1689
Charles Lipson Professor of Political Science University of Chicago 5828 S. University Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 |
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World Politics in the Twentieth Century, 1905-45: A History
Political
Science 21500 & 32500
Charles Lipson
University of Chicago
Syllabus—Autumn 2003
| Course Time: 1:30 til 2:50--Monday, Wednesday | Prof. Lipson's office is Pick 418b |
| Classroom: Social Sciences 122 | Office Hours: Tuesday 2:30-3:30 |
| To find out your section, please go to this page. | E-mail: clipson@midway.uchicago.edu |
| In e-mails about this course, please put PS215 somewhere in subject line. |
• Wednesday, December 10, 4pm in Pick 418 (Prof. Lipson's office).
• Papers will be returned in Pick 401, the Pol.Sci. office.
This 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.
This course covers the period from the origins of World War I through World War II, including key elements of international history needed for further study of international politics and IR theory. The course extensively uses multimedia presentations to show maps, historical events, and national leaders. Besides diplomatic relations among the Great Powers, the course examines long-term trends in economic development and military force.
This course is intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in the social sciences, particularly those working on international relations. Its goal is to provide historical grounding for theorizing about international relations. There is no prerequisite for this course. This is one of four related courses on the history of international politics, each of which can be taken independently:
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Undergrad & Grad
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Political Science 213 & 323 | ||||
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World Politics in the Nineteenth Century: A History | Political Science 214 & 324 | |||
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World Politics in the Twentieth Century, 1914-45: A History | Political Science 215 & 325 | |||
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World Politics in the Twentieth Century, 1945-91: A History | Political Science 216 & 326 | |||
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 are two writing assignments in addition to the required readings:
timeline
+ dictionary:
chronology of events during one selected period in the nineteenth century,
plus an annotated list of people, places, and events related to
your chronology (approximately 15 events, 15 dictionary items)
major
paper: review of
historical writings about one major period, country, or event
There are no examinations in this class.
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 as small group projects, with friends in the class if you wish. This is a real opportunity for group learning.
For your major paper, take the same topic as your timeline and then consider how different historians look at it. Consider yourself a fair-minded "referee" among the different viewpoints. First, you should lay out the different perspectives clearly and coherently. What are their varied strengths and weaknesses? Where do they agree and disagree? Where do they emphasize different issues and different evidence? You may wish to conclude by explaining which perspective (or combination of perspectives) you find most convincing.
Please note that this is not an original research paper. It is an essay discussing key debates among historians on a major international issue, such as the origin of a specific war or the breakdown of an alliance. It should be an informed, critical review of the historical literature on a selected time period or topic. In effect, you will serve as an informed "referee" of a debate among historians on a topic that interests you.
No Plagiarism: The timeline, dictionary, and major paper must all be your original work. Of course, you will need to consult reference works and scholarly monographs, in print and online. But you must scrupulously avoid any significant "borrowing" (especially verbatim borrowing) or any "cutting and pasting" from others' works. That would misrepresent other people's work as your own and is plagiarism. When you rely on others' work, be sure to cite it fully and use quotation marks to denote any verbatim usage.
Plagiarism is a basic violation of academic rules and will result in failing the course. If you have questions, please consult Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement, available online (published by the Dartmouth and adopted by the University of Chicago).
Please note that all co-authors of the timeline and dictionary are held jointly responsible for ensuring the academic integrity of the work, just as they are held jointly responsible for its quality.
For a detailed discussion of the timeline and dictionary, including examples, click here.
For a detailed discussion of the historiographic essay, click here.
1. Provide a concise, general history of international and diplomatic events and sequences, especially those bearing on Great Power relationships;
2. Draw connections, where possible, between the historical materials and analytic questions of interest to IR theorists;
3. Incorporate international economic issues, which are too often slighted in political and diplomatic histories. They should be included for two reasons.
a. They are often a central object of state policy, especially since states were charged with political responsibility for the performance of their economies.
b. They are a source of countries' rise to great power status. Germany became a great power not only because the Prussian military was so efficient or because Bismarck unified it under Prussian leadership, but also because northern Germany was the largest and most dynamic industrial power of the late 19th century. Spain disappeared as a Great Power because of its economic decline.
Books are also on reserve at the Regenstein Library.
Undergraduates normally enroll in PS 215.
Graduate students enroll in PS 325.
Students have weekly discussion sections, which will be assigned in Week 2.
No lecture on Wednesday of Thanksgiving Week.
No sections during Thanksgiving Week.
| Week 5 | Dictionary
and Timeline are due at Wednesday lecture; give to your TA. For a detailed discussion of the timeline and dictionary click here |
| Week 7 | A brief description of your proposed major paper is due at your section meeting. The description should be 100-200 words, plus a list of 2 or 3 books and articles you intend to use in the paper. |
| Week
11 Exam Week |
Major
paper is due Wednesday of exam week, 4pm, Pick 418 (Lipson office). For a detailed discussion of the historiographic essay, click here |
All papers must have a title and must include your name, phone, TA, and e-mail address. Please staple; don't use a paperclip.
Extensions: In unusual or difficult circumstances, students may request an extension for the major paper. The request must be in writing (by letter or e-mail) and should give specific reasons why the extension is needed. All requests must be made via e-mail directly to the appropriate teaching assistant (not to Mr. Lipson). If any special extension is granted, then the paper must be turned in by date given by the TA. Except for cases of serious illness or personal difficulties, no extensions will be made for any date later than Friday, 4 p.m., on the first week of the following quarter.
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Required Books |
The readings rely on three books. You should purchase all three.
| General Text | J. M. Roberts, Twentieth Century: The History of the World, 1901 to 2000 |
| Military | Larry H. Addington, The Patterns of War Since the Eighteenth Century |
| War Origins | Donald
Kagan, On the Origins of War Akira Iriye, The Origins of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific |
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Main
Topics and Required Readings |
- Turning Points of the Twentieth Century
J. M. Roberts, Twentieth Century, Chapter 1
- Origins of the Great War
Donald Kagan, On the Origins of War, Chapter 2: "The First World War 1914-1918"
Larry H. Addington, The Patterns of War Since the Eighteenth Century, Chapter 3
- Fighting the Great War
- The Treaty of Versailles and the Roaring Twenties
- The 1930s: A Low, Dishonest Decade
- Origins of World War II in Europe
Roberts, Twentieth Century, Chapter 8
Larry H. Addington, The Patterns of War, Chapter 4
Supplementary readings:
online documents about World War I (at Mount Holyoke)
Roberts, Twentieth Century, Chapters 9, 10
Supplementary readings:
Supplementary speeches (RealAudio):
Henry Cabot Lodge Opposing the League of Nations
Roberts, Twentieth Century, Chapters 11, 12
Supplementary speeches (RealAudio):
Donald Kagan, On the Origins of War, Chapter 4: "The Second World War 1939-1945"
- World War II in Europe
- Origins of World War II in the Pacific
Roberts, Twentieth Century, Chapter 13
Addington, The Patterns of War, Chapter 6 (Parts I, II)
Supplementary readings:
Supplementary speeches (RealAudio):
Akira Iriye, The Origins of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific
- World War II in the Pacific
- Changes in Military Technology in the 20th Century
Roberts, Twentieth Century, Chapter 13
Addington, The Patterns of War, Chapter 6 (Parts III, IV)
Supplementary readings:
Supplementary speeches (RealAudio and video on RealPlayer):
Truman threatens Japan with a "Rain of Ruin" if they do not surrender after Hiroshima
Addington, The Patterns of War, review previous assignments
- Optional: International Political Economy in the 20th Century
Rondo Cameron, A Concise Economic History of the World, 3rd ed.; Chapters 13-16.
- Optional: Imperialism in the Middle East
David Fromkin, A Peace to End All Peace: Creating the Modern Middle East 1914-1922 (NY: Henry Holt, 1989).
1. Chronology (or timeline) of key events in one historical period. This might be the failure of the Versailles peace settlement, the rise of the Nazi Party, the decline of empires after World War II, the Cold War in Europe or Asia (or both), East Asia in the 20th century, or a number of others. Pick a period or theme that interests you. If you are uncertain what constitutes an appropriate time period, please consult Professor Lipson or your teaching assistant. Because of this course's focus, the paper, dictionary, or timeline must concentrate on the period of the course, that is, between 1914 and 1945. Some post-1945 material may be included to complete a paper or timeline that concentrates on an earlier period.
What a timeline should do? A timeline should list the major events in proper sequence, with dates given for each. It should provide a few essential details to clarify the event; the dictionary entry should offer more detail. Here, for example, is the beginning of a timeline:
Sample Timeline: French Expansion in the Age of Richelieu and Louis XIV
| 1589-1610 |
Henry IV (ruled 1589-1610), founder of the Bourbon dynasty, he
was Henry of Navarre; |
| 1598 |
Edict of Nantes (13 April 1598) issued by Henry IV. Henry, a Protestant who converted to Catholicism to become king, grants religious toleration to French Huguenots. |
| 1610 |
Henry IV assassinated by a Catholic fanatic, François Ravaillac
(14 May 1610). |
| 1610-43 |
Louis XIII (king, 1610-43; ruled 1614-43). Louis XIII was declared of age in 1614, but was always a weak figure, controlled by others |
| 1622 |
Edict of Nantes is reconfirmed by the Treaty of Montpelier (18 October 1622); the treaty leaves La Rochelle and Montauban to the Huguenots. |
| 1624-42 |
Cardinal Richelieu (Armand-Jean du Plessis, the Cardinal-Duke of Richelieu) as chief minister of France, under Louis XIII; later, he trained Cardinal (Jules) Mazarin as his protege.
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Related to the timeline, you should produce a brief dictionary covering 15 or more key events and people during the same period covered by the chronology. Dictionary entries should range between 10 and 50 words, providing brief definitions and discussions for each entry. Dictionary entries should provide key dates and briefly explain the significance of major events, people, and places.
What should dictionary lists include? Let me give some examples. A list covering the early Cold War would certainly include the "Truman Doctrine," "Berlin Blockade," "NATO," "European Recovery Program," and "NSC-68," among others. Some entries, like the formation of NATO, might be longer and should list the initial members of the alliance. On the other hand, it is a dictionary entry, not a monograph, so be concise. When individuals are mentioned, the entry should include their full name, years of birth and death, and years in high office, e.g., George C. Marshall (1880-1959), General of the U.S. Army and its chief of staff during World War II (1939-45), Secretary of State (1947-49) and Secretary of Defense (1950-51).
You can, if you wish, produce a chronology and dictionary covering a theme, rather than a time period. For example, you might cover "major issues in international trade" (listing the biggest treaties, disputes, etc.) or "developments in applied military technology" or "the rise of the Nazi party."
PLEASE NOTE: The chronology and dictionary may be either "group projects" or "individual projects." That is, 2-5 students may organize themselves to produce the timeline and dictionary as group projects. This is an excellent opportunity for group learning, not just on the written projects but on the assigned readings as well. By the same token, students are free to do the projects individually if they choose. If some students do decide to work as a group, then their dictionaries and timelines should be somewhat more extensive than individual assignments. The group should not only divide the work, they should review each other's efforts and produce a genuine joint product. Each group project will receive a single grade, which will apply equally to all participants. The grades for the timeline and dictionary will constitute about 30 percent of your grade for the course. The remaining 70% comes from the historiographic essay, which you must write individually.
2. Write a historiographic essay, approximately 12-15 pages, double-spaced. This essay should be done individually, not in groups. It may cover any time period or theme in the course. It need not cover the same time period as the chronology and dictionary (although it can, if you wish).
The historiographic essay should examine a major topic and analyze the debates among historians, as well as giving your own considered view. It must cover at least three major books or articles, and will likely include more than that. The essay is not intended as original research. Its main point is to review (critically) the perspectives of major historians on some important theme or historical period. For example, you might choose to write about the origins of a major war, such as World War II in the Pacific or the Korean War. Or you might choose to write about the rise of protectionism in the 1930s or the growth of free trade after World War II. Or you might choose to write about the continuities (or discontinuities) of British foreign policy (or French, or German, or Russian, etc.). You might want to discuss how economic growth affected Great Power relationships--as that is understood by major historians writing on the subject. Your job is not so much to explain the specific phenomenon but to describe and analyze the major schools of thought on the subject, their strengths and weaknesses, and the direction of recent historical research. In short, you should provide an informed, critical guide to the literature.
Most topics in this course are the subjects of vigorous historical debate. You may choose your own topic from among them. Why, for instance, did Europe divide Africa into formal colonies in the late 19th century after centuries of informal imperialism? Historians differ on the basic reasons for this change. Similarly, you might consider the decline of imperialism in the 20th century. You might select a topic covering the whole time period of the course, such as the incorporation of military technology into warfare. There are certainly different historical schools dealing with the "military revolution."
Before writing your historiographic essay, please write a one-page precis and get approval of the topic from Mr. Lipson or your teaching assistant. The precis should list the topic of the essay, briefly outline some of the major historical debates on it, and then list some key books and articles to be included. The clearer your precis, the better chance we have to advise you. Remember: the time period should be between 1914 and 1991 (even though the course lectures may not go as far as the end of the Cold War).
The assigned projects might well require students to share books. If that proves difficult, please let us know. We will put these books on reserve for everyone to use. All required and listed supplementary books are on reserve.
Can I do
my timeline/dictionary on a different topic from my long essay?
Yes, but it's not such a great idea. It should be your last
resort, not your first. Still, it's not prohibited.
The course builds up to writing the longer essay, where you assess historians' contending views on a major topic of your choosing. When you write this essay, it really helps to know the sequence of events and the important actors. You'll know them after you've written the dictionary/timeline, so you'll be able to concentrate on historians' varied ideas and interpretations, not the basic unfolding of events.
Sometimes, however, you run into problems and need to change topics. You may gradually discover that the topic of the timeline/dictionary doesn't interest you very much. So you finish the timeline/dictionary and then turn to a different topic for your major essay. Or you may find that, when you begin reading historians' views, there really aren't any big debates about your original topic. In either case, you are welcome to change topics after consulting with your T.A.
But don't start out working on a timeline/dictionary that you know will be different from your essay. And remember that the timeline must be on the same topic as the dictionary.
Who should approve my topic? My section leader or Professor Lipson?
Your T.A. If you are graduate student in Professor Lipson's section, then he's your T.A. If not, then e-mail or talk with your section leader. Of course, you are always welcome to talk with Professor Lipson, but your approval should come directly from your T.A.
Can I extend my essay to satisfy the political science department's requirement for a 20-page paper?
Yes, if you follow some rules. For this course, write the normal 15-page historiographic essay and turn it in to your section head, who will review it for your class grade. After the class ends, you are welcome to extend it to a 20+ page paper and submit it to Professor Lipson for approval. You do not need to seek prior approval from your T.A. or from Professor Lipson. Simply submit 3 items to Professor Lipson, at his office: (1) the 20+ page paper, (2) the original class paper with TA comments; and (3) a two- or three-paragraph statement of what you've done to expand the paper and why that makes sense intellectually. All should be copies so the material does not need to be returned to you. Please enclose all these items in a manilla envelope, together with your e-mail address and paperwork for approval. Prof. Lipson has no specific due date for turning in these longer papers, but (1) you need to give him some time to read the paper and (2) you need to check with the department about its deadlines.
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.
For
a strong collection of modern history resources
on the Web, please see my page
Scholarly
Resources-Modern History.
Among the most useful books as general background for the course are:
William
R. Keylor, The Twentieth Century World: An International History,
4th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001). This
is an excellent and detailed general text that usefully supplements the
assigned Roberts’ book.
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
Rondo
Cameron, A Concise Economic History of
the World: From Paleolithic Times to the Present
(4th ed.; New York: Oxford University Press, 2001). Paperback
ISBN: 0195127056
David
Fromkin, A Peace to End All Peace: Creating
the Modern Middle East 1914-1922 (New York:
Henry Holt, 1989). Hardback
ISBN: 0805008578 Paperback 0805068848:
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. Cameron is a useful overview of the economic issues. All are well-written and require no prior knowledge of the subjects.
Online documents
covering specific periods:
|
Supplementary Readings on the Nineteenth Century |
For supplementary readings on the Nineeteenth Century, go to the syllabus for 19th c. World Politics
|
Supplementary Readings on Inter-War Years |
Graham Ross, The Great Powers and the Decline of the European States
System 1914-1945 (London: Longman,
1983. a succinct
and clear summary of the period.
|
Supplementary Readings on Early Cold War |
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
Available at U. of C./Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Seminary Coop and Regenstein Library Reserve.
J. M. Roberts,
Twentieth Century: The History of the
World, 1901 to 2000 (Penguin USA, 2000). Paperback
ISBN: 0140296565 Also available as
hardback from Viking. ISBN: 0670884561 call number:
D421.R54 1999
Larry
H. Addington, The Patterns of War Since the Eighteenth Century
(2nd ed.; Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994). Paperback
ISBN: 0253208602 call
number: U39 .A33 1994
Donald
Kagan, On the Origins of War (NY: Doubleday, 1995). Anchor
Paperback ISBN: 0385423756
call number: D25.5.K270 1995
Akira
Iriye, The Origins of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific
(NY: Longman, 1987). Paperback
ISBN: 0582493498
call
number: D742.J3I750
1987
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