U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1914
Syllabus and Survival Guide
History 485 – Fall 2015
Monday/Wednesday
11:00 am – 12:15 pm, Sierra Hall 288
Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime;
therefore we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any
immediate context of history;
therefore we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or
foe as it is from our standpoint.
Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love which is
forgiveness.
– REINHOLD NIEBUHR, 1952
Instructor
Dr. Thomas Devine
Phone: (818) 677-3550 Email: tom.devine@csun.edu
Office Hours: 624 Sierra Tower, Mondays, 3:30-5:30 and by appointment
gladly given.
Web
Syllabus: http://www.csun.edu/~twd61312/485/syllabus2015.htm
Teaching
Assistant: David Agredano Email: david.agredano.2@my.csun.edu
Spirit of the Course
This course will offer an interpretive survey U.S.
foreign policy over the past century.
For the most part we will proceed chronologically, but there will be
some discontinuities in the timeline as we explore U.S. relations with
particular nations and regions over an extended period of time. Rather than
emphasize “coverage” (i.e. what
happened), the course will focus on why
specific events took on larger significance over time and how the American
response to various crises often reflected long-held assumptions and
preconceptions about diplomacy, war, democracy, and even human nature.
Among the
themes the course will highlight include the ways in which strategic,
ideological, cultural, political, economic, and even psychological factors
compete in influencing policy-making decisions; the challenges of establishing
a coherent, long-term foreign policy within a democratic political culture; the
tension between moral principles and national self-interest (and the difficulty
of pursuing policies that uphold and defend both); the struggle on the part of
policy makers to recognize both the world’s interdependence and its pluralism
(we’re all in this together, but we’re all profoundly and perhaps
irreconcilably different in our beliefs, cultural traditions, and values).
Throughout
the course we will also consider the extent to which contingency, ideological
rigidity, arrogance, ignorance, and even inadvertent blundering have influenced
the shaping and implementation of policy – perhaps even more so than the best
laid plans of “wise men” or “conspiring elites.”
Required
Reading
You should purchase the books listed
below. All other assigned readings will be posted in pdf format on the web
syllabus and can be accessed using the password “485.”
• John M. Carroll and George C. Herring, eds., Modern American Diplomacy Revised and
Enlarged Edition
• David Reynolds, From
Munich to Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt's America and the Origins of the Second World
War
• Ralph B. Levering, Vladimir Petchatkov, and Verena
Botzenhart-Viehe, eds., Debating the
Origins of the Cold War: American and Russian Perspectives
• Mark J. White, Missiles
in Cuba: Kennedy, Khrushchev, Castro and the 1962 Crisis
• Michael H. Hunt, Lyndon
Johnson's War: America's Cold War Crusade
in Vietnam, 1945-1968
• Fred Kaplan, Daydream
Believers: How a Few Grand Ideas Wrecked American Power
To subvert the system and save
yourself some money, you should consider buying used copies of the books at any of the following web sites: www.bookfinder.com/; www.amazon.com/; or www.half.com/. You can search the site using the ISBN number.
Requirements and Grading
Class
Participation, Reading Quizzes 20%
Short Writing Assignments 20%
Paper [October 3] 15%
CLICK HERE FOR FIRST PAPER ASSIGNMENT
Midterm Exam [October 19] 20%
CLICK HERE FOR MIDTERM STUDY GUIDE
Final Exam [December 9] 25%
CLICK
HERE FOR FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
• All grading is based on 100 points
and will be done on the +/ – system.
• Late assignments and papers will be penalized. Any paper
turned in more than a week late will not be accepted.
• Any assignment not
turned in or not accepted will receive a grade of ZERO in the
calculation of the final grade.
Explanation of Requirements
Class
Participation
Though this course will include some
lectures, it is not primarily a “lecture course.” The emphasis will be on
discussion and classroom interaction rather than listening to the professor – or daydreaming, or playing with
your phone, or sleeping. Have the reading done BEFORE you come to class and be ready to comment on it. The course
will be far more enjoyable for you and your classmates (and for me!) if we can
sustain a lively discussion. Since not everyone is comfortable speaking in
front of others, your performance on the quizzes will also be considered in
calculating your participation grade.
Quizzes
There will be a quiz on each of the
books, and, if necessary, on some of the other reading assignments as well. The
purpose of the quizzes is to ascertain who has read and who hasn’t. If you have
done the reading – or even most of it – you should have no difficulty doing
well. Doing well on the quizzes is the easiest way to raise your overall grade
for the course.
Short Writing Assignments
In order to help you get the most
out of the reading and to prepare you to discuss it in class, there will be
occasional short written homework assignments that you will complete as you do
the reading. These will be collected in class. There will also be “digs” –
short exercises that will require you to read and interpret primary sources.
Midterm and Final Examinations
The midterm and final examinations
will consist of short answer questions and long essays. You will have a choice
of topics for the long essays. I will provide review questions that will help
you study for the exams. You are responsible for bringing an unmarked green
book to the midterm and the final.
Paper
Assignments
The paper assignments will focus on
the material covered in the readings and during class discussion. Each paper must be at least 1500 words.
There will be a choice of topics handed out well before the due date. Since the paper topics will address issues we
have previously discussed in class, it will be useful to take notes during our
discussions and keep in mind the questions and themes that emerge from these
discussions – you will likely see them reappear in the paper topic questions.
Surviving
History 485…
Attendance
Since active student participation
is crucial to the class’s success, you are expected to be at every meeting. I
do take attendance. Frequent
absences will dramatically lower your course grade. Excessive absences
will put you in jeopardy of failing the course, regardless of your grades on
the written assignments.
No
Laptops or Tablets
I do not allow you to use a laptop or
tablet in my classroom unless you have a medical note stating that you must
have one. This is not an arbitrary or capricious policy. Nearly all of the
research – excluding that funded by Apple and Microsoft – suggests that using a
laptop or tablet in class is more of a distraction than an aid. A recent study
concludes, for example, that taking notes by hand is far more beneficial than
typing them on a computer. I trust that you have the mental discipline to stay
off your computer or your phone for 75 minutes. Please don’t prove me wrong.
Common
Courtesy
You are at a university among
professional people. Act like you belong here. Do not embarrass yourself by
acting disrespectfully. Please turn off and put away all cell phones,
headphones, and other electronic gadgets while you are in class. Texting or
playing with your phone during class is rude, reflects poorly on you, and
annoys the people around you. Hiding your phone between your legs or on the
floor just makes you look stupid. Arrive on time and do not walk out in the
middle of class unless it is an emergency or you have spoken to me about it
ahead of time. Do us all a favor and go to the bathroom before or after class
rather than climbing over your classmates in order to leave during class. Do
not distract others by beginning to gather up your things before the end of
class. In short, act courteously and professionally. It’s part of being an
educated person.
Academic
Honesty
Do not lie to me about why you
missed class or failed to turn in an assignment. Nobody likes to listen to
excuses – even semi-legitimate ones. If you want to score points with me, hand
me the late assignment, apologize, grin sheepishly if need be, and leave it at
that. Admitting you screwed up takes guts, and I respect people who own up to
their mistakes. The chronic excuse makers, on the other hand…. Do not cheat on quizzes or tests. I will
catch you and you will receive an automatic zero for the assignment. Do not
plagiarize from written sources or from the web. Since plagiarism is always obvious and easily caught
(I know how to use google too), it is better to hand in your own work and get a
C- than someone else’s and get a zero. Plagiarized assignments will receive a
grade of zero and put you in jeopardy of failing the course. If you are unsure
what plagiarism is, please consult with me or the teaching assistant BEFORE
you hand in an assignment. Get in the habit of being honest with others and
with yourself.
Problems
I appreciate that many CSUN students
are stretching themselves quite thin, often working full time while taking a
full load of classes. If you are feeling overwhelmed, find yourself falling
behind, or are having any problems outside of class that are adversely
affecting your performance in class, be sure to let me know. I am more than
willing to work with you to insure you “survive,” but you need to tell me you
are having difficulties. Do not wait until the end of the semester when it
will be too late. Either come to see me or send an email as soon as a
problem arises and we can work something out.
If you are struggling academically, I will gladly give you extra help.
Schedule of Topics & Assignments
The
reading assignment listed for each day should be completed BEFORE you arrive at
class.
Mon. 24 Aug. Introduction:
An explanation of course objectives, mechanics, and procedures.
World
Leaders Quiz
Wed. 26 Aug. “The
Professor’s Long Shadow”: Wilsonianism and its Legacies
Reading: Walter
A. MacDougall, “Wilsonianism, or Liberal Internationalism (so called)”
John
W. Coogan, “Wilsonian Diplomacy in War and Peace”
Erez Manela, “A Man Ahead of His
Time? Wilsonian Globalism and the Doctrine of Preemption”
Mon.
31 Aug. “The Progressives go to War” – Domestic Politics and
American Entry into World War I
Robert
Dallek, “The Progressive Style of Foreign Policy: Woodrow Wilson”
Randolph
Bourne, “The War Diary”
Wed 2 Sept. “To End All
Wars”: Wilson and the Struggle for the League of Nations
Reading: William
C. Widenor, “The United States and the Versailles Peace Settlement” [Modern American Diplomacy, pp. 41-60] NOTES
Lloyd
Ambrosius, “Woodrow Wilson and the Culture of Wilsonianism,” pp. 21-29
Willliam
R. Keylor, “The Peace of Paris and the New International Order,” pp. 65-83
LISTEN TO HENRY CABOT LODGE SPEAK AGAINST THE LEAGUE OF
NATIONS
DIG #1 – The League of Nations:
Opposing Views
Mon.
7 Sept. LABOR DAY – NO CLASS
Wed. 9 Sept. “Isolationism
or Independent Internationalism?” U.S. Economic Diplomacy during the Interwar
Years
Reading: John
M. Carroll, “American Diplomacy in the 1920s” [Modern American Diplomacy, pp 61-79] NOTES
Joan Karoline
Vieth, “The Diplomacy of the Depression” [Modern
American Diplomacy, pp. 81-99] NOTES
Thomas
N. Guinsburg, “The Triumph of Isolationism” NOTES
Mon.
14 Sept. “A New Global Perspective”: FDR “Educates” the Public
Reading: Reynolds, From Munich
to Pearl Harbor, chapters 1-4 NOTES
Wed. 16 Sept. “The
Approaching Conflict”: The Lead-up to U.S. Intervention in World War II
Reading: Reynolds, From Munich
to Pearl Harbor, chapters 5-7 NOTES
Mon. 21 Sept. “Chameleon
on Plaid”: FDR’s Wartime Diplomacy
Reading: Jonathan
G. Utley, “The United States Enters World War II” [Modern American Diplomacy, pp. 101-116]
Justus
D. Doenecke, “The Roosevelt Foreign Policy: An Ambiguous Legacy”
QUIZ #1 – Reynolds, From
Munich to Pearl Harbor
Wed. 23 Sept. “World War to
Cold War” – The Breakdown of the Big Three Alliance
Reading: Robert L.
Messer, “World War II and the Coming of the Cold War” [Modern American Diplomacy, pp. 117-135]
Mon. 28 Sept. “Containing
the Soviet Threat:” U.S. Perceptions of the Origins of the Cold War
Reading: Levering,
Debating the Origins of the Cold War,
part 1
Wed. 30 Sept. “‘Who Lost
China?’ and other Ill-Conceived Questions:” The Cold War in Asia
Reading: Marc
Gallicchio, “The Cold War in Asia” [Modern American Diplomacy, pp.
161-185] NOTES
Vladislov Zubok
and Constantine Pleshakov, “Korea: Stalin’s Catastrophe” NOTES
Mon. 5 Oct. “One Hell of a Gamble:” Kennedy, Khrushchev, Castro and the
Origins of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Reading: Mark J. White, Missiles in Cuba, Chapters 1-3
Wed.
7 Oct. “At the Brink:” The Cuban Missile Crisis and Its Legacy
Reading: Mark J. White, Missiles
in Cuba, Chapters 4-6
QUIZ #2 – White, Missiles
in Cuba
Mon. 12 Oct. “Oil, Sand, and Aggravation:” The U.S. Confronts Nationalism
and Neutralism in the Middle East
Reading: Peter L. Hahn, Crisis
and Crossfire, Chapters 1, 2 NOTES
David Farber, Taken
Hostage, pp. 50-59
[Farber provides a
short summary of the 1953 coup in Iran.]
Wed. 14 Oct. “Battling
for the Horn” – The Cold War in Africa
Reading: Thomas J. Noer, “New Frontiers and Old Priorities in
Africa” NOTES
Mon. 19 Oct. MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Wed. 21 Oct. “Flirting
With Disaster:” U.S. Involvement with Vietnam to 1965
Michael H. Hunt, Lyndon
Johnson’s War, chapters 1-3
STUDY QUESTIONS – HUNT CHAPTERS 1-3
Mon.
26 Oct. “That Bitch of a War:” U.S. Intervention in Vietnam,
1965-1975
Reading: Michael H. Hunt, Lyndon
Johnson’s War, chapters 4-5
George
C. Herring, “The Vietnam War” [Modern
American Diplomacy, pp. 205-222]
STUDY QUESTIONS – HUNT CHAPTERS 4-5
QUIZ #3 – Vietnam Readings
Wed. 28 Oct. Continue
discussion of the Vietnam War
Mon. 2 Nov. “From
Shuttle Diplomacy to Camp David”: The U.S. in the Middle East, 1961-1982
Reading: Peter
Hahn, Crisis and Crossfire: The United
States and the Middle East Since 1945, Chapter 4
James W. Harper, “The Middle East, Oil, and the Third World”
[Modern American Diplomacy, pp.
243-263]
Wed. 4 Nov. U.S.
in the Middle East, 1961-1982 Continued
Mon. 9 Nov. Cold War
Crisis: The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
Reading: David Reynolds, One
World Divisible, pp. 363-368.
Wed.
11 Nov. VETERAN’S DAY – NO CLASS
Mon.
16 Nov. “Renewing the Cold War” – Reagan’s First Term Diplomacy
Reading: Michael Flamm, Debating
the Reagan Presidency, pp 101-142.
Wed. 18 Nov. “Tear Down This
Wall!” – Reagan, Gorbachev, and the End of the Cold War
Reading: Michael Flamm, Debating the Reagan Presidency, pp.
142-182.
Mon.
23 Nov. “New World Disorder” – Bush, Clinton, and the Crises in the
Balkans
Reading: David H.
Bennett, “Foreign Challenges in a Post-Cold War Environment: Bosnia”
QUIZ #4 – Flamm, Debating
the Reagan Presidency
Wed.
25 Nov. “Witness
to Genocide?” – Ethnic Conflict in Rwanda
Film: “Ghosts of Rwanda”
Mon. 30 Nov. “A Whole
New Ball Game?” – Change and Continuity in Post-9/11 U.S. Foreign Policy
Reading: Kaplan, Daydream
Believers, Introduction, chs. 1-2
Wed.
2 Dec. “Overreach?” – Waging War in Iraq and Afghanistan
Reading: Kaplan, Daydream
Believers, chs. 4-6
Optional Reading: H-Diplo Roundtable
on Michael MacDonald’s Overreach:
Delusions of Regime Change in Iraq
QUIZ #5 – Kaplan, Daydream
Believers
Mon. 7 Dec. “Descent
into Chaos?” – The Arab Spring, The Syrian Civil War, and the Rise of the
“Islamic State”
Reading: Robert
Westbrook, “Bourne Over Baghdad”
FINAL EXAMINATION DECEMBER 9, 2015 10:15-12:15