History 596TD – An International History of the Cold War

Syllabus and Survival Guide

Fall 2025

Tuesday 4:00 pm – 6:45 pm, Sierra Hall 288

 

Instructor

 

Dr. Thomas W. Devine

Phone: (818) 677-3550 Email: twd@pacbell.net

Office Hours: Sierra Tower 624, TuTh 2:30-3:30 and by appointment gladly given. 

 

Reading

 

The following books can be purchased on line or checked out from either the CSUN Library or your local library. All other readings will be provided in class or made available on the web syllabus. To subvert the system and to save yourself some money, you should consider buying used copies of the books.  You are likely to find used or discounted copies at significantly lower prices at the following websites: www.bookfinder.com; www.betterworldbooks.com; www.amazon.com.

                                                                                          

·         H. W. Brands, What America Owes the World: The Struggle for the Soul of Foreign Policy (1998)

·         Sergey Radchenko, To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power (2024)

·         Norman Naimark, Stalin and the Fate of Europe: The Postwar Struggle for Sovereignty (2019)

·         Christian F. Ostermann, Between Containment and Rollback: The United States and the Cold War in Germany (2021)

·         David Caute, The Dancer Defects: The Struggle for Cultural Supremacy During the Cold War (2003)

·         Jeremy Friedman, Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World (2015)

·         Seth Jacobs, Cold War Mandarin: Ngo Dinh Diem and the Origins of America’s War in Vietnam, 1950-1963 (2006)

·         Rashid Khalidi, Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Dominance in the Middle East (2009)

·         Richard A. Moss, Nixon’s Back Channel to Moscow: Confidential Diplomacy and Détente (2017)

·         Mateo Jarquin, The Sandinista Revolution: A Global Latin American History (2024)

·         Beth A. Fischer, The Myth of Triumphalism: Rethinking President Reagan's Cold War Legacy (2019)

·         Hal Brands, The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us About Great-Power Rivalry Today (2022)

 

Spirit of the Course

 

This course will offer a wide-ranging survey of the Cold War era from a variety of national, ideological, and methodological perspectives. For the most part we will proceed through the semester chronologically, but there will be some discontinuities in the timeline as we explore relations between and among particular nations and regions over an extended period of time. We will also spend the first few weeks of the semester looking at the often-conflicting ideas, prejudices, and assumptions that motivated policy makers throughout the period.

 

I have made a special effort to assign readings that represent the most up-to-date scholarship on various topics. That said, I have also included a few “old chestnuts” that have stood the test of time. One should never assume that “cutting edge” or “new” scholarship is the best scholarship. Often (too often?) it is just intellectually fashionable or rests on politically popular misconceptions that fade quickly. As someone who is committed to teaching you how to think, not what to think, I have tried to select readings that will expose you to arguments and interpretations from a variety of points of view written by scholars whose political or ideological views differ widely. I encourage you to be critical of but also open-minded to both the readings and what I say in class. As Mark Twain once remarked, that of which we are most certain is generally wrong. Humility is an admirable trait not only in policymakers but in those who assess the policies they construct.

 

You will also have the opportunity to follow the historiography that has developed around the topics we will explore.  Though the emphasis of the course will not be on “inside baseball” historiographical disputes, I will introduce and we will all discuss scholarly controversies where appropriate.

 

Themes

 Among the themes the course will highlight are the extent to 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 priorities).

Throughout the course we will also take into consideration that contingency, ideological rigidity, arrogance, inadvertent blundering, corruption, and even ignorance often have more to do with the shaping and implementation of policy than do the “master plans” of conspiring elites.

 

Grading & Deadlines

 

Class Participation                                      --30%

Oral Presentation                                        --20%

Analytical Essay                                          --20%

 

Option A due October 13

Option B due November 23

 

Semester Project                                         --30%

 

Initial Proposal/Bibliography due October 7th

 

Draft due December 1st

 

Note that written assignments are not due on the days we meet in class. They can be emailed to me as MS Word attachments.

 

Explanation of Requirements

 

Completing the Reading

There’s no getting around it – this class requires a lot of reading.  But, as a Masters level seminar, it is supposed to. To succeed in this course, you will need to complete the reading, but you will also need to have given it some thought. Take notes in the margins. Record terms that are unfamiliar to you or concepts that you don’t understand, points that you find interesting or surprising, arguments with which you strongly agree or disagree, methods of research or analysis that seem especially creative or insightful (or misguided and unpersuasive), or ideas that connect to things we’ve talked about in previous classes. Also, read smart – don’t read every single word of the first 4 chapters and nothing thereafter because you ran out of time. If you catch the argument the author is making, don’t sweat all the details or supporting examples – skim over them and get on to the next major point. It is more important to get a good sense of an entire book than to master every aspect of the first one-third of it.

 

Participation in Discussion

The class format will be based entirely on discussion. Therefore, it is essential for you to do the reading and come prepared to discuss it each week. Without that, there is no class. Not participating in the discussion is akin to taking swimming lessons but never jumping into the pool. Obviously, emergencies happen, but repeated absences or failure to participate when you do attend will significantly reduce your grade. I will do my best to ensure each student has ample opportunity to contribute, but, ultimately, it will be up to you to make certain that you remain an active participant rather than a passive observer. I evaluate participation based on quality, not quantity. “Quality” participation demands keeping your comments grounded in the reading. At times, recounting an anecdote or a personal experience can shed light on a concept covered in the reading, but be aware that it is easy to overdo this.

 

At the end of each class, I record a grade for your discussion performance that day—either a check-plus, check, check-minus, an “X,” or a 0. Check-plus (100) indicates that you contributed actively to the discussion and made thoughtful comments that drew directly from information in the readings; check (85) indicates that you contributed the discussion but in a more limited way and that your comments demonstrated familiarity with the readings, if not a thorough mastery of them; check-minus (75) indicates that you spoke up but that your comments did not refer directly to the readings; an x (60) indicates that you were present but made no effort to participate, or that your participation clearly demonstrated that you did not do the reading. If you are not there, you will receive 0 points for that class discussion session, unless you submitted written answers to some of the discussion questions (see below under “Attendance”).

 

Leading Discussion

One person will be responsible for leading the discussion each week. That person will compose a list of 8 questions that address the major themes and issues raised each of the assigned readings for the week. Well-formulated questions will open up discussion and allow for various points of view. They should not intrude the questioner’s own opinion or quiz people on specific facts to which there is only one answer (“guess what I’m thinking questions”). I invite each discussion leader to meet with me briefly to go over his or her questions. (This exchange can also be done via email or Zoom.) The discussion leader should submit his/her questions to me at least 24 hours before the seminar meets so I can distribute them to everyone via email attachment. Your leading of discussion will not receive a grade per se, but will be taken into account in the calculation of your participation grade. As leader, you must do more than simply read each question aloud and let others talk. Rather, take an active part in facilitating the discussion by indicating how various comments are related, occasionally summarizing what has been said, and reminding the class how the various comments contribute to answering your original question. When necessary, guide everyone back to the text and the question at hand if you believe the discussion has gone on a tangent. You should also be “reading” the room – make sure everyone gets a chance to speak and, when recognizing people, favor those who have not spoken yet ahead of those who have already contributed. Resist the urge to answer your own questions since that is the fastest way to shut down discussion. If you believe the class has missed pertinent points, phrase follow-up questions that are likely to extract these points without tipping your own hand. If you have never led a discussion before, or would like some helpful tips on doing so, I encourage you to meet with me ahead of time. Though it would be helpful if you had already formulated some of your questions before we met, this is not necessary.

 

Analytical Essays

This 1500-word assignment will give you the opportunity to respond to a specific question in a concise, tightly argued essay. You will have several topics from which to choose. I will distribute the topics at least a week before the paper is due. If you wish, you may provide me with a draft of your essay ahead of time and I will provide feedback. Please submit the paper via email on the day it is due. There will be two opportunities to complete this assignment. If you hand in a paper on both occasions, I will count the higher of the two grades

 

Précis

One person will be responsible for producing a single-spaced 2-3 page précis of the readings for each week. Please adhere to this page limit. Your précis should be a summary rather than a review – focus on what the book says and how it says it rather than giving your own assessment. Your précis should identify the book’s central arguments, briefly note how it is organized, indicate the kinds of sources employed and how the author uses them, and summarize the main points of each chapter (or group of chapters, if that seems more appropriate). The person who writes the précis should email me a copy 24 hours in advance of the class meeting. I will look it over, make any appropriate edits, and send it to the rest of the class the night before we meet. This assignment, too, will not receive a grade per se, though in calculating your participation grade, I will take into account the quality of and amount of effort you appear to have put in to your précis.

 

Oral Presentation/Written Critique

One person will be responsible for producing a 1500-word critique of the assigned reading each week. This may be handled in one of four ways:

1) a summary of the book’s critical reception and your own assessment of it

2) a historiographical review that explains where the assigned book or articles fit within the existing secondary literature (you might counter pose the assigned reading against a book or article that takes a contrary point of view).

3) a brief essay that focuses on a particular theme or argument in the week’s reading that you found especially interesting and wanted to explore further in other sources.

4) a report grounded in primary sources in which you discuss whether the sources you examined led you to the same kinds of interpretations that the author offers.

 

I can provide you with both primary source suggestions and historiographical background, so don’t hesitate to ask. At some point during class, usually right after the break, you will have the floor to present your findings and field questions from the class. Please do not read your critique verbatim or read to the class the text you have put on a series of Powerpoint slides. That said, you should feel free to include an audio-visual component if you think it would enhance your presentation. Your presentation should last 15 minutes. I will not allow you to go beyond 20 minutes, so be sure you know ahead of time how long your presentation will run. The written critique will be due a week from the date of your presentation. Your grade will be based on the written product (2/3) and the quality of your oral presentation (1/3). The quality of an oral presentation is judged on how organized, informative, and prepared you are in your delivery. The written critique will be graded by the same standards as the analytical essay.

 

Semester Project

Choose a topic from the period covered in the course that you find to be of interest and locate FIVE scholarly articles that address your topic. (Be aware that you will probably have to peruse more than five articles before you settle on the ones you want to discuss in your paper.) These articles should be from scholarly journals devoted to historical scholarship and written by historians, preferably over a period of at least thirty years. You should choose a topic narrow enough to give your essay a sharp focus. For example, “The Origins of the Cold War” is too broad; “The German Question and the Origins of the Cold War” is more manageable. Write a 10-page essay (approximately 3000 words) in which you recount how these historians have engaged your topic. What are the main points of emphasis and/or contention? How do the interpretations in each article support, undermine, complement, or challenge each other? Why do the interpretations differ? (For example, do they draw on different kinds of evidence and sources or do they emphasize different aspects of the topic?) To what extent did the scholarly interpretations of your topic change over time?  In addition to addressing the articles’ approaches to your topic, you should provide your own assessment of the five articles. Which scholar’s work is most compelling to you and why? How would you synthesize the various scholarly views you have read to present your own interpretation? So as to prevent you from putting this assignment off until the last moment, we will approach it in a three-step process. On October 7th, you will submit a tentative annotated bibliography and a one-page status report in which you offer your early impressions on how scholars have approached your topic and what some of the emphases and issues of contention have been. At this point (if not before) I will “approve” your topic. During weeks nine and ten, I will hold extra office hours so each student can meet with me to discuss his or her topic. At this point, you should have settled on the five articles that will be the basis of your paper and be well on your way toward completing a first draft. Finally, you will submit a complete draft of the essay by 11:59pm on December 3rd. I will provide you with extensive feedback on this draft that you will be able to incorporate into your final submission.

 

Surviving History 596… 

 

Attendance

It is important, and it is expected, that you will be present at every session. Given the weight put on class participation, frequent absences will bring down your grade significantly. To make up for a missed class, you may submit written responses to any four of the eight discussion questions (the total of the four responses not to exceed 1500 words). These will be due in class one week after the class you missed.

 

Doing Well

The key to success in any graduate course is time management. You should have a clear sense of how long it will take you to complete a task and then act accordingly. You should also spend time on a task in proportion to the significance of the task. (Don’t spend more time writing the precis than you did reading the book!) Start reading on the side for your semester project as soon as possible – week two is not “too early.” If you can, start reading the next week’s book as soon as you get back from class – if only for 30-45 minutes before going to bed. You’ll find this preempts procrastination (and you won’t arrive at class the next week not having read the last third of the book!) Try to discipline yourself to devote that occasional free half hour to reading another chapter of the book rather than scrolling through social media!

 

Problems

I appreciate that most CSUN graduate students are stretching themselves thin, often working full time, caring for family members, or raising kids -- all 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. If you need advice on how to improve your performance, ask for it. Do not wait until the end of the semester when it will be too late. I am more than willing to work with you to insure you “survive,” but I need to know you are having difficulties. Keep the lines of communication open. 

 

Discussion Topics and Assignments

 

Aug. 26      Introduction

 

An explanation of course objectives, mechanics, and procedures.

 

Sept. 2       Why the Cold War?

 

                   Reading: Michael Cort, The Columbia Guide to the Cold War, pp. 3-35.

John Lewis Gaddis, “Dividing the World”

Geoffrey Roberts, “Stalin and Soviet Foreign Policy”

David C. Engerman, “Ideology and the Origins of the Cold War, 1917-1962

Jeremy Suri, “The Early Cold War”

         

Sept. 9       An American Style of Foreign Policy?

 

                   Reading: H. W. Brands, What American Owes the World        

 

Sept. 16     A Soviet Style of Foreign Policy?

 

                   Reading: Sergey Radchenko, To Run the World, Chapters 1-8

 

Sept. 23     Origins of the Cold War: The View from Europe

 

                   Reading: Norman Naimark, Stalin and the Fate of Europe

 

Sept. 30      Germany: Defeated and Divided

 

Reading: Christian F. Ostermann, Between Containment and Rollback

 

Oct. 7         The Cultural Cold War

                   Reading: Selections from David Caute, The Dancer Defects

Oct. 14       Sports and the Cold War

 

Reading: Selections from Robert Edelman, The Whole World Watching: Sports in the Cold War

 

Oct. 21      Communist Competition: Sino-Soviet Rivalry

 

                   Reading: Jeremy Friedman, Shadow Cold War

                  

Oct. 28       Containment in Asia – The Vietnam Quagmire

 

Reading: Seth Jacobs, Cold War Mandarin

 

Nov. 4         Cold War Conflict in the Middle East

                   Reading: Rashid Khalidi, Sowing Crisis

Nov. 11      Soviet Cold War Policy 1960-80

 

                   Reading: Sergey Radchenko, To Rule the World, chapters 9-16

 

Nov. 18      For Your Eyes Only: Secrecy and Diplomacy

 

                   Reading: Richard A. Moss, Nixon’s Back Channel to Moscow

 

Nov. 25      The Cold War and Revolution in the Americas

                  

                   Reading: Mateo Jarquin, The Sandinista Revolution

 

Dec. 2         Ronald Reagan and the End of the Cold War

 

                   Reading: Beth A. Fischer, The Myth of Triumphalism

 

Dec. 9         Cold War Legacies and Lessons

                   Reading: Hal Brands, The Twilight Struggle