Course Description
The political, diplomatic, military, and social history of the United States during the era of the Cold War (1946-1992).
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Additional research and/or paper(s) are normally required for graduate level work.
Athena Title
COLD WAR U S
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will examine the political, diplomatic, military, and social history of the United States during the era of the Cold War 1946-1992). The principal objective of the course is to teach students to think critically for themselves about the relationships between the past and the present, to learn to ask questions of the past that enable them to understand the present and mold the future, and to become attuned to both the limitations and possibilities of change. The course seeks to acquaint students with the ways in which past societies and peoples have defined the relationships between community and individual needs and goals, and between ethical norms and decision-making. In general students will be expected to: 1. read a wide range of primary and secondary sources critically. 2. polish skills in critical thinking, including the ability to recognize the difference between opinion and evidence, and the ability to evaluate--and support or refute--arguments effectively. 3. write stylistically appropriate and mature papers and essays using processes that include discovering ideas and evidence, organizing that material, and revising, editing, and polishing the finished papers.
Topical Outline
Subjects to be covered include origins of the Cold War; Truman and the Fair Deal; The Korean War; The Eisenhower years; The Turbulent '60s; Vietnam; LBJ and The Great Society; The Civil Rights Revolution; The Nixon Retreat; The Reagan Revolution from the Right; The End of the Cold War.