Course Description
How do leaders handle international crises? What pressures do they experience, what policy options do they have, and how do their choices affect crisis outcomes? We use an applied history approach to explore these questions—in particular, examining how leaders managed various historical interstate crises during the period 1816-present.
Athena Title
Crisis Diplomacy Appl History
Prerequisite
INTL 1100 or INTL 1100E or INTL 1100H or POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S or any 2000-level HIST course
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to describe the defining attributes and key characteristics of international crises.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to explain the rational decision-making process, as well as when and why it breaks down.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to discuss the actors, issues, dynamics, and outcomes of numerous historical crises.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to analyze historical crises (e.g., through an applied history framework).
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to draw lessons from historical crises and evaluate the appropriateness of applying those lessons to other crises (e.g., through historical analogy).
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to identify some common factors that distinguish the crises that escalate to war from those that do not.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to explain the conditions under which decision-makers might go to war, including in situations where leaders would prefer to avoid war.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to evaluate crisis decision-making to identify points at which: (i) war could have been avoided (and if so, why), or (ii) war could have occurred, but did not (and if not, why not).
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to conduct archival research.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to research the position of a key figure that made decisions during a historical crisis.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to negotiate with others to achieve individual and collective goals.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to research and analyze a contemporary crisis.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to present original research, both orally and in writing.
- Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to develop an informed, individual perspective on the dynamics of international crises.
Topical Outline
- I. Foundations
a. Interstate Crises
b. An Applied History Framework
c. Foreign Policy Decision-Making
- II. Historical Background
a. Peace, Norms, & the Concert of Europe
- III. Historical International Crises
a. The Eastern Crisis
b. The Crimean War
c. Wars of Italian Independence
d. Franco-Prussian War
e. Russo-Japanese War
f. July 1914 (World War I)
g. Munich 1938 (World War II)
h. Berlin I & II
i. Cuban Missile Crisis
j. Cod Wars
k. Peru-Ecuador 1995
l. Russia-Ukraine 2014 & 2022
- IV. What Have We Learned?
a. Summary of Historical Patterns/Trends & Lessons for Crisis Diplomacy
- V. Reacting to the Past Simulation/Game (on a Historical International Crisis)
- VI. Student Presentations of Original Crisis Research/Analysis Papers
