The first half of the course will focus on the origins and escalation of the Cold War in Europe and Asia, the United States response to revolutionary nationalism in the Third World, and American policy toward regional controversies such as the Arab-Israeli conflict through 1967. The second half will concentrate on the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon and detente, and the policies of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush toward the Soviet Union and the developing world. Lectures and readings will introduce you to historical controversies and conflicting interpretations, which you will be expected to analyze critically in writing and discussions. The following books are required reading and should be available at the bookstores.
Attendance is mandatory at all class meetings.
Attendance will be taken five times, at random, during the quarter, and you will earn one point for each time you are recorded present. All students must be officially enrolled in the course by the end of the second full week of the quarter. No requests to add the course will be approved by the department chair after that time. Enrolling officially and on time is solely the responsibility of the student. Both exams will cover material from lectures and assigned readings and will consist primarily of essay questions.