Explanations of warfare as a general characteristic of the international system are explored and critiqued. Given the European location of the study group, this course will utilize European historical case studies to examine critically the theoretical literature. Classroom instruction will be supplemented by a site trip to some of the major battlefields of World War I in France and Belgium. This course compliments the seminar on war, and is also supplemented by a site trip to NATO headquarters near Brussels, Belgium. Special emphasis is placed upon political, theoretical and economic issues, both for the member states and for the EU at large.
Course work is supplemented by site trips to Strasbourg, Brussels, and Eastern Europe.
This course begins with an examination of the Grand Tradition in the study of international relations and moves on to explore its relevance to the new political agenda. In particular, the growing importance of domestic political considerations in understanding foreign policy behavior will be examined. Such issues as the democratic peace, external support for democratization, cultural factors and their importance for political change, and new conceptual schemes for understanding international relations will be emphasized. Course work will be supplemented by a site trip to democratizing countries in Eastern Europe. Upon special application, students gain access to the main collections of the United Nations Library, containing nearly two million volumes.