HIST 442, Diplomatic History of the US Since 1900 (Spring, 2006)

Section 648: Monday, Wednesday 1:00pm; Thursday 3:00pm in 410 Stroud Hall

 

Professor: Stephen Ortiz

Email: sortiz@po-box.esu.edu

Webpage: http://www.esu.edu/~sortiz

Office Hours: Stroud Hall 409J Mon. and Wed. 10am-12pm;. Thursday 1-2:00pm

 

Course Description:

 

This course examines the diplomatic history of the United States from the late nineteenth century to the approximate present. Our discussions will span chronologically from the Spanish-American War to the wars in Iraq, but we will explore a number of larger, recurring themes. The themes include the United States and imperialism; internationalism versus unilateralism (and isolationism); the relationship between domestic politics and foreign policy; definitions of national interest and national security; globalization; and the importance of culture and ideology to foreign policy decision-making. While the primary focus of the course is the diplomatic history of the US, we will strive to understand the multi-faceted ways in which the citizens and the government of the United States have interacted with the rest of the world.

 

Course Requirements:

 

Our meetings will be a combination of riveting lectures and insightful class discussions of common readings. To ensure vibrant discussions, you will be given short, easy, and unannounced quizzes on the discussion reading material. Throughout the term you will write four 4-5 page “summary and reaction” papers on any of the starred (*) discussion readings, a 6-8 page assignment on readings from the Journal of Cold War Studies, and a 6-8 page book review on any relevant topic that interests you. There will be detailed instructions of all paper assignments online Cold War paper. There will be no midterm, only a cumulative final exam. You also will be given a grade based on your participation in class discussions. The grading breakdown is as follows:

 

Final Exam                                           25%

Book Review                                       15%                                        

Cold War Studies Paper                       15%

4 Summary/Reaction Papers                 20%                                        

Quizzes                                           12.5%   

Participation                                         12.5%   

 

Required Books:

Thomas G. Patterson, et al, American Foreign Relations: A History  (Brief Edition, 2006)

Dennis Merrill and Thomas G. Patterson, eds. Major Problems in American Foreign

Relations, Volume 2. 6th edition (2005)

 

All required books can be found at the ESU bookstore. Please be advised that if you purchase your books online, they may be an out-of-date edition. So check the edition number and publication dates before purchasing these books.

 

 

Rules, Regulations, and Critical Information:

 

  1. Attendance is not mandatory. If you do not want to be in class, and plan to make it known to everybody by disrupting your colleagues or catching some beauty rest, just don’t come to class. If you insist on coming and do the above-mentioned things, you will be asked to leave and it will lower your participation grade. It should be pointed out, though, that rarely attending class will also negatively affect your participation grade. In other words, it is difficult to do well in this course without attending class regularly.

 

  1. Late arrival to class is not a crime but, please do not let it become a persistent problem. If you are having trouble getting to class on time for a good reason, just come talk to me.

 

  1. For the sake of your professor’s delicate sanity, PLEASE turn your cell phones OFF when you come into the classroom.

 

  1. We will be discussing many contentious issues throughout the semester. While different opinions are expected—indeed encouraged—please show courtesy and respect to your fellow students at all times.

                               

  1. Academic misconduct of any sort—cheating, plagiarism, etc.—will be punished by a failing grade in the course. In writing papers, be certain to give proper credit whenever you use words, phrases, ideas, arguments, and conclusions drawn from someone else’s work.  Failure to give credit by quoting and/or footnoting is PLAGIARISM and is unacceptable. Please review the University’s Student Code of Conduct at http://www3.esu.edu/studentlife/sh/codeofconduct.asp.  If you have any questions about what constitutes academic misconduct, please come speak with me. Do not jeopardize your standing at ESU by failing to abide by these rules.

 

6.      Students requiring classroom accommodations must follow the University’s

Office of Disability Service procedures for accommodations found at http://www3.esu.edu/academics/disabilityservices/arp.asp. Please do so as soon as possible so accommodations can be made early in the semester and you do not get behind in your studies.

 

  1. Please do not hesitate to contact me during the semester if you have any individual concerns or issues that need to be discussed. It is always better to contact me sooner rather than later with any potential problems.

 

 

 

Calendar of Events (Including Readings)

WEEK 1

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 1

January 16        MLK Day, NO CLASS

January 18        Course Introduction

January 19        Lecture: Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars.

           

WEEK 2

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 2 and Chap. 3 (pp.46-55).

January 23        Lecture: The Open Door and Gunboat Diplomacy

January 25        Lecture: WWI and the Problems with Neutrality

January 26        Discussion: AFR, pp.22-24, 46-50; the following documents found at

http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1915/usloans.html

http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1915/lusitania1.html

 

 

WEEK 3   

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 3 (pp.55-73).

January 30        Lecture: The US and entry into WWI.  PBS GREAT WAR WEBSITE AND TIMELINE

 http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1917/senate.html  and Major Problems: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4.

 

February 1        Lecture: Wilsonian Internationalism and The Treaty of Versailles

February 3        *Discussion: Major Problems: 2.5-7; and all three essays in chapter 2. Online quiz

 

WEEK 4

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 4 (pp. 74-87)

February 6        Lecture and Roundtable Discussion: The Treaty Battle  Treaty Battle Timeline and Cartoon Images

February 8        Lecture: The 1920s: The End of Wilsonian Internationalism? 3.2, 3.4

February 9        *Discussion: Major Problems: 3.5-3.7, and all three essays in chapter 3.

 

WEEK 5

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 4/5 (pp. 87-106)

February 13      Lecture: World Depression and Emerging Threats

February 15      Lecture: From Isolationism to the Fall of France. 4.1, 4.2

February 16      Lecture: Moving toward War: From Fall of France to Dec. 6, 1941 4.4, 4.5

 

WEEK 6

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 6 (pp. 119-129)

February 20      Presidents’ Day, No Class

February 22      Lecture: Asian Crisis to US Entry into WWII 4.3

February 23      *Discussion: Major Problems: 4.6-8,  and both essays in chapter 4.

 

WEEK 7

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 6  (pp.129-150)

February 27      Lecture: WWII Diplomacy 5.1, 5.2

March 1            Lecture: Planning the Post-war World 4.3, 4.4

March  3          *Discussion: Major Problems: 5.5-5.8, and both essays in chapter 5. QUIZ THREE DUE IN CLASS MONDAY

WEEK 8

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 7 (pp. 157-171).

March 6            *Discussion: Major Problems: 5.5-5.8, and both essays in chapter 5

March  8           *Lecture/Discussion: Atomic Diplomacy. American Foreign Relations, pp.153-157), Major Problems: 6.1, 6.2 and Bernstein essay.

March  9          *Lecture/Discussion: The Origins of the Cold War. CW Origins, pt. 2.  6.6-6.8, essays by Offner and Gaddis.

 

WEEK 9A

SPRING BREAK, MARCH 13-17. ENJOY!!

 

WEEK 9B

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 7 (171-189)

March 20          Lecture: Cold War in Europe, 1946-48   

March  22         *Lecture/Discussion: The Fall of China, Atomic Secrets, 7.1, and essay “The Lost Chance for Peace” by Christensen.

March 23          Lecture: Cold War Turns Hot: NSC-68 and Korea. 6.9, 7.3, 7.4

 

 

WEEK 10

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 7 (pp. 189-209)

March 27          *Discussion on Korean War: Major Problems: 7.5-7.8 and essays by Cummings and Zubok and Pleshakov in chapter 7.

March 29          Lecture: Eisenhower’s Cold War 8.1-8.3

March 30          Lecture: The Cold War in the “Third World”

 

WEEK 11

American Foreign Relations, Chap. (222-233)

April 3              *Discussion: Major Problems: 9.1, 9.2 and Heiss essay.

April 5              Lecture: Kennedy and the Cold War 8.6,

April 6              *Discussion: All of chapter 10 in Major Problems on Cuban Missile Crisis.

 

WEEK 12

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 9 (213-222, 234-244).

April 10            Lecture: Vietnam, part 1. 11.1-3.

April 12            Lecture: Vietnam, part 2. 11.4-6. Cool VN website

April 13            NO CLASS

 

WEEK 13

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 10.

April 17            Lecture: Nixon and the end of the Vietnam War. 12.1-2.

April 19            *Discussion: The three essays in Major Problems, chap 11.

April 20            Lecture: Nixon, Kissinger and Détente

 

 

WEEK 14A

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 11

April 24            *Discussion: 12.4 and all three essays from chapter 12.

April 26            Lecture: Carter, Reagan, and the Cold War revived 13.1, 13.2.

April 27            Lecture: The End of the Cold War. 13.5-6.      Cold War Studies Paper due

 

 

WEEK 14B

American Foreign Relations, Chap. 12

May 1              *Discussion: All three essays from chapter 13.

May 3               Lecture: The US and the Middle East, (tbd)

May 4               Concluding Discussion, Exam Review. Book Review due.

 

WEEK 15        Final Exam as scheduled by the University