HI413: American Diplomacy

Mr. Backon

Assignment 1. Introduction: The State of the World I. Zakaria: pp. 1-26 and blog post.

What are the three tectonic power shifts over the past five hundred years? Explain the paradox of the past two decades since the end of the Cold War. What is the Islamic threat? How does the fall of the Soviet Union impact the future of American diplomacy?

Assignment 2. Introduction: The State of the World II. Zakaria: pp. 26-48 and blog post. Class leader: Carlos

What is the “problem of plenty"? How is nationalism impacting nations' options for the future? Why does Zakaria characterize the United States as the last superpower?

Assignment 3. A Non-Western World I: Zakaria, pp. 48-69 and blog post.

What is the explanation for the long dormant period of the non-Western world? How is strength actually weakness for the non-Western world? Is culture destiny? Beginning in the fifteenth century, what factors permitted the West to gain such a great advantage over non-Western cultures? What is the Islamic threat? How does the fall of the Soviet Union impact the future of American diplomacy?

Assignment 4. A Non-Western World II: Zakaria, pp. 69-86 and blog post. Class leader: Conor

What was the key to the attraction of Westernization for non-Western powers? Can one be modern today without being Western? What is the death of the old order Zakaria refers to? Why is it understandable the different cultures would have different foreign policy priorities?

Assignment 5. The Road to War. Read: Ambrose, pp. 1-14 and blog post.

Did the U.S. have control of its foreign policy during these years? The Neutrality Acts (arms embargo) were very controversial, as you can see. Pay close attention to the series of events that led the U.S. into an undeclared naval war with Germany months before Pearl Harbor.

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Assignment 6. The course of World War II in Europe. Read: Ambrose, pp. 15-34 and blog post. Class leader: Consuelo

What were the greatest policy challenges facing the Roosevelt Administration during the war? What could/should the United States have done differently? Be certain you understand the goals and accomplishments of the wartime summits.

Assignment 7. Assessment #1

Assignment 8. The course of World War II in the Pacific. Read Ambrose, pp. 35-51 and blog post. Class leader: Courtney

In many ways, the American effort in the Pacific was less complicated (in terms of diplomacy) than the effort in Europe. Be certain you understand the basic chronology of the war in the Pacific.

Assignment 9. The Beginnings of the Cold War. Read Ambrose, pp. 52-74 and blog post. Class leader: Jeff

What were the issues that shattered the Grand Alliance? What did the USSR consider to be vital national interests in the immediate post-war years? What were the issues vital to the US? In class, we will look at sections of George Kennan’s famous Long Telegram. Kennan’s message found eager listeners in the corridors of power. It was used to justify the Truman Doctrine as the way to respond to the Soviet Union. How do you think Kennan felt? Which country bears primary responsibility for the chill in relations between the two World War II allies?

Assignment 10. Debate: Yalta.

Topic: Yalta -- Diplomatic success or Sell-out?

Assignment 11. The Challenger - China: Zakaria, pp. 87-93; 108-128 and blog post.

What makes China of interest to the United States? Characterize the cultural differences between the the two countries that might impact our relations with China. How does China's growth impact other world powers? What are the specific foreign policy issues between the U.S. and China?

Assignment 12. Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. Read Ambrose, pp. 75-94 and blog post.

What were the goals of each, both stated and unstated? Truman and company intentionally overstated the danger and the case for these policies? Why?

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Assignment 13. Formalization of the containment policy. Read Ambrose, pp. 95-113 and blog post. Class leader: Jessie

Once formalized, containment remained the basic tenant of American foreign policy until the 1990’s. Notice the almost inflammatory language of NSC 68 (try to read sections I, II, III and VII by clicking on the link; we will finish in class). Why did the authors feel this was necessary?

Assignment 14. The Korean War. Read Ambrose, pp. 114-126 and blog post. Class leader: JL

Pay particular attention to the actions of Truman and MacArthur during the opening days of the crisis. What role did the "fall" of China in 1949 play in the decisions of 1950?

Assignment 15. The Ally - India: Zakaria, pp. 129-152; 158-166 and blog post. Class leader: Joe

Why is China the Challenger and India the Ally? What is the difference between India's growth strategy and that of China? What is your assessment of India's government? How would you describe Indian foreign policy? How does its possession of nuclear weapons impact India's relationship with the U.S.?

Assignment 16. Assessment #2

The essay question is: "Which country, the US or the USSR, bears primary responsibility for the development of the Cold War?"

Assignment 17. The Eisenhower and Dulles years. Read Ambrose, pp. 127-150 and blog post. Class leader: Josh

Note the different shape foreign policy took under the Republicans. What domestic political forces were reflected in the "New Look" policy of the 1950’s? Be certain you understand what brinkmanship is.

Assignment 18. Brinkmanship and confrontation. Read Ambrose, pp. 151-170 and blog post. Introduce final project. Class leader: MacKenzie

How successful was this foreign policy of John Foster Dulles? What were similarities and differences among the crises in Hungary, Suez, China and Cuba? Note the tremendous impact of Sputnik. Is Ambrose sympathetic to or critical of the Eisenhower Administration?

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Assignment 19. JFK and the New Frontier. Read Ambrose, pp. 171-189 and blog post. Class leader: Maddie

What preconceptions did President Kennedy bring into office with him? What new avenues of foreign policy, if any, did the Kennedy Administration explore? How do you explain the harsh rhetoric of 1961, followed by the Test Ban Treaty and American University speech (we will listen to some of this in class) in 1963?

Assignment 20. Cuban Missile Crisis. Research and bring to class a brief outline of the main events of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

What did the USSR hope to gain by introducing medium range nuclear missiles into Cuba? Why did the Kennedy Administration respond as strongly as it did? Was this reaction an overreaction or was it justified? What lessons were learned as a result of this crisis?

Assignment 21. Debate.

Topic: John F. Kennedy -- Brash, Inexperienced Cold Warrior or Flexible Leader Who Learned and Became Great Foreign Policy President?

Assignment 22. Vietnam -- the years of escalation. Read Ambrose, pp. 190-223 and blog post. Final project topics due. Class leader: Ryan

What were the basic assumptions of the American government? Did they change from one administration to another? Where did these assumptions come from? Were they correct?

Long Weekend.

Assignment 23. Reassessment and de-escalation in Vietnam. Read Ambrose, pp. 224-253 and blog post. Class leader: Victoria

What caused president Johnson to put a hold on further troop increases in March 1968? What was Richard Nixon’s "secret plan" to end the war in Vietnam? How successful was it?

Assignment 24. American policy in the Middle East. Read Ambrose, pp. 254-280 and blog post.

How did Israel and the U.S. establish strong ties in the face of many career diplomats who were more concerned with maintaining close ties with oil producing Arab nations? Note the varying degrees of American involvement during the last forty years. Is the Israeli relationship vital to the U.S.?

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Assignment 25. The Carter years. Read Ambrose, pp. 281-302 and blog post.

How was President Carter’s foreign policy philosophy different from his predecessors? What effect did this have on the formulation of policy? What domestic political problems did this create for the president? Make certain you understand the Carter Doctrine.

Assignment 26. The Reagan years. Read Ambrose, pp. 303-351 (split up reading) and blog post.

What are the most striking characteristics of Reagan foreign policy? What were its goals? What were the underlying assumptions of the Reagan Administration?

Assignment 27. The end of the Cold War. Read Ambrose, pp. 352-380 and blog post.

The policy of containment, never really challenged as an underlying assumption of U.S. foreign policy, lasted for 45 years and cost in the trillions of dollars. On balance, was it worth it?

Assignment 28. Assessment #3.

In a clear, well-reasoned essay, answer the following question:

• What role, if any, should morality play in the creation and implementation of US foreign policy? Why or why not?

Assignment 29. The Gulf War and post-Cold War. Read Ambrose, pp. 381-397. Online class.

What were the issues that led the Bush Administration to intervene in the Persian Gulf? Was the international coalition a dramatic policy departure for the U.S., or was it a new look for a by now traditional interventionist policy? What are the issue facing American policy makers as the world moves further into the 21st century?

Assignment 30. Clinton Years, part I: Democratic Enlargement. Read Ambrose, pp. 399-430 and blog post.

What foreign policy commitments were inherited from the George H. W. Bush Administration? What underlying assumptions were inherited? What role did domestic politics play in creating foreign policy these years? Did this change? How so?

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Assignment 31. Clinton, part II: New Post-Cold War Order. Read Ambrose, pp. 431-460 and blog post.

How would you describe the “new world order” in the second Clinton Administration? Make certain you understand how and why the policy decisions with regard to the Balkans and genocide in Africa were created? Why were these decisions so controversial? Note how other issues (developing world, environmental concerns, etc.) began to play a significant role in the creation of foreign policy. What was the Clinton Administration’s policy toward Osama bin Laden?

Assignment 32. September 11, 2001. Read Ambrose, pp. 461-472 and blog post.

To what extent did these events change the policy-making apparatus? These issues are obviously very much with us today!

Assignment 33. Post 9/11: War on Terror, Iraq and Bush Administration. Read Ambrose, pp. 473-512 (split up reading) and blog post.

What were the imperatives behind the decision to invade Iraq? Much of the public justification for the invasion focused on Iraq’s pending ability to get weapons of mass destruction. Behind closed doors of policy makers, what were other reasons for the US decision? What were the foreign policy successes of the Bush years? Failures?

Assignment 34. American Power: Zakaria, pp. 167-214 (split up reading).

What are the fundamental differences between the British Empire and the American Power that succeeded it? Was the replacement of Britain by America as the world power a natural course of events or does America have something unique that makes it better suited as a world leader? How much of an advantage is American demographics? Does it strengthen our foreign policy strategies? Why are we accused of dysfunctional politics?

Assignment 35 & 36. Final Projects. Order to be announced.

Assignment 37. American Purpose: Zakaria, pp. 215-259 (split up reading).

What is the future of the unipolar world? What are the prospects for another bi-polar or multi-polar world? How much influence did the Neo-Con school of foreign policy have on the U. S.? How much international support does the U.S. have currently? Of the six rules for a new age that Zakaria presents, which one will have the most impact on U.S. foreign policy for the next ten years? Why does Zakaria claim the U. S. is guilty of practicing fear and loathing?