Office 3223 Dwinelle, 642-1102 Office Hours Thursdays  4-5:30 pm

 e-mail athena1@berkeley.edu (Arabic numeral “1”)

Website:  130b material at  www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/

Relevant files will begin with 130b-, e.g., 130b-SyllabusFall05.html

Class e-list:  history130b@berkeley.edu    all on list will see postings.

 For private queries use athena1@berkeley.edu

Course Readers: Nicole Hill (nhill@berkeley.edu), Jason Fisher                    

Requirements:  Attendance at lectures,

 Midterm, 7-10 page paper (2100-3000 words),   Final.

Grading emphasis: 

Midterm  25% 

 Paper     25%  (can be based on course texts and/or outside research) or otherwise a serious movie/book review. See: http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/130b-FilmReview.html

http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/130b-BookReview.html

 Final       50%   A low midterm grade can be discounted by rising curve on paper and good final.

Course Description   In the last 107years (1898-2005 the United States has waged three wars in Asia (including WW2-Japan), three in the Middle East, fought in two great World Wars, and sustained a Cold War posture against its rival super-power, the now dismantled Soviet-Union, which spanned five decades (1946-1991).  In intervals of comparative peace (1904-1917, 1918-1941, and 1991-2001), the United States either reinforced its stance as a global power or, as in the 1920’s and 1930’s assumed a policy of isolation from world affairs with ultimately disastrous and war-provoking results.  We will focus on major episodes of United States international history beginning with Wilson and WW I through the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.  However our texts will allow course members to explore and research the diverse and complex events of the last quarter century, to reflect how those years may have led to the present exigency precipitated by the terrorist attacks on US soil and the World Trade Towers, September 11, 2001 and the consequent mobilization of the country and military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

.Thomas G. Paterson and Dennis Merrill, eds., Major Problems in American Foreign Relations: Since 1914: Documents and Essays, 6^th edition,  New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2004..

 Walter LaFeber,  The American Age : United States Foreign Policy at Home and Abroad since 1750, 2nd edition, New York : Norton, 1994.

Marilyn B. Young, The Vietnam Wars:  1945-1990, NY: Harper-Collins, 1991

*Midterm   Tuesday October 18     *Paper Topics due Thursday October 27 (submit by e-mail)

*Paper Due  Tu November 22  Final  Exam group 5, W December 14, 12:30-3:30.

NB:  Course texts cover US foreign relations into the decade of the 1990’s (LaFeber) and up past  9/11/2001 (Paterson)  As part of the overall course experience you are required to read Paterson and Young in their entirety, and LaFeber continuously from pp. 269 to the end (there are some earlier assignments).  Lectures will concentrate on the period from the entry of the US into Europe’s global war,  and World War I through the War in Vietnam.  You should, however, be able, for the large final exam essay, and for some id items, and for a choice among shorter questions on the final to make reference to and incorporate your sense of the course of US conduct in the international sphere over the range of the 20^th century.  Readings are relatively light at the beginning of the course and heavier toward the end.  You are thus strongly urged to begin reading now at a systematic pace through the texts; otherwise you will have an unbalanced and large amount to synthesize.

Assignments:  A = American Age   P = Major Problems  VM = Vietnam Wars 

NOTE:  READING ASSIGNMENTS ARE LIGHT IN BEGINNING WEEKS.   THEY INCREASE THEREAFTER OWING TO GREATER SPECIFICITY AND DETAIL IN TEXTS.  YOU SHOULD ACQUAINT YOURSELF WITH OVERALL CONTENTS OF TEXTS IN ORDER TO BEGIN WORK ON YOUR PAPER.  IF YOU WISH TO EVEN YOUR LOAD AND FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH MAJOR THEMES, READ AHEAD; OTHERWISE, SINCE TEXTS ARE BASICALLY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER YOU CAN READ TO KEEP PACE WITH THE LECTURES.  LECTURES AND READING ASSIGNMENTS DO NOT COINCIDE.  BE SURE TO LEAVE TIME FOR YOUNG’S  THE VIETNAM WARS 2^ND HALF OF SEMESTER

Week I

Tu  Aug 30  First meeting, syllabus, mechanics, Overview and Introduction of Themes

Th  Sep 1 Constitution and Roots of American Foreign Policy

Titles Refer to Texts, not necessarily the day’s lecture material)

 Please read for the constitutional issues: A xix-xx, 3-15, 32-35, 83-88, 94-104, 149-187,  and  US Constitution:  Article I, sections 8 and 9, Article II, section 2, Article III, sections 2,3, and the War Powers Act accessible at many sites including class website:

www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/Constitution(US).html

www.mip.berkeley.edu/classes/history16/diplomatic/WarPowersAct.html

Week II 

Tu Sep 6  P 1-30  Approaching American Foreign Relations

Th Sep 8  A 269-297 Wilsonians, Revolutions, and War, P 33-39     

Week III

Tu Sep 13 A 302-319 Victors without Peace, P 39-47

Th Sep 15 P, 48-69

Week IV

Tu Sep 20 A 319-330 Victors without Peace. 

Th Sep 22  A 334-352 P 71-88

WEEK V

Tu  Sep 27  A 354-363, P 88-110

Th Sep 29   A 370-389 P 112-133

WEEK VI 

Tu Oct 4 A 389-406*  P 133-151*  * = most likely reading point for midterm

Th Oct 6  A 413-433   P 153-166

WEEK VII

Tu Oct 11  A 433-451, P166-184

Th Oct 13 A 457-470   P 186-207

WEEK VIII

Tu Oct 18 MIDTERM, Will most likely cover period f rom Woodrow Wilson to US entry into World War II, i.e., to American Age to p. 406 and Major Problems to  p.151.  I have assigned readings beyond US entry into World War II in order to provide some equity in reading assignments.

Th Oct 20,  A 470-494, P 207-242

WEEK IX

Tu Oct 25    A 504- 531,  P 245-263

Th Oct 27  PAPER  TOPICS DUE,  A 536-573,  P 263-286

WEEK X

Tu Nov 1  A 580-625, P 288-301

Th Nov 3  A 633-674, P 302-323

WEEK XI

Tu Nov 8  P chapter 9, 325-365

Th Nov 10  A 680-702  P 367-388,   VM (Vietnam Wars) chapters 1-3

WEEK XII

Tu Nov 15 Th Nov 17  P 388-413,  VM chapters 4-6

Th Nov 17 no reading assignment

WEEK XIII

Tu Nov 22 PAPERS DUE

Th  Nov 24 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

WEEK XIV

Tu Nov 29  A 702-737, P 414-452,  VM chapters 7-9

Th  Dec 1  A 745-766, P 455-494,   VM chapters 10-12

WEEK XV

Tu  Dec 6  A 766-779, P 496-533 , VM chapters 13-15

Th Dec  8  P 536-588 (September 11, 2001 . . .)

Tu Dec 14 Final Exam, Group 5, W DEC 14, 12:30-3:30 pm, place to be announced

NOTE:   FINAL MAKE UP EXAMS ARE ONLY GIVEN AT DEPARTMENT DETERMINED DATES FOR THOSE PROVIDING A VALID EXCUSE FOR MISSING THE REGULAR EXAMINATION.  AN INCOMPLETE CAN BE GIVEN AT INSTRUCTOR'S DISCRETION PROVIDED COMPLETION OF AT LEAST 50% OF THE COURSE REQUIREMENTS WITH AT LEAST A C AVERAGE.

FOR P/NP STUDENTS:  YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL THE COURSE WORK

Note:  If you need to make special exam arrangements please inform your professor in person well in advance as well as the appropriate campus office.  It is often not possible to make last minute arrangements.