Course Syllabus

This course surveys the field of international security. It starts by examining the nature of security, force and the threat of force in the international realm. It then examines the international security problems that emerge from the interactions of the great powers, and considers important historical cases including the August 1914 crisis, the initiation of the Second World War, and the end of the Cold War. During the second half of the course, it examines asymmetric international security problems, including wars with weak states, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, ethnic conflicts, and rising powers. It concludes by considering some of the solutions that have been proposed for the problems of international security, including international organizations, democracy promotion, and integration.