Time Schedule:
Jonathan M. Acuff
POL S 324
Seattle Campus
Independent and coordinated efforts of Britain, France, and West Germany to adapt to the post-World War II global system. Creation and development of the Atlantic Alliance. Relations with postcommunist states. Decolonization and the evolution of relations with the Third World. The movement for European integration. Recommended: POL S 203.
Class description
This course is a survey of the pivotal role the states and peoples of Europe have played in shaping world politics in the last century. The course begins with a discussion of international politics at the end of the nineteenth century, a world dominated by the European Great Powers. We shall next examine the two world wars and the economic depression that destroyed the material and ideological bases of European power. We begin the second half of the course by examining the Cold War in Europe and the concomitant unraveling of the polyglot overseas empires amassed by the European powers. The final segment of the course covers the rise of the European Union and the future of the peoples under its sway. We shall study the constitutive institutions of the European Union, including the European Commission, Council, Parliament, and Court of Justice. In addition, we will explore the changes in European culture and identity stemming from the accession of most of the former Warsaw Pact states, as well as the influx of millions of immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East. We conclude with a brief examination of the new frictions in U.S.-European relations. Paired with several contrasting assessments of the stagnating economies of Europe, we shall evaluate the future of the transatlantic partnership and the fundamental social and economic challenges facing the states and peoples of Europe in the next century.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
While drawing on the most prominent theories in the study of international politics, I shall emphasize the contextual importance of different historical periods in European political development. To wit, we will also read some of the philosophers and political leaders who have either dramatically influenced each period or represent important moments in the history of ideas. Much of the assigned material is demanding and I will not shy away from the rigorous treatment that complex subjects deserve. Political science majors who have completed introductory coursework in IR and Comparative Politics at the University of Washington may take this course. Upper-level social science and humanities students who have some background in the study of European politics and history may also do well. Regardless of major, I strongly recommend against enrolling before completing the introductory course sequence.
Class assignments and grading
Required Texts:
Alan W. Cafruny and Magnus Ryner, Europe at Bay: In the Shadow of US Hegemony; William I. Hitchcock, The Struggle for Europe: The Turbulent History of a Divided Continent 1945 to the Present; Martin Kitchen, Europe Between the Wars: A Political History; John McCormick, Understanding the European Union. 3rd Edition; and Frederic Morton, Thunder at Twilight. A few additional readings are available online in electronic journals that you may access through the University of Washington library homepage or on specific webpages.
Midterm Exam: 30% Five to seven page analytical paper: 30% Final Exam: 40%
