Smith College: Introductory Lecture

Transcription

1 Smith College: Introductory Lecture September 22, 2009 The Genesis of International Systems From Vienna 1815 to Versailles 1919: The Legacy of Wilson Documents: 1. Traité d alliance entre les cours d Autriche, de la Grande-Bretagne, de la Prusse et de la Russie, 20 Novembre, 1815, (The Quadruple Alliance), 2. List of Congresses under the Concert of Europe, 3. Wilson s Fourteen Point Speech (War and Peace: Presidential Messages, Addresses and Public papers ( ) Texts: 1. Cambridge Modern History, Chapter VIII, The Peace Settlement of Versailles: Richard B. Elrod, The Concert of Europe: A Fresh Look at an International System, World Politics. ASSIGNMENT No. 1. DUE BEFORE CLASS: October 6, The Congress System (Concert of Europe), which was established at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, imposed certain stability on the continent that kept the peace until the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854, or nearly 40 years of peace. The Bismarckian systems, which dominated European diplomacy in the latter part of the 19 th and into the 20 th century, managed to forestall a European conflict until the outbreak of WWI in 1914, or 44 years of peace. Despite the similar duration of peace the Bismarckian systems were not stable, and probably not sustainable international systems. What were the fundamental flaws in the Bismarckian systems that can explain the deterioration of international relations as of 1890 and the ultimate outbreak of war in 1914?

2 First Workshop, September 29, 2009 (Jaci) Introduction and workshop on Assignment No. 1. In class activity: Debate on Whether the U.S. Should Join the League of Nations

3 Smith College: Second Lecture October 6, 2009 The Origins of WWI and the Implications for the Peace Documents: Texts: 1. Chronology of events, 2. Document set Part Five - 1. Gordon Martel, The Origins of the First World War, Chapter Six: The Vortex of South-eastern Europe. 2. James Joll, The Origins of the First World War, Chapter Three: The Alliance System and the Old Diplomacy. 3. Barbara Tuchman, The Zimmerman Telegram, Chapter Twelve: Obliged to Believe It. Assignment No. 2. Due October 20, 2009 The delegates who drafted the Covenant of the League of Nations were well aware that the member states would be willing to comply with international legislation out of the goodness of their hearts. After the horrors of WWI it was clear that certain sanctions would need to be incorporated into the system in order to comply states to comply with the decision of the League. What were the principle sanctions that the Covenant envisaged, and what experience of their recent past convinced these statesmen that these measures would be sufficient to force compliance?

4 Second Workshop October 13, 2009 (Jaci) Discussion of reading and an examination of The League of Nations in fiction. Workshop on Assignment No. 2. Examination of the articles of the Covenant of The League of Nations.

5 Documents: Smith College: Third Lecture October 20, 2009 The Functioning and Dis-Functioning of the Versailles System 1. The Covenant of the League of Nations, (Arts. 1 26) 2. Part VII of the Versailles Treaty, Arts The Briand-Kellogg Pact, The General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy, signed at Paris, August 27, Text: 1. Cambridge Modern History, Chapter VIII, The Peace Settlement of Versailles: N.B. See handout for the introductory lecture for this text. 2. A. Wood, Europe , Chapters 29 & 30. Assignment No. 3. Due: November 3, It is generally considered that the Manchurian Crisis of , was the first great failure of the League of Nations. Examine the events associated with the Manchurian Crisis in light of the Covenant, and indicate, if indeed the League did fail, where this failure occurred.

6 Third Workshop, October 27, 2009 (Jaci) Brief workshop on Assignment No. 3. Lecture on the ILO and preparation for the visit to the ILO Distribute readings for the next workshop.

7 Smith College, Fourth Lecture November 3, 2009, The Demise of the Versailles System and the Origins of WWII Documents: 1. Document pack, Part Four. Text: 1. R. J. Overy, The Origins of the Second World War: Chapters 1, 2, & 3. Assignment No. 4. Due: Due November 17, 2009 Unlike after WWI, when there was at least an attempt at international cooperation through the League, the relations between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. deteriorated so quickly that there was never any illusion about the role the United Nations would be able to play on the international scene. What was the fundamental bone of contention that kept the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. at loggerheads and which can be seen as the issue that was central to the outbreak of the Cold War?

8 Fourth Workshop November 10, 2009 (Jaci) Discussions of the reading: The Contemporary International Community. Guest speaker from the DCAF on the Security Sector NGOs

9 Smith College: Fifth Lecture November 17, 2009 The Failure to Transform The United Nations Military Alliance into a Functioning International System Documents: 1. Document Pack: Documents The Atlantic Charter. 3. Selected Allied Conferences 4. The Yalta Conference 5. Foreign Affairs, Mr. X, (George Kennan), The Sources of Soviet Conduct. Text: 1. Martin McCauley, The Origins of the Cold War, Chapters, 2, 3, & 4.

10 Guest Lecturers Davide Rondogno Humanitarian interventions: Old wine in new bottles? TBA (Hopefully in the week of Nov ) Harriet Martin Mediation: The resurrection of an old tool with a new twist. TBA (Hopefully in the week of Nov. 30 Dec. 4)

11 Fifth Workshop, December 8, 2009 (Jaci) Review session for the test. LAST ROUNDUP, December 15, TEST

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