March 5th

Announcements

• Finalizing grades for Paper Number One

  • Grades will be released on ELMS tomorrow

  • Students will see the rubric and a few short comments with their grade

  • Important for students to review the rubric and comments before discussing grades with TAs or instructor

  • Common first question from TAs or instructor: "Did you look at the rubric in the comments?"

Revisions to the Syllabus

• Recent disruptions due to snow cancellations and previous class shifts have necessitated further revisions to the syllabus

• Revisions will be temporary until topic-specific case studies are introduced

• Focus is on the rules-based international order in the 21st century

Midterm Exam Information

• Midterm review sheet has been posted on ELMS

  • Contains all material that will appear on the midterm

  • No surprise questions in the exam; questions will be directly from the review sheet

• Importance of preparation

  • Students are expected to engage seriously with material, as expectations are higher due to advance notice of exam content

• Midterm structure:

  • Part One and Part Two are mandatory

  • Students must clearly label their responses in the exam

  • Focus on having a coherent argument supported by evidence in responses

Common Questions Regarding the Exam

• Clarification on structure of written responses

  • Expectation for essays to follow a three-paragraph structure

  • Emphasis on knowledge of historical context and modern implications

• Historical topics and their relevance in contemporary discussions

  • Discussion on core concepts like economic development, refugees, and global governance

• Expected continuity in discussions of historical context related to current issues

Discussion on International Entities

• Importance of the United Nations post-1945 in a bipolar world

  • The role of the UN in maintaining peace and stability during the Cold War

  • The US’s perspective on international commitment and intervention post-World War II

Truman Doctrine

• Shift in US foreign policy due to the Cold War context

  • The US commitment to aid democratic nations at risk of communist takeover

  • Historical implications of the Truman Doctrine on US foreign relations

• Economic and military aspects of the Truman Doctrine

  • Introduction of economic policies meant to counteract Soviet influence

  • Discussion on the implications of military commitments and interventions abroad

Marshall Plan and European Recovery

• Focus on George Marshall’s call for a comprehensive program to rebuild Europe

  • Partially motivated by fear of communist expansion

  • Resulted in considerable US funding initiatives aimed at stabilizing war-torn Europe

Cold War Conflicts

• Events leading to direct confrontations, for instance, the Berlin Airlift (1948-1949)

  • Context of the blockade by Soviet forces

  • Impact of US airlifts in sustaining Western Berlin

• Rise of military alliances:

  • Development of NATO as a collective self-defense agreement (Article 5)

  • Emergence of the Warsaw Pact as a critical counterbalance during the Cold War

Nuclear Strategy and Deterrence

• The impact of nuclear armament on US and Soviet strategies

  • Discussion on the aggressive and defensive aspects of nuclear posturing

  • Consideration of nuclear capabilities in shaping foreign policy decisions

• Potential for changing global power dynamics from bipolar to multipolar structures

  • Risks associated with proliferation of nuclear weapons to other states and the impact on superpower status

  • Exploration of deterrence theory in international relations

Key Takeaways and Considerations

• Understanding the complexity of US-Soviet relations and their broader implications on global politics

• Students are encouraged to actively engage with the material and develop a nuanced understanding of historical and contemporary issues related to international relations, focusing on both strategic interests and ethical considerations in foreign policy decisions.