March 9th

Global Foreign Policy Context

Current discussions are set against the backdrop of recent Iran strikes.
The strikes are interlinked with the ongoing debate about nuclear weapons and their proliferation.
Israel and the United States have significant interests in preventing nations like Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

Date and Timing: The midterm will take place on March 27, the Friday after spring break.
Location: Will occur in the classrooms designated for discussion sections, not the regular classroom.
Duration: The exam will utilize the full class period.
Preparation:
- Two review sessions on the Monday and Wednesday preceding the midterm.
- A midterm study sheet will be provided; students are encouraged to utilize it during spring break.
- A blue book exam format will be used, requiring students to write legibly and bring necessary materials (pen, pencil).
- The exam format includes a short answer identification section (defining concepts and explaining events in 1-3 sentences) and a longer essay section (five paragraphs or more, applying class material creatively).
- All material covered up to the week of the midterm is fair game.

Due Date: May 1, by 5 PM in both hard copy and electronic form.
Length Requirements: Paper should be between 1,600 to 2,000 words, excluding endnotes or footnotes.
Content Requirements:
- Explain the importance of the chosen topic within global foreign policy.
- Assess two distinct options for tackling the defined problem.
- Robust use of class concepts and external research is expected.
Additional Instructions: Students may propose their own prompts with prior approval; meeting with the professor is necessary.
Initial Writing and Revision: Emphasis on starting early to avoid the pitfalls encountered with previous papers where too much content was needed in limited space.

TAs will be grading recent papers; feedback will highlight student achievements in grasping course concepts.
Policy reflection pieces are also due; engagement with events in the DC area is encouraged.
No makeup submissions for reflections will be entertained—students are responsible for meeting deadlines.

The course has covered various causes of war and how these manifest in real-world scenarios.
Conventional wars involve traditional armies, defined battle lines, clear military strategies, and are fought with conventional weapons.
Warfare instills destruction but occurs over time, and the violence remains controllable and strategic.
Decision-making about war relies on relative power; weaker states avoid initiating conflict against stronger foes without reasonable prospects for victory.

Post-World War II, the focus has turned to nuclear weapons, which were first created in 1945.
The presence and expansion of nuclear arsenals, particularly among the US, Russia, China, and others, is a critical aspect of global and foreign policy.
Nuclear weapons are known for their vast destructive capabilities, which require careful consideration in foreign policy debates.

Illustration of potential nuclear devastation:
- A typical US nuclear warhead can cause immediate casualties reaching as high as 61,000, with long-term effects impacting an even greater population.
- Emphasizes the catastrophic and rapid destruction caused by nuclear weapons compared to conventional warfare, where damage accrues over time.
- The rapid creation of devastation reveals the pressing need for international discourse on the management of nuclear capabilities.

Evolving theories regarding the impacts of nuclear weapons on global and foreign policy are debated.
Robert Jervis argues that nuclear weapons strains may not change the causes of war, while proponents of the nuclear revolution thesis argue that they fundamentally alter the dynamics.
Two core characteristics of nuclear warfare:
- Massive Destructive Potential: Nuclear weapons can inflict instantaneous damage unlike conventional warfare.
- Defensive Vulnerability: States cannot effectively defend against nuclear strikes, shifting power balances and enforcing strategic caution in international relations.

The presence of nuclear weapons may actually deter war due to the catastrophic consequences of conflict between nuclear-armed states.
Nuclear parallels suggest that as the number of nuclear powers increases, warfare between them decreases due to the inherent mutual destruction.
The prospect of mutually assured destruction (MAD) influences state behavior, leading to more cautious foreign policy decisions.

The nuclear revolution may necessitate new diplomacy and policy frameworks as threats of nuclear use can lead to a reevaluation of alliances and treaties.
Strategies for nuclear proliferation pose unique challenges; the introduction of arms control agreements may become critical to avoid escalation between established and emerging nuclear powers.
There are ongoing discussions regarding the role of non-state actors in nuclear proliferation, and how their acquisition of such power could change global dynamics.

Students are encouraged to reflect on the complexity of international relations post-nuclearization and consider the balance of power and diplomacy strategies that could emerge in a world where nuclear capabilities are widespread.
Importance of critical thinking about classical war theories and their applicability in a modern context shaped by the realities of nuclear threat.

More discussions regarding nuclear proliferation, international relations, and foreign policy approaches will be outlined in further sessions, with critical reevaluation needed based on class discourse and readings.