HIST 263(S) The United States and the World, 1914 to the Present (Same as Leadership Studies 263)
World War I altered the world's geostrategic balance and ushered in a new era for U.S. foreign relations. The self-identified isolationist power would emerge as a hegemon, no longer able or content to rely upon its geographic position to protect it from global entanglement. Some have called this the "Wilsonian Century," as Woodrow Wilson led the charge to involve the United States in a new international order. This new order did not materialize immediately after the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, especially as the world descended into economic depression. During and after World War II, though, the U.S. adopted activist methods of spreading self-determination, democracy, and capitalist models of development and free trade around the world. This became all the more critical as European empires disintegrated and decolonizing countries looked to the adversarial superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, for competing models of development and modern forms of government. Through a variety of primary sources and scholarly books and articles, this course will explore U.S. relations with the world from World War I to the current war in Iraq. In addition to official U.S. policy, the course will examine America's economic, cultural, and ideological impact abroad. It will also consider how international events have shaped American society and culture and, in turn, how domestic factors have influenced American foreign policy.
Format: lecture/discussion. Evaluation will be based on class participation, two 5- to 7- page papers, quizzes, and a final exam.
No prerequisites. No enrollment limit (expected: 20-30). Open to all.
Group F
Hour: CHAPMAN