HIS 2101 - Cold War as Global Conflict

Credits: 4
Although the Cold War formally ended twenty-five years ago its repercussions can still be felt in United States relations with Russia, in the partial warming of ties between the US and Cuba, and in the national security challenge posed by North Korea. The Cold War can also be linked to “failed states” in the Middle East and elsewhere which are a major concern for US foreign policy today. This course will trace the origins and conduct of US-Soviet or “East-West” rivalry after World War II. It will include the division of Europe in its political, economic, military, and cultural aspects. It will consider mutual perceptions and fears that informed both US and Soviet foreign policies. Last but not least, this course will encompass the impact of the Cold War on a global scale, taking account of the ways that US-Soviet rivalry intersected with the
European retreat from empire in Asia and Africa, helping to shape anti-colonial struggles and post-colonial “nation-building.”
McDaniel Plan: International Non-western; Social, Cultural, and Historical Understanding