FRS 001N - Sec. 001 - (2 units) - CRN 65623 - M 12:10-2:00pm - 273 Social Sciences
From Munich to Hiroshima: Problems in the Understanding of World War II's Politics

Instructor: Randolph Siverson, Department of Political Science, College of Letters and Science

Description: More than fifty years after the end of World War II there remain a number of contested problems in the politics of war. These involve questions about decisions that seem so ill-advised (e.g., Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union) or about decisions that seem to have had other goals than those announced at the time (e.g., the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima). The goal of this seminar is to delve into the literature on these problems to formulate analyses that explain the manner in which decisions were made. Students will read assigned material, but will also be expected to push beyond this on their own. Each student will write a paper on one of the topics of the course.

Format: The seminar will meet for two hours a week for eight weeks. The time will be divided between informal lecture and discussion during the first six weeks and student presentations in weeks seven and eight. The presentations will serve as the basis of the papers. There is no text for the course, but a course pack of duplicated readings will be made available at cost. Grading: Students will be required to prepare a short paper (i.e., between 5 and 10 pages) in which they frame their answer to one of the questions discussed during the quarter. (With the approval of the instructor they may also choose to identify another question). Grades will be based 50% on seminar participation and 50% on the paper.

About the Instructor: Randolph M. Siverson is a Professor of Political Science. He has been at UC Davis since 1970. He teaches courses on international politics and international conflict. He is the coauthor of The Diffusion of War (University of Michigan Press) and The Logic of Political Survival (MIT Press).