MALS 244 World Wars & Global Peace Culture

This seminar offers you the opportunity to read, think, talk, and write about two of the most important subjects in globalization studies: war and peace.  The seminar is organized as an investigation of the fact that, despite the prominence of warfare in daily news media and American popular culture, the last few decades have probably been the most peaceful period in human history.  We will focus our investigation first on the long history of ideas about war and peace, then on a global history of warfare, and finally on the recent history of positive efforts to make a more peaceful world.  We begin the term examining the long history of important ideas about war and peace.  Then, emphasizing developments since 1900, we study empires and international relations, and interstate and intrastate warfare.  Finally we examine history of peace especially liberal internationalism (rule of law, human rights, international organizations); the significance of nonviolent civil resistance since 1945; and third party interventions designed to end long bloody conflicts and build lasting peace.

Instructor

Ronald Edsforth