GOVT 50.29 War, Coercion, and Asymmetric Conflicts: Israel as Case Study

In many ways, the ultimate moment of truth in international politics is the use of force—and war. It is hardly surprising, then, that the field of International Relations (IR) largely revolves around conflict in general, and around states’ efforts to gain influence, deter adversaries and if not to avoid war, then to win war. This course combines IR causes-of-war theory, on the one hand, and an empirical focus on one of the most prominent contemporary case studies, on the other hand, namely Israel. The course will analyze the strategic origins of key wars in Israel’s history and their broader implications on the Middle East—beginning with Israel’s post-independence wars all the way to the war of October 7 and the recent U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.

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Government