War in World Politics

Academic year 2011-12

Date last modified

23-4-2012 1:29

Period

Period 2

Startdate:

31-Oct-11

Enddate:

23-Dec-11

Code

SSC3012

ECTS credits

5.0

Organisational unit

University College Maastricht

Coordinator

R.N. Haar

Description

Why do nations and states go to war? This course will endeavor to give some answers to this question. To do that, the course will be divided into three sections that mirror the above objectives. The first section will focus on the different types of conflict. In this section, the ethics of war will also be discussed: do “Just Wars” exist? Section two will concentrate on the causes of conflict. It will reflect on a variety of sources that emerge from such domains as the global ystem, the states themselves or individuals. Part three will examine as case studies a number of modern conflicts, such as World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the breakup of Yugoslavia, the War between India and Pakistan, the Arab Israeli conflict and Saddam Hussein’s Wars against Iran and Kuwait.

Goals

• To understand international conflict. • To examine different types of conflict and their various causes in the world. • To examine as case studies different conflicts throughout history.

Instruction language

Prerequisites

SSC1006 International Relations or SSC1025 Introduction to Political Science and at least one 200 level Social Science course.

Recommended literature

• Cashman, G. (2000). What Causes War? An Introduction to Theories of International Conflict. Lexington Books. • Stoessinger, J. G. (2007). Why Nations Go to War. Tenth Edition. Thomson, Wadsworth.

Teaching methods

PBL
PRESENTATION(S)
LECTURE(S)
ASSIGNMENT(S)
PAPER(S)

Assessment methods

FINAL PAPER
ATTENDANCE
PARTICIPATION
WRITTEN EXAM
ORAL EXAM
TAKE HOME EXAM

Key words