Case Study (Foreign Policy II)

Description

1. Objective:
The basic objective is to help students better understand how the "Real World" (International Political-Economy) works.

2. Focus or the "case" to be studied:
The Real "International Political-Economy" World is a global political system aspiring towards lasting Peace and Prosperity. Global Peace depends on, among other things, international security.

Thus, this course, namely Foreign Policy II, will focus on issues related to Peace. More specifically, it will take up the subject of "End of Wars".

It will be a comparative study of wars at their termination, namely how hostilities are ended, how peace is negotiated and concluded, and how the modality of the end of wars affect the subsequent international and regional political systems and political regimes of nations involved.

Students will be assigned one of the major players in the East Asia/Western Pacific 'theater', and will be tasked to study the respective positions of these players in each of the major wars occurring in this theater, from the turn of the 20th century to the present.

Required reading and reference materials will be indicated at a later date.

Syllabus

Updated on November 13

Syllabus for Case Study (Diplomacy II); winter 2009; titled "End of Wars"
By Visiting Professor Shotaro OSHIMA

Session 1 (October 1)

Introduction;
This is a comparative study of the termination of wars which took place in the East Asia / Western Pacific Theater in the last 100 years or so.

1) At this first session, basic factors, which would be the tools of analysis, will be introduced.

2) The American Civil War will be used to illustrate major factors in understanding the question of "strategy" and "War".

3) An introductory overview of the wars, which would be taken up during the course, will be made, and major powers and other participating political entities in the theater in question during the period under study will be identified.

Students will indicate their preference for the country of their choice, about which he/she will study and report to the class in the subsequent sessions.

Wars to be studied :
Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)
Russo-Japanese War
World War One in the theater in question
Sino-Japanese War (1931-45)
World War Two in the theater in question
Chinese Civil War
Korean War
War(s) in Vietnam (France in 1950s, US in 1960s 70s)
The Cold War in the Northeast and Southeast Asia

Powers and countries having stake in the theater;
Japan
China
Korea
Viet Nam
Russia
USA
UK
France
Germany and the Netherlands (pre-1945) and Australia and the Southeast Asian countries (WW II and after)

Session 2 (October 8)

1) Strategic environment of the East Asia / Western Pacific Theater in the context of global power balance
(1) Geography and geopolitics
(2) History ( "The Clash of Civilizations" )
(3) People and the human factor
(4) Economy
(5) The military

2) "After Victory" (cf. Ikenberry) and its implications on the East Asia / Western Pacific wars

3) Quick overview of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95)

4) Assignments of countries to students

From Session 3 and onward, students will give oral report to the class on the assigned country's strategic perspective, military and diplomatic policies, and actual implementation of such strategy and policies at the end of the wars in question. The reports will be then submitted in written form, after making necessary revisions after discussion in class.

Session 3 (October 15)

Russo-Japanese War

Session 4 & 5

World War One in this theater

Session 4 (October 22)

Last phases of hostilities

Session 5 (to be announced)

Versailles Conference and its impact on the region

Session 6 (November 14)

Sino-Japanese War (1931-45)

Session 7 & 8 (November 26 and 28)

World War Two in this theater

Session 9 (December 10)

Chinese Civil War

Session 10 (December 12 January 16)

Korean War

Session 11 (December 17)

War(s) in Vietnam (France in 1950s, US in 1960s 70s, Paris Peace Talks)

Session 12 (January 14)

Cold War in South East Asia (ASEAN, Cambodian Peace conference, Burma/Myanmar)

Session 13 (January 21)

Cold War in North East Asia (US Soviet stand-off, 38th Parallel, Taiwan Straits, "Northern Territories")

Session 14 (January 28)

"The End" to "End of Wars"; an integrating overview

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Course materials

Reading List (updated Sep. 9)

Required Reading:

• Samuel P. Huntington: The Clash of Civilizations; Remaking of World Order
• (Simon and Schuster, NY, 1997)
• G. John Ikenberry: After Victory (Princeton University Press, 2001)

References:

(Strategic Studies)

• Edited by Baylis, et al: Strategy in the Contemporary World; an Introduction to Strategic Studies, Second Edition (Oxford University Press, 2007)
• Edited by Mahnken and Maiolo: Strategic Studies; A Reader (Rutledge, 2008)
• Edited by Murray, Knox and Bernstein: The Making of Strategy; Rulers, States, and War (Cambridge University Press, 1994)

(American Civil War)

• Bruce Catton: Short History of the Civil War ((Dell Publishing Company, 1960)
• Michael Shaara: The Killer Angels (a novel) (1974)

General Comment on the language problem:
Students are urged to find books and reference materials about the countries of their assignment by authors native to that country in order to be in keeping with their "national perspective." (While it is appreciated that in many, if not most, of the cases the materials in their respective original languages will be difficult to find, and be understood, it is important to do one's best to find such works in English translation.)

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Grading

Oral and written reports and participation in class discussions will be comprehensively considered.