ASPO 25A23 - International Wars and Conflicts

This course will examine some fundamental questions about the sources and the nature of wars in international politics. War is an significant part of our culture and remains a tragically recurrent phenomenon. From Ukraine to Gaza, from Iran to Sudan, weapons are fired and people are killed.

The first part of the course will deal with the passions and reasons of conflicts. We will revisit classic motives such as status, revenge, honor to better understand the decision to go to war. We will also analyze the role of political regime and leaders’ reputation in the process leading to the use of force. We will also explore the forces of the international system, the logic the security dilemma, the dynamics of great powers’ rise and fall.

In the second part, we will address specific issues related to conflicts: the nuclear dimension, the war on terror and its consequences, the practice of humanitarian operations ? Can we speak of “new wars” in the 21st century, and if so, why? How do wars end?

We will try to answer some of these questions through an interdisciplinary perspective, incorporating insights from political science, anthropology, psychology and history and illustrated through specific cases’ analyses. With these elements, the course will attempt to better understand our current security environment and to make better sense of the phenomena of wars.

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To have followed an Introduction to International Relations Course.

• Brief Memo 20%

You will write a short review of one specific conflict that happened in the last 300 years. We will provide you with a list of wars from which you will pick one of your choosing. You will have to shortly describe the conflict, explain the reasons of its occurrence and its impact on the belligerents and beyond. The memo shouldn’t be more than 5 pages long (with 1,5 spacing).

• Op-Ed papers 40%

You will have to write two editorial columns, as if you were a foreign affairs columnist for a national newspaper. The aim is to translate academic arguments into an opinion that may be read by a general audience. It is thus an opportunity to link theoretical developments to current events. The piece should be 700 words maximum, without any reference. I want your opinion on an issue. I will give you a topic and you will have to submit your paper the week after, by bringing it to the next class. Late submission will receive a penalty of 2 points per day.

• Final Exam 40%

The final exam will take place during the second week of December. It will have two parts. The first will be a Q. & A. on some notions and concepts that have been developed in the course. The second part will be a short essay. You will have to choose between two questions. What we are looking for is your enlightened opinion, based on facts and developed by arguments. You will be judged on the clarity of your writing and the pertinence of your arguments.