79 359 - Terrorism and Counter-terrorism in Ireland and the 20th Century

Institution:

Carnegie Mellon University

Subject:

Description:

The 20th Century was a time of enormous conflict and violence in Ireland as Irish Nationalists fought for independence from Great Britain and the unification of the island. From the Easter Rising of 1916, through the War for Independence (1919-1921), the Irish Civil War (1922-23), periodic IRA campaigns in Northern Ireland and the "Troubles" in the 1970's, 80's and 90's, governments in Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland repeatedly had to contend with armed uprisings which they characterized as terrorism. This course will exam these events with particular attention to how IRA terrorism was understood by the various governments and measures they took to combat it. It will also examine how militants understood themselves, their roles and their relationship with the communities they represented. By the end of the semester students will have an understanding of the specifics of Ireland's troubled history, but will also have developed a more sophisticated understanding of terrorism as a general phenomenon. We will ask what terrorism is, what its causes are, address the relationship between violent and non-violent protest and discuss what responsibility governments have for the eruption of violence and why they react to it in particular and often predictably counter-productive ways. This course is open to all students.

Credits:

9.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.cmu.edu/

Phone Number:

(412) 268-2000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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