INR 4224 - War and Peace in East Asia

Institution:

The University of West Florida

Subject:

Description:

This course uses East Asian international history since the late 19th Century to explore some of the most enduring questions about international politics. What are the causes of war? How, once begun, do wars end? Why do some wars end in negotiated settlements while others continue until one side's total defeat? How can states effectively communicate their intentions in spite of pervasive incentives to dissemble and prevaricate? When can alliances deter one's enemies, and when might they draw states into undesirable conflicts? Finally, how do the most powerful states in the system -- the great powers -- manage the ever-shifting landscape of power between them? We begin the course in Part I by introducing two critical components of the modern theory of war-uncertainty and commitment problems-that shed light on both why wars start and how they end. Part II begins with the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, which began a marked shift in power away from China and towards Japan, and ends with the collapse of the Japanese Empire at the end of the Second World War. Next, Part III explores the politics of the Cold War, which saw the consolidation of Communist China and the retreat of the Nationalist government to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese civil war and the United States' entry into the region as the status quo superpower during the Korean War. Finally, Part IV takes up questions of China's emergence as an economic power, continuing frontier rivalries with Taiwan, Russia, and smaller neighbors, and the possibility of its emergence as a global power in the coming decades. This course will be offered concurrently with INR 5xx1 War and Peace in East Asia; graduate students will be given additional work.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

uwf.edu

Phone Number:

(850) 474-2000

Regional Accreditation:

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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