05515 - History of International Relations

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Docente: Paolo Soave
  • Credits: 10
  • SSD: SPS/06
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in International relations and diplomatic affairs (cod. 8048)

Learning outcomes

The course in History of International Relations is aimed at understanding the evolution of the international scenario from the Congress of Vienna to the breakdown of USSR. Students will be able to manage historical diplomatic case-studies and analyze new crisis for an autonomous comprehension. History of International Relations is a basic course of international studies and for diplomacy.

Course contents

History of International Relations focuses on the evolution of international scenarios and actors, mainly through diplomatic practice and agreements as first tool of behaviour in foreign affairs and crisis resolution.

Part I: History of International Relations and Diplomacy

The discipline

Diplomacy, its historical and professional evolution; Diplomacy and Foreign Policy

Diplomatic Documents

Part II: Concert of Europe and German rise

A Post-Napoleonic World: Eurocentrism and Balance of Power

Congress of Vienna

Diplomacy by Conference and Crimean War

Italian international position and the principle of nationality

Bismarck and his power system

Part III: Europe Towards Disaster

Geopolitics, Power Policy and Colonial Struggles

Rise of USA and Japan

Birth of defensive alliances

Italy and the Alliance

First World War

Italy from neutrality to Entente

Peace Proposals of Lenin and Benedetto XV

Wilson's Fourteen Points

Part IV: Birth and Failure of Collective Security

Heritage of First World War

Peace treaties and League of Nations

Debts and war reparations

German and Soviet isolation

Fascism and foreign policy

Locarno treaties

Economic crisis of 1929 and international consequences

Weimar and Nazism rise

Manchurian crisis

Ethiopian war

Spanish civil war

Mussolini and Hitler

Appeasement

Anschluss

Munich conference

Pact of Steel

Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact

Second World War

Allied War conferences

Yalta and Potsdam

End of European power and beginning of atomic power

Part V: The Bipolar World

United Nations

Bretton Woods

Peace treaties

Superpowers

Great Western alliance: Containment, Marshall Plan, North Atlantic Treaty

European integration process and Cold War

Italy: from defeat to Western community

Birth of Israel and Palestinian question

Corean War

German question and Warsaw Pact

Destalinization

Hungarian crisis

Suez crisis

Space Race

Bandung conference and the beginning of decolonization process

Decolonization of Congo

Decolonization of Algeria

Cuban crisis

Six Days War

Czech crisis

Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty

Vietnam War

Triangular Diplomacy

Yom Kippur war and oil shock

Strategic Agreements between Superpowers

Detente, Ostpolitk, CSCE

Second Cold War: Iran, Afghanistan, Euromissiles

Slow Soviet decline

Gorbachev's reforms and Soviet breakdown

German reunification and the Birth of European Monetary Union

Part VI: Multipolarism and Globalization

After Bipolarism: American Unilateralism

Postbipolar crisis: Somalia, breakdown of Jugoslavia, Kosovo

Larger West: European Union and NATO Enlargment

Crisis and Rise of Russia

Rise of China

September 11 and International Terrorism

American Reaction: Afghanistan and Iraq

Obama and the End of American Unilateralism

"Arab Springs" and Destabilization of Middle East

Globalization: Beyond World Order?


Readings/Bibliography

Part I:

S. Romano, Diplomazia, Enciclopedia delle Scienze Sociali, 1982

http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/diplomazia_%28Enciclopedia-delle-scienze-sociali%29/

Slides available online https://iol.unibo.it/

Part II and III:

G. Formigoni, Storia della politica internazionale nell'eta' contemporanea, il Mulino, Bologna 2018 (pp. 57-69, 74-98, 105-125, 134-140, 145-170, 176-195)

Part IV, V and VI:

A. Varsori, Storia Internazionale. Dal 1919 a oggi, il Mulino, Bologna 2015

A Reading from the Following Texts:

- S. Baldi, G. Nesi, Diplomatici, Editoriale Scientifica, Napoli 2018;

- F. Bettanin, Putin e il mondo che verra'. Storia e politica della Russia nel nuovo contesto internazionale, Viella, Roma 2018;

- S. Bianchini e A. Fiori (a cura di), Russia e Cina nel mondo globale. Due potenze fra dinamiche interne e globali, Carocci, Roma 2018;

- F. Cardini, S. Valzania, La pace mancata. La conferenza di Parigi e le sue conseguenze, Mondadori, Milano 2018;

- M. De Leonardis, Storia dei Trattati e Politica Internazionale. Fonti, metodologia, nascita ed evoluzione della diplomazia permanente, EDUCatt, Milano 2015;

- E. Di Nolfo, Il mondo atlantico e la globalizzazione. Europa e Stati Uniti: storia, economia e politica, Mondadori Universita', Milano 2014;

- M. Graziano, Geopolitica. Orientarsi nel grande disordine internazionale, il Mulino, Bologna 2019;

- P. Kennedy, Ascesa e declino delle grandi potenze, Garzanti, Milano 1993;

- W. Keylor, Un mondo di nazioni: l'ordine internazionale dopo il 1945, Guerini,Milano 2014;

- H.A. Kissinger, L'arte della diplomazia, Sperling & Kupfer, Milano 2014;

- L. Medici, Dalla propaganda alla cooperazione. La diplomazia culturale italiana nel secondo dopoguerra (1944-1950), Cedam, Padova 2009;

- L. Monzali, Il colonialismo nella politica estera italiana 1878-1949. Momenti e protagonisti, Società Editrice Dante Alighieri, Roma 2017;

- M. Mugnaini (a cura di), 70 anni di storia dell'Onu 60 anni di Italia all'Onu, Franco Angeli, Milano 2017;

- H. Nicolson, Il Congresso di Vienna, Castelvecchi, Roma 2015;

- L. Nuti, La sfida nucleare. La politica estera italiana e le armi atomiche 1945-1991, il Mulino, Bologna 2007;

- D. Pasquinucci, Contro l'Europa? I diversi scetticismi verso l'integrazione europea, il Mulino, Bologna 2016;

- L. Riccardi, L'ultima politica estera. L'Italia e il Medio Oriente alla fine della Prima Repubblica, Rubbettino, Soveria Mannelli 2014;

- P. Soave, Fra Reagan e Gheddafi. La politica estera italiana e l'escalation libico-americana degli anni '80, Rubbettino, Soveria Mannelli 2017;

- A. Varsori, Radioso Maggio. Come l'Italia entro' in guerra, il Mulino, Bologna 2015;

- A. Varsori, L' Italia e la fine della guerra fredda. La politica estera dei governi Andreotti (1989-1992), il Mulino, Bologna 2013; 

- O.A. Westad, La guerra fredda globale. Gli Stati Uniti, l'Unione Sovietica e il mondo. Le relazioni internazionali del XX secolo, il Saggiatore, Milano 2015.


Teaching methods

Two hours lectures.

Assessment methods

During the course and before the final oral exam, regularly attending students (the presence will be verified) will take two progressive written tests. Date and programme of both tests will be communicated by the teacher. Each test lasts 45 minutes and includes some open questions. It will be evaluated up to 30. In case of absence (to be justified) to a test, or negative evaluation, the corresponding part of program will be brought to the final oral exam. For those who have passed all tests, the final oral exam will permit to evaluate the analytical capacity, the general understanding of the course and of the reading. The average of the written tests and the final oral exam will contribute in determining the grade (fifty-fifty). Not attending students have to take the exam orally, reading included.

Teaching tools

The reading of some of the main international treaties, the vision of historical photos and documentaries, online sources and some lectures of highly qualified scholars will contribute to stimulate the skills in critical approach and historical thought.

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Soave

SDGs

Reduced inequalities Peace, justice and strong institutions Partnerships for the goals

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.