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Villanova University HIS 4701: The Cold War Fall 2009, MW
1:30-2:45 pm, Bartley Hall, Room 1046 |
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Dr.
Paul Steege STAUG
428 x9-6963 |
Office
hours: M
10:30-11:30 am; F 1-2 pm and
by appointment |
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Course Objectives: |
As
a research seminar in the History Department, this course aims both to offer
students a concentrated opportunity to explore some of the massive
historiography of the Cold War and to introduce students to the craft of
history. Twenty
years ago, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in
Eastern Europe seemed to bring the Cold War to an end. This course will
explore 1989 as a potential turning point in the writing of Cold War history.
How have the availability of long inaccessible archives, the collapse of old
political antagonisms, and the easing of what in many ways a total war
influenced how historians explain the Cold War? Ultimately, we will ask
whether the political, social, and economic transformations ushered in by
1989 also transformed Cold War historiography. Over
the course of the semester, students will learn to differentiate between
history and historiography, to recognize different methodological approaches
to history, and to ÒreadÓ and to evaluate the limits and possibilities of
different kinds of primary sources. In addition we will work aggressively to
cultivate studentsÕ ability to craft coherent arguments about the past and to
convey them effectively in both written and oral formats. |
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Required Materials: |
John
Lewis Gaddis. We
Now Know: . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998 (ISBN 9780198780717). Odd
Arne Westad. The
Global Cold War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007 (ISBN 978052170317). |
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Course Organization: |
This
research seminar will use a mixture of lecture and discussion but anticipates
active student involvement in all segments of the class, both inside and
outside the classroom. The reading load for this course is heavy—it
will require significant effort to complete the assigned readings and even
more to complete the research necessary for the final historiographic essay.
If needed, the course content will be tailored to address the interests and
research/writing demands of the students. |
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Assignments: |
1-page
Journal Evaluation
(due Mon., Sept. 21): Each student will be assigned an appropriate journal
(e.g. Diplomatic
History or The
Journal of Cold War Studies) and asked to examine a one or two of its
volumes (years). This brief report will describe in general terms the
subjects, methodologies, and approaches explored by articles in the journal. In-Class Midterm Exam (Wed., Oct. 7): You will be asked to provide essay
responses to a choice of questions. We will discuss the exam in greater detail
some weeks into the course. Final
Paper: 12
to 15-page essay evaluating the extent to which the end of the Cold War
altered the historiography on a Cold War subject (person, event,
location) of your choosing. sSince we will be discussing the subject at
some length in class, the Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) is not eligible
for consideration as a paper topic. Oral
Presentation: 10
minute in-class presentation of the key arguments from your historiographic
essay. To be scheduled by instructor. Discussant
report: 5 minute
response to a classmate's presentation (prepared on the basis of the paper
draft, which is to be read in advance). Class
Participation:
Regular, engaged participation is expected from all seminar participants.
Students should ask questions and make comments that reflect their engagement
with assigned readings and material explored in class. I do not expect you to
have the answer but to demonstrate your energetic willingness to explore and
wrestle with the subject of the seminar. Perfect attendance alone will
produce a participation grade of C-. |
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Final Grade:
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Journal
Evaluation Midterm
Exam Final
Paper Oral
Presentation Discussant
Report Class
Participation |
10 20 40 10 5 15 |
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TOTAL
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100% |
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Academic Integrity
and Grading: |
Academic
integrity rests at the foundation of intellectual life in a university.
Plagiarism or cheating on any coursework will not be tolerated. Any case of academic fraud (copying
of another studentÕs work, illicit use of notes on an exam, undocumented use
of an outside source, etc.) will automatically result in a failing grade
for the course and the submission of an academic integrity report to the
university. If you have any questions about documenting sources or what
constitutes academic fraud, please speak to me or consult the student handbook. I will
discuss this in detail during the first week of the course. Grades
will adhere to the criteria stated in the undergraduate catalog. As a
reminder, an "A" is defined as: "the
highest academic grade possible; an honor grade which is not automatically
given to a student who ranks highest in the course, but is reserved for
accomplishment that is truly distinctive and demonstrably outstanding. It
represents a superior mastery of course material and is a grade that demands
a very high degree of understanding as well as originality or creativity as
appropriate to the nature of the course. The grade indicates that the student
works independently with unusual effectiveness and often takes the initiative
in seeking new knowledge outside the formal confines of the course." |
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Disabilities: |
Students
with disabilities who may need academic accommodations are encouraged to
discuss options with us after class or during my office hours during the
first two weeks of class. More information about documenting or addressing
learning disabilities is available from Nancy Mott, Director of the Office of
Learning Services (tel. x9-5636 or e-mail nancy.mott@villanova.edu) or from
that office's web site. |
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Campus Services: |
Villanova
Writing Center in Old Falvey: 610.519.4604 Consultations
should be arranged by appointment. |
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Villanova Counseling Center in Corr Hall:
610.519.4050 The
Counseling Center can help you make an adjustment in your study habits, deal
with a crisis, or address an ongoing matter. |
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Lecture/Reading
Schedule |
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Read
all assignments before the class for which they are scheduled. Please note: I
will occasionally adjust the readings on this schedule. These changes will be
announced in class and posted on the online version of the syllabus. |
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Mon.,
Aug. 24 |
Introduction:
Studying the Cold War Plus: How to read a book |
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Wed.,
Aug. 26 |
Cold
War Historiography: A First Look Reading: Anders
Stephanson, "The United States." [on electronic reserve via WebCT] |
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Mon.,
Aug. 31 |
Cold War History: The
Beginnings Reading: Gaddis, pp.
26-151 |
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Wed.,
Sept. 2 |
Cold War History:
Shifting Centers Reading: Gaddis, pp.
152-220 |
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Mon.,
Sept. 7 |
LABOR DAY—NO
CLASS |
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Wed.,
Sept. 9 |
Nuclear weapons and
Cold War Crisis Reading: Gaddis, pp.
221-80 |
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Mon.,
Sept. 14 |
Book Discussion: We
Now Know? Reading: Gaddis, pp.
281 to the end |
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Wed.,
Sept. 16 |
Critiquing
triumphalism Reading: Melvyn Leffler, "The Cold War: What do 'We Now Know?'" |
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Mon.,
Sept. 21 |
Journal Discussion Due: Journal
Evaluation |
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Wed.,
Sept. 23 |
Reorienting the Cold War Reading: Westad, to p.
109 |
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Mon.,
Sept. 28 |
Cold War and
Decolonization Reading: Westad, pp.
110-249 |
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Wed.,
Sept. 30 |
Third World
Alternatives? Reading: Westad, pp.
250-330 |
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Mon.,
Oct. 5 |
Ending the Cold War Reading: Westad, pp.
331 to the end |
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Wed.,
Oct. 7 |
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October
12-16 |
FALL
BREAK |
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Case Study in Evolving
Historiography: The Berlin Blockade |
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Mon.,
Oct. 19 |
Traditional View No Reading |
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Wed.,
Oct. 21 |
How and Why to Revise Reading: William
Stivers, "The incomplete Blockade" [or via Electronic Reserve] |
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Mon.,
Oct. 26 |
Negotiating Cold War
Mythology: Part I Reading: Selected documents
and essays |
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Wed.,
Oct. 28 |
Negotiating Cold War Mythology: Part II "Cold War Myths," IHT (June 2008) |
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Mon.,
Nov. 2 |
NO CLASS--Work on paper draft |
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Wed.,
Nov. 4 |
Proseminar: Critiquing and Revising Due:
Rough Draft of Final Paper |
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Mon.,
Nov. 9 |
Student Presentations |
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Wed.,
Nov. 11 |
Student Presentations |
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Mon.,
Nov. 16 |
Student Presentations |
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Wed.,
Nov. 18 |
Student Presentations |
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Mon.,
Nov. 23 |
Student Presentations |
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November
24-27 |
Thanksgiving Break |
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Mon.,
Nov. 30 |
Student Presentations |
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Wed.,
Dec. 2 |
The
Vassiliev Notebooks Reading: H-Diplo
Roundtable (August 2009) |
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Mon.,
Dec. 8 |
Is there a "New Cold
War History" Reading: TBD |
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Wed.,
Dec. 9 |
Final Discussion Due: Final Paper |
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