This course will explore the history of American foreign policy since 1776, focusing on diplomatic and military interactions and the evolution of American strategic thought. Students will also traverse the broader history of international relations and will engage some of the basic vocabulary of IR theory. Topics will range from the territorial expansion of the United States to the making of Cold War strategy and beyond. Students will be asked to consider how historical knowledge and reasoning might inform the making of foreign policy.

History 130 explores the historical development of US foreign policy. The course addresses the making and implementation of national strategy; the evolution of the international system; and the uses of history in the making of policy. Topics covered include the rise and nineteenth-century expansion of the United States; the redefinition of national security in the twentieth century; US involvement in the world wars and the Cold War; and the dilemmas of post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills