Winter 2012 History 332 Monday: 18:00-21:30 Old Main 105 History of U. S. Foreign Relations Professor: Dr. Martin Lorenz-Meyer Office Hours: Monday 17-18 Office: Memorial Hall 211 and by appointment Office Phone: 612 330 E-mail: lorenz@augsburg.edu Besides coming to Office Hours, the best way to contact me is normally via e-mail. ***This is a preliminary version. Changes may be made before class begins in two months.*** Introduction When I first taught this class in 2004 I wrote in my introduction that at this point in history, the United States holds a unique position in world affairs. Unchallenged by a major rival, the U.S. is at the moment the only remaining superpower. It is remarkable how dated that assertion now sounds. However, even if the position of the U.S. in world affairs might now be slightly less exalted, it is a status which historically is of rather recent occurrence. For much of the 19 th century the U.S. did not act like the other world powers of its day and only entered international politics reluctantly at the end of the century. Even so engaged the U.S. remained a hesitant participant until the Second World War and the Cold War reshaped U.S. Foreign Relations into what we observe today. In this class we will look at America s engagement with the world and how this interaction shaped its people, its government, and its institutions and how they, in turn, have influenced international affairs. Altogether, this is a complex story, composed of a mosaic of diplomatic, political, economic, social, and cultural facets, involving many different regions of the world. It is also a story rife with tensions: unilateral versus multilateral, internationalist versus isolationist, and realist versus idealist tendencies. Ultimately, studying American foreign relations will help you better understand the country s international position today, whatever that might be. Attention will be paid to current events where appropriate. The class is organized as a lecture/discussion course. You are encouraged to pose questions, offer observations, and raise objections. It is especially important that you prepare for class by reading and thinking about the assigned texts, attend regularly, and participate actively in the discussions. The lectures will treat major historical issues and problems which I consider important or fascinating or both. They are intended to provide an overview and context for the readings and discussions with the goal to provide you with the big picture. Thus, they will only very rarely go into particular details. The discussions provide an opportunity to integrate lecture and readings and to debate and dispute the themes put forward by me and by the authors of the historical sources you are being asked to read. Should you reach a plateau of utter frustration, unable to recognize connections between lectures and readings, come see me.
2 Required Texts available at the bookstore: Thomas G. Paterson et al. American Foreign Relations: Volume I: A History to 1920. Brief edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Thomas G. Paterson et al. American Foreign Relations: Volume II: A History since 1895. Brief edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Dennis Merrill and Thomas G. Paterson, eds. Major Problems in American Foreign Relations, Documents and Essays. Concise Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Course Evaluation First Document Analysis (due February 21) Midterm (due March 12) Second Document Analysis (due April 10) Final Exam (April 30) Participation 20% (or 40 points) 20% (or 40 points) 25% (or 50 points) 25% (or 50 points) 10% (or 20 points) DOCUMENT ANALYSES: Historians convey much of their research through writing books and articles. Thus, to put forth accurately and convincingly an argument is an important part of being a historian. Your papers will help you to acquire and develop this skill. Your task will be to write two 5-6 page analyses of a primary document to be selected from the sourcebook. The goal is to understand its origin, its meaning, and its purpose and to asses the value and significance of the source as best as you can. All papers should be double-spaced, have sufficient margins to allow for remarks, and provide proper documentation of all your sources through footnotes. 1 All pages should be clearly numbered and stapled together. Before you submit your paper, print out a copy and read through it carefully checking for spelling errors and grammatical correctness. Reading your paper aloud will help you to write a better paper, funny as that may sound (no pun intended). ATTENDANCE: For you to do well in this class regular attendance is required. Otherwise you will quickly lose your grasp of the material we cover. If you have a legitimate reason for your absence such as a medical or family emergency please inform me. If you miss class unexcused more than three times (1/4 of the class sessions) you will automatically fail the class. 1 This is a footnote. If you cite a book for the first time it should look like this: Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 6 th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2010), 103.
3 FINAL EXAM: The exam will be based on the entire content of the class including lectures, readings, and discussions. More details will be announced in class. Late Papers will be penalized by deducting 10% of the paper s grade per day including weekends. Thus, for example, a B- would turn into a C if one day late. It is your responsibility to complete all assignments on time in accordance with the provided schedule. Grading I will grade using a 200 points system A = 200-180 points B = 179-160 points C = 159-140 points D = 139-120 points Work of A quality demonstrates mastery of the facts and interpretations found in readings and lectures, as well as independent evaluation of the course material. A work is well-written, analytical and grammatically correct, and has been edited for typos and other mistakes. Work of B quality demonstrates a sound understanding of the course material, but lacks a thorough analysis. B papers have few grammatical errors but tend toward description rather than analysis. Work of C quality demonstrates a working knowledge of the course material with minimal analysis. C papers are purely descriptive, contain grammatical or factual errors, or suffer from sloppy editing, if edited at all. Work that fails to meet these minimum standards will earn a D or F. Incompletes will not be granted unless there are extenuating circumstances, all assignments have been completed satisfactorily up to that point, and we have made arrangements before the final exam. Writing Augsburg College maintains a writing lab, located on the main floor of Lindell Library to the left of the main entrance. The purpose of the center is the collaboration with students in order to facilitate their engagement with the writing process from brainstorming ideas and thesis formation to proofreading the final draft and providing editing strategies. Grammar and various other handouts are available. The website of the writing lab is http://www.augsburg.edu/writinglab/.
4 Cell Phones and Computers To facilitate a productive classroom and learning environment please turn off your cell phones. Text messaging, gaming, emailing, online shopping etc. is not allowed in class. Readings and Access to the Class Website The readings provide the base for our discussions and you should complete them according to the schedule below before you come to class that day. Always bring all the required texts for that day with you to class so that you can refer to them during discussions. Schedule of Classes, Reading Assignments, and Examinations January 23 January 30 February 6 February 13 February 20 February 27 March 5 Introductions Lecture: The European Powers and the Americas. Read Paterson et al. vol. I, pages 1-41; Merrill, chapter 2. Lecture: The Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812. Read Paterson et al. vol. I, pages 41-57; Merrill, chapters 3 and 4. Lecture: The Monroe Doctrine and the War with Mexico. Read Paterson et al. vol. I, chapter 3; Merrill, chapters 5 and 6. Lecture: Imperialism and War with Spain. Read Paterson et al. vol. I, chapters 5 and 6, chapter 4 is optional; Merrill, chapter 7. Lecture: World War I and Versailles. Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapters 2 and 3; Merrill, chapter 8. First Document Analysis is due. Lecture: The Long Road to World War II. Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapters 4 and 5; Merrill, chapter 9. Lecture: World War II. Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapter 6 and sources provided. Take-home midterm will be handed out.
5 March 12 March 19 and 26 April 2 April 9 April 16 April 23 April 30 Lecture: The Origins of the Cold War. Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapter 7; Merrill, chapter 10. Midterm Due. No class Lecture: The U.S. in a M.A.D. world. Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapter 8 and pages 222-233; Merrill, chapter 12. Lecture: Vietnam, America s Longest War Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapter 9; Merrill, chapter 13. Lecture: Détente and Disengagement. Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapter 10; Merrill, pages 456-458. Second Document Analysis is due. Lecture: The End of the Cold War. Read Paterson et al. vol. II, chapters 11 and 12; Merrill, pages 460-491 and chapter 1. Final Review. Final Exam 18:30-20:30 in class. Classroom and College Policies In class we will read about and discuss sensitive and controversial topics. I expect that you will disagree with each other and I encourage you to disagree with me but I expect it to occur in a manner that shows respect for others and their opinions. College Policies on Academic Dishonesty from the Augsburg College Student Guide, pages 2-4 Section I: Definitions 1. Plagiarism Plagiarism is probably the most common and obvious form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined in the Student's Book of College English by Squire and Chitwood (Encino, California: Glencoe Publishing Co., 1975) as follows: Plagiarism is the use of facts, opinions, and language taken from another writer without acknowledgment. In its most sordid form, plagiarism is outright theft or cheating; a
6 person has another person write the paper or simply steal a magazine article or section of a book and pretend to have produced a piece of original [work]. Far more common is plagiarism in dribs and drabs; a sentence here and there, a paragraph here and there. Unfortunately, small-time theft is still theft, and small-time plagiarism is still plagiarism. For your own safety and self-respect, remember the following rules - not guidelines, rules: A. The language in your paper [or oral presentation] must either be your own or a direct quote from the original author. B. Changing a few words or phrases from another writer's work is not enough to make the writing 'your own.' Remember Rule 1. The writing is either your own or the other person's; there are no in-betweens. C. Footnotes acknowledge that the fact or opinion expressed comes from another writer. If the language comes from another writer, quotation marks are necessary in addition to footnote. Other methods of indicating use of a direct quotation, such as indentation, are acceptable if they are commonly recognized. D. A writer may not avoid a charge of plagiarism simply because the work from which material has been used is included in a citation somewhere in the writing. Each occurrence of the use of another person's work must be cited. 2. Other Forms of Academic Dishonesty Other forms of academic dishonesty include the following: A. Using external assistance in the completion of course assignments and examinations unless such assistance has been specifically authorized by the instructor. Such activities as the use of "crib sheets" or "cheat sheets," looking at another student's answers during a test, and bringing examination books with notes or answers already written in them are forbidden. Assistance requiring authorization might include but is not limited to use of technology (e.g., a calculator), use of books or notes during an examination, using professionally prepared materials, or having another person make specific suggestions for changes and corrections on an assignment. It is, for example, acceptable for a reader to suggest that a paragraph is unclear or needs more detail; it is unacceptable to offer specific rewording or details for inclusion. It is unacceptable to permit a typist or secretary to make changes or corrections in written material as part of the process of typing. Use of official college tutors or the Writing Lab for assistance is not ruled out by this section unless specifically forbidden by the instructor. B. Handing in material for course assignments that has been, in large part, used to meet requirements in other courses without gaining previous permission by the instructor. C. Presenting as one's own work what has been done wholly or in part by another person or a professional service without gaining the previous permission of the instructor. This
7 prohibition includes but is not limited to allowing another person to conduct research or select written materials that will be used to complete an assignment, using a paper or assignment prepared by another student as an assignment in a previous course, or purchasing professionally prepared papers that may be handed in as purchased or used as the basis of a rewritten paper. D. Failing to acknowledge that work which has not been assigned as collaborative work has been done with the inappropriate help of others. The prohibition is not intended to discourage legitimate cooperative or collaborative work. Nevertheless, legitimate collaboration must be distinguished from illegitimate collaboration. Unless the professor has instructed otherwise, it is dishonest to work with others on a single assignment that will be multiplied and turned in separately as if it were the work of each individual alone. All who cooperated on a project should be identified. Students need not be concerned about work that is assigned to be done collaboratively and follows the specific instructions of the professor. E. Fabricating research in the completion of assignments. This prohibition includes but is not limited to entirely or partial fabricating scientific research results or inventing information or citations for use in completing assignments. F. Interfering with the work of another student. It constitutes academic dishonesty to hinder the work of another student by stealing, destroying, changing, or otherwise interfering with their accomplishment of academic assignments. This prohibition involves but is not limited to such things as stealing or mutilating library materials or other academic resources. G. Knowingly assisting another student to engage in academic dishonesty itself constitutes a form of academic dishonesty. Assisting in academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to such things as permitting another student to complete an assignment where such assistance is not authorized by the instructor, giving another access to a completed assignment which that student will submit as her or his own work, allowing another student to copy during an examination, and/or offering information to another student during an examination.