B029742 - THE UNITED STATES AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER

Italian and English

This course re-appraises the United States’ impact on the transformation of the modern global order in the 20th and 21st century.
Introducing students to both new and classic interpretations, the course focuses on the ways in which American policies, ideas and power have shaped and reshaped inter-state relations and international politics, finance and economics during what some have called “the American century”, particularly in the wake of global crises and wars.

- George Herring, From Colony to Superpower (Oxford, 2008)

- additionally for non-attending students: Mario Del Pero, Libertà e impero. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo 1776-2016 (Roma-Bari, 2017)

(a) Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of the history of the American on the emergence of the modern world order;

in-depth understanding of the wider historical and global context of American international policies;



(b) Skills: focus on familiarising students with:
- the critical analysis of sources and secondary literature;

(c) Abilities: By completing the course students will be able to interpret core themes of the course's subject in a critical way, based on due knowledge of documents and scientific literature.

Students interested in taking this course must have completed a previous MA-level course in international history;

participants also must have advanced reading, oral and writing skills in English

Seminars and short introductory lectures. Students who attend the course will receive reading recommendations and will be asked to give oral presentations and write final papers on topics agreed with the instructors.

The course’s first part re-appraises the origins and consequences of US aspirations to create a modern international order and to make the world “safe for democracy” and American-style capitalism after World War I.

The second part explores how the emerging American superpower influenced the remaking of world order after 1945 and attempts to consolidate a “liberal” international system.

1) participation and contributions to seminar discussion (20%); 2) a 15-minute presentation on one of the course’s topics or central questions (25%); 3) a final paper (55%) on a topic coordinated with the instructors.

2) Requirements for non-attending students: submission of a detailed outline and bibliography for a proposed research paper; 20-page paper (45000 character, including spaces) on a topic chosen from a list of possible topics.