Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PL 331"
COURSE NAME: "European Security Issues after the Cold War"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2020

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Diego Pagliarulo
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 4:40-6:00 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: PL 209
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will examine how the almost simultaneous collapse of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact and Yugoslavia in 1991 gave rise to a new set of challenges to European security. It will also examine the NATO-EU-Russia relationship and the foreign policies of major European powers, US priorities in the area, nation building, minorities and territorial issues and problems in Central and Eastern Europe, new spheres of influence and related conflicts.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course explores the key concepts, actors, issues, and organizations that characterize the European security space in the post-Cold War era:

The basics of security studies.
The evolution of NATO and transatlantic relations.
The impact of major regional powers as well as leading international organizations - such as NATO and the EU - on the European security landscape.
The key security challenges affecting today’s Europe.

The course is divided into three sections. The first part deals with the basic notions of security studies such as the concepts of security, grand strategy, cooperation and conflict, and alliance formation and management. The second part reviews the evolution of the transatlantic security architecture: not just the change from a “passive” defensive shield to a “proactive” security institution, but also the rising contradictions of a political bargain among actors with different interests and preferences. The analysis is compounded by a review of the impact of the EU on the contemporary European security framework. The foreign policies of Europe’s major powers and their contributions to the broader framework of European and transatlantic security are also taken into account. The last part of the course focuses on the key security challenges concerning today’s Europe: China’s geoeconomic influence; Putin's Russia; terrorism and nuclear proliferation, political instability and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, migration flows, the impact of pandemics, environmental issues, energy security issues, and the challenges posed to the project of European integration by the rise of nationalism and populism.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Knowledge of the key concepts and notions at the basis of international security.
A critical understanding of the key institutions underpinning the European security architecture, such as NATO, the EU, and the OSCE.
Familiarity with the major transformations, in institutional and military terms, undergone by the Atlantic Alliance in the aftermath of the collapse of the Berlin Wall and September 11, 2001.
A critical understanding of the process of European integration and a capability to assess challenges concerning the EU’s ambitions to become a more coherent and integrated global actor.
Knowledge of the most important steps taken by the EU to become a “security provider”.
Ability to analyze and assess the challenges posed by “external” actors to Europe’s security: Russia, the Greater Middle East, secessionist movements, terrorist and criminal organizations.
Ability to analyze and assess non-conventional security threats such as economic insecurity, identity issues, and environmental challenges.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Defense of the West. NATO, the European Union and the Transatlantic Bargain	Stanley R. Sloan	Manchester University Press	978-1526105769	UA646.3 .S582 2016

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
Europe’s Crises	Manuel Castells et al.	Polity	978-1509524877		Available in e-book format at: https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/993624071

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
Prisoners of Geography. Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World	Tim Marshall	Scribner	978-1501121470	JC319 .M2744 2016
Contemporary European Security	David J Galbreath, Jocelyn Mawdsley, Laura Chappell	Routledge	978-0415473576		Available in e-book format at: https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1090301755
Security Studies: An Introduction	Paul D Williams (Editor), Matt McDonald (Editor)	Routledge	978-0415784894	TXT JZ5588 .S4297 2018

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Class attendance and participation	As the course is intended to develop on a seminar-like basis, the grade reflects how often and well-prepared students come to class. Absences, scarce preparedness, passive and poor contribution to class discussion, and inappropriate conduct will negatively affect the grade.	15%
Midterm Essay	The exam is scheduled for week VIII. The exam will be in-class and closed-book, and will serve to test the improvement of students’ knowledge of the issues covered in the first part of the course (i.e. readings and class discussions). The exam’s day cannot be changed. Hence, organize yourself accordingly.	20%
Midterm Policy Brief	The grade is a combination of an oral presentation and a related take-home essay (max 1,500 words) based on a previously assigned topic. Key guidelines: - Max. 1,500 words/6 double spaced pages - On a previously assigned topic. Grading criteria: Oral presentation, sources, paper.	20%
Final Research Memo and Presentation (Final exam)	The grade is a combination of an oral presentation and a related take-home essay (max 3,000 words) based on a previously assigned topic concerning part III of the course. While the aim of the presentation is to introduce the readings and stimulate subsequent class debate, in the essay students are expected to expand the presentation’s themes and put them in relation to the contemporary European security framework. Grading criteria: Oral presentation, sources, paper.	45%
3 Short Essays	Max 700 words per essay. 1st essay: Movie analysis (The Special Relationship). 2nd and 3rd essays: on a previously assigned topic concerning part III of the course. Possible topics include reports on events concerning topics pertaining European security organized by JCU or other institutions. Grading criteria: Extra credit (1 point per essay) to be added to the overall final grade.

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance is a fundamental component of your class participation grade (which in turn counts for 15% of the final grade). More than two absences will directly affect your class participation grade (and indirectly affect your other assessments).
Particularly active and constructive participation in class can round up your overall grade.
Readings are mandatory assignments and must be done in advance.
Very long reads will be assigned as group works. Each student will be asked to focus on a specific part of a long essay and present his or her findings during class.
Recommended readings and key documents are not compulsory assignments. However, they can be useful sources of inspiration for debates, papers, and independent research projects.
Students are invited to consult leading newspapers, journals and magazines to keep informed with ongoing news related to the European security context. In addition, the institutional websites of the EU, NATO, and other organizations such as OSCE (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) provide helpful resources and information.
Group works require active participation. Failure to perform shared tasks or to show up will be considered a sign of disrespect toward colleagues. This kind of behavior is strongly discouraged. It will bring down your grade and may complicate your colleagues’ performances.
The use of traditional notebooks and notetaking is encouraged. Laptops and other electronic devices are allowed for the sole purpose of taking notes and enhancing participation during classes.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

The reading list and the selection of topics for Part III might be subject to (limited) changes.

PART I: THE BASICS OF SECURITY STUDIES

Week I - International Relations and Security Studies

Lecture 1 - Course introduction
Recommended Reading:

Stephen M. Walt, “International Relations: One World, Many Theories,” Foreign Policy, No. 110 (Spring 1998), pp. 29-32+34-46, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/91993949 .

Lecture 2 - Security, Grand Strategy and International Politics

Readings

Arnold Wolfers, “'National Security' as an Ambiguous Symbol”, Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Dec. 1952), pp. 481-502, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5545328068

Recommended:

David A. Baldwin, “The Concept of Security,” Review of International Studies, vol. 23:1, 1997, p. 5-26, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5546995568 .

Week II - Strategy and Security from the Cold War to the Post-Cold War Era

Lecture 3 - Cooperation, Conflict and Alliances
Readings:

Stephen M. Walt, “Alliance Formation and the Balance of World Power,” International Security, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Spring, 1985), pp. 3-43, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7781150388
Sloan, Chapter 1 (pp. 1-19)

Recommended Readings:

Robert Jervis, “Cooperation Under the Security Dilemma,” World Politics, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Jan., 1978), pp. 167-214, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7831180474

Lecture 4 - Debate: Competing Visions of the New World Order

Readings:

Francis Fukuyama, “The End of History?”, The National Interest (Summer 1989), pp. 3-18, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7831275429 .
Samuel Huntington, “A Clash of Civilizations?” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 72, No. 3, (Summer 1993), pp. 22-49, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/4594300140 .

PART II: EUROPEAN SECURITY: FROM THE COLD WAR TO THE 21ST CENTURY

Week III - The Cold War and the Rise of the European Security Architecture

Lecture 5 - Part I: The rise and consolidation of the “transatlantic bargain”

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 2-3 (pp. 20-49)

Key Documents (Recommended):

“The Atlantic Charter,” August 14, 1941, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_16912.htm? .
The North Atlantic Treaty, Official Text, Washington D.C., April 4, 1949, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_17120.htm .

Lecture 6 - Part II: Transatlantic relations and the defense of the West through the Cold War.

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 4 (pp. 50-81)

Week IV - The End of the Cold War and Its Implications for European Security

Lecture 7 - Part I: Europe, the US, and the end of the Cold War.

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 5 (pp. 83-99)

Lecture 8 - Debate/Group Work: Did the End of the Cold War Make Europe More Stable?

Readings:

Team Unstable Europe: John J. Mearsheimer, “Back to the Future: Instability in Europe after the Cold War,” International Security, vol. 15, No. 1 (1990), pp. 5-56. (Excerpts)
Team Stable Europe: Stephen Van Evera, “Primed for Peace: Europe after the Cold War,” International Security, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Winter, 1990-1991), pp. 7-57. (Excerpts)

Week V - European Security From 11/9 to 9/11

Lecture 9 - Part I: NATO’s quest for a post-Cold War role

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 6 (pp. 103-133)

Key Documents (Recommended):

Declaration on a Transformed Atlantic Alliance, North Atlantic Council, London, July 5, 1990, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_23693.htm .
“The Alliance's New Strategic Concept,” NATO, November 7, 1991, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_23847.htm?
Western European Union, Council of Ministers, Petersberg Declaration, Bonn, June 19, 1992, http://www.weu.int/documents/920619peten.pdf

Lecture 10 - Part II: The Balkan crises and the evolution of transatlantic relations

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 6 (pp. 134-181)

Recommended Readings:

Tony Blair, “Doctrine of the International Community,” Speech Delivered at the Chicago Economic Club, April 22, 1999, https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page1297 .

Movie Night: The Special Relationship, by Richard Loncraine (2010)

Week VI - European Security in the Age of Terror

Lecture 11 - Part I: The Atlantic Alliance from 9/11 to the Iraq crisis.

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 7 (pp. 182-204)

Lecture 12 - Part II: Afghanistan and the transformation of the Atlantic Alliance.

Readings

Sloan, Chapter 7 (pp. 204-257)

Key Document (Recommended):

EU Council, European Security Strategy: A Secure Europe in a Better World, Brussels, December 12, 2003, http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/78367.pdf .

Week VII - European Security in the 2010s

Lecture 13 - Part I: From “Rebalancing” to the Ukraine crisis.

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 8 (pp. 258-286)

Lecture 14 - Part II: Whither the Atlantic Alliance?

Readings:

Sloan, Chapter 8-9 (pp. 286-326)

Key Documents (Recommended):

Active Engagement, Modern Defence, Strategic Concept for the Defence and Security of the Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation adopted by Heads of State and Government in Lisbon, November 19, 2010, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_68580.htm
North Atlantic Council, “Wales Summit Declaration,” NATO Official Text, September 5, 2014, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_112964.htm.
London Declaration Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in London 3-4 December 2019, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_171584.htm .

Week VIII

Lecture 15 - Midterm review and Policy Briefs presentations.
Readings: all the above

Lecture 16 - MIDTERM EXAM

PART III: EUROPEAN SECURITY CHALLENGES

Week IX - Geoeconomics, Great Power Politics, and European Security

Lecture 17 - Debate: China’s Rise and European Security

Readings:

Philippe Le Corre, “China’s Expanding Influence in Europe and Eurasia,” Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, May 9, 2019, https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/chinas-expanding-influence-europe-and-eurasia .
Andrew Small, “The meaning of systemic rivalry: Europe and China beyond the pandemic,” ECFR Policy Brief, May 13, 2020, https://www.ecfr.eu/publications/summary/the_meaning_of_systemic_rivalry_europe_and_china_beyond_the_pandemic .

Recommended Readings:

John Seaman (ed.), “Covid-19 in Europe-China Relations. A country-level analysis,” ETNC Special Report, April 29, 2020, https://www.ifri.org/en/publications/publications-ifri/ouvrages-ifri/covid-19-europe-china-relations
J. Horowitz, L. Alderman, “Chastised by E.U., a Resentful Greece Embraces China’s Cash and Interests”, The New York Times, August 26, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/26/world/europe/greece-china-piraeus-alexis-tsipras.html .
Jacob Hanke, “Germany seeks common ground with China amid trade war,” Politico, June 21, 2019, https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-seeks-common-ground-with-china-amid-trade-war/ .
“China and the EU: Gaining wisdom, marching forward”, The Economist, October 6, 2018.

Lecture 18 - Debate: Is Putin’s Russia a Revisionist Power?

Readings

John J. Mearsheimer, “Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault”, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 93, No. 5, (2014), pp. 1-12
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and Michael Carpenter, “How to Stand Up to the Kremlin,” Foreign Affairs (January/February 2018), pp. 44-47, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2017-12-05/how-stand-kremlin

Week X - Terrorism, Nuclear Proliferation, and European Security

Lecture 19 - Debate: Europe and the terrorist challenge.

Readings:

Daniel Byman, “Terrorism and the threat to democracy,” Brookings Policy Brief, February 2019, https://www.brookings.edu/research/terrorism-and-the-threat-to-democracy/ .
“European responses to terrorism,” European Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.ecfr.eu/debate/european_responses_to_terrorism6082

Lecture 20 - Debate: Assessing the Iranian Nuclear Program.

Readings:

Kenneth N. Waltz, “Why Iran Should Get the Bomb,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 91, No. 4 (2012), pp. 2-5, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5817298164 .
Robert S. Litwak, “Nuclear Diplomacy with Iran: A Deal, Not a Grand Bargain,” Wilson Center Viewpoints, No. 80 (July 2015), https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/nuclear-diplomacy-iran-deal-not-grand-bargain .
Scott D. Sagan, “Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons?,” International Security, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Winter, 1996-1997), pp. 54-86, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/4552589237 .

Week XI - European Security and the MENA Region

Lecture 21 The Arab Spring and European Security

Readings:

Marc Lynch, “The New Arab Order,” Foreign Affairs, , Vol. 97, No. 5 (Sep/Oct 2018), pp. 116-126.
Niklas Bremberg, “Making sense of the EU’s response to the Arab uprisings: foreign policy practice at times of crisis,” European Security, Vol 25, No. 4 (2016), pp. 423-441, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7065559269 -

Lecture 22 - Debate: Libya and the past and future of Western interventionism

Readings

Ivo H. Daalder and James G. Stavridis, “NATO's Victory in Libya,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 91, No. 2 (March-April 2012), https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/4823655946 .
Alan J. Kuperman, “Obama’s Libya Debacle,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 94, No. 2 (March-April 2015), pp. 66-77, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7973287346 .

Week XII Immigration, Nationalism, Identity, and European Security

Lecture 23 - Debate: Is immigration a threat or an opportunity?

Readings:

Paul Collier, “Europe and Refugees: Tragedy Bordering on Farce,” in Manuel Castells (ed.) Europe’s Crises, pp. 224-239.
John B. Judis, “Us v Them: the birth of populism,” The Guardian, October 13, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/13/birth-of-populism-donald-trump .

Recommended Readings:

Robert D. Putnam, “E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century The 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture,” Scandinavian Political Studies, Vol. 30, No. 2 (2007), pp. 137-174), https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5156766991 .

Lecture 24 - Debate: European Integration and the Challenges of Nationalism and “Illiberal Democracy”

Readings:

Eric Hobsbawm and Kertzer, “Ethnicity and Nationalism in Europe Today”, Anthropology Today, Vol. 8, No. 1 (1992), pp. 3-8
Fareed Zakaria, “The Rise of Illiberal Democracy”, Foreign Affairs, Vol. 76, No. 6 (Nov-Dec. 1997), pp. 22-43, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7831251323 .
Jan-Werner Müller, “Trump, Erdoğan, Farage: The attractions of populism for politicians, the dangers for democracy,” The Guardian, September 2, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/02/trump-erdogan-farage-the-attractions-of-populism-for-politicians-the-dangers-for-democracy .

Week XIII - European Integration and Its Discontents

Lecture 25 - Debate: Europe and Great Britain After Brexit

Readings:

Geoffrey Evans, Noah Carl, and James Dennison, “Brexit: The Causes and Consequences of the UK’s Decision to Leave the EU”, in Manuel Castells (ed.) Europe’s Crises, pp. 380-404.

Recommended Readings:

Jakub Grygiel, “Europe: Strategic Drifter,” National Interest, Issue 126 (Jul/Aug 2013), pp. 31-38, https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7831220351
Andrew Moravcsik, “Europe Is Still a Superpower,” Foreign Policy, April 13, 2017, http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/13/europeisstillasuperpower/ .

Lecture 28 - Final Review Session

Readings:

All the above

FINAL EXAM: TBA