I. REQUIRED READINGS

1. Williamson Murray and Allan Millett, A War To Be Won: Fighting the Second World War (2000)

2. Aleksandr Fursenko and Timothy Naftali, One Hell of a Gamble: Khrushchev, Castro, and Kennedy, 1958-1964 (1997)

3. Nick Cullather, Secret History: The CIA's Classified Account of its Operations in Guatemala, 1952-1954 (1999)

4. David Kaiser, American Tragedy: Kennedy, Johnson, and the Origins of the Vietnam War (2000)

5. Frances Fitzgerald, Way Out There in the Blue: Reagan, Star Wars and the End of the Cold War (2000)

II. A DIGEST OF THE COURSE CALENDAR

There will be an adjusted class schedule for Founders Day Convocation on Friday, January 18, and there will be no class on Friday, April 5. Two examinations will be administered: the first during the seventh week of the term (February 25-March 1) and the second during the eleventh week (March 25-29). A seven-page appraisal of Frances Fitzgerald's Way Out There in the Blue will be due during Final Examination Week (April 8-12). Early in the twelfth week of the semester you will receive a page of guide-lines for crafting that analytical essay.

III. CALCULATION OF FINAL GRADE

1. First Examination (120 minutes) - 40%

2. Second Examination (55 minutes) - 20%

3. Seven-Page Critique - 20%

4. Attendance & Contribution to Discussion - 20%

IV. OFFICE HOURS - NEWCOMB 35A

10-11 A.M., 1:30-2:30 P.M., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And at other times by appointment.

V. DAILY COURSE CALENDAR

Monday, January 7 - Orientation

Wednesday, January 9 - Lecture: American Neutrality, 1914-17

Friday, January 11 - Lecture: The Decision for War

Monday, January 14 - Discussion: Woodrow Wilson and Peacemaking

Wednesday, January 16 - Lecture: The Neo-Isolationist Cocoon

Friday, January 18 - Lecture: The Great Depression and the Great Evasion

Wednesday, January 23 - Book Discussion: Murray & Millett, A War to Be Won, 143-233, 336-373.     Topic: The Asia-Pacific War, 1919-45

Friday, January 25 - Book Discusssion: Murray & Millett, 234-335, 374-483. Topic: The Europe-Atlantic War, 1941-1945

Monday, January 28 - Book Discussion: Murray & Millett, 484-576, 579-605. Topic: Strategic Air Power and the Atomic Bomb

Wednesday, January 30 - Guest Speaker: David Shipler, "Foreign Wars and the American Press"

Friday, February 1 - Lecture: Stalin & the Origins of the Cold War

Monday, February 4 - Lecture: Revolutionizing American Policy: Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan & NATO

Wednesday, February 6 - Lecture: George Kennan, NSC-68 & the Korean War

Friday, February 8 -   Book Discussion: Cullather, Secret History, all.    Topic: The CIA and Covert Ops    

Monday, February 11 - Lecture: Suez and Sputnik

Wednesday, February 13 - Lecture: Eisenhower, Dulles & the U-2

Friday, February 15 - Book Discussion: Fursenko & Naftali, One Hell of a Gamble, 5-165.     Topic: Castro and the Bay of Pigs

FEBRUARY 18 - 22 - MID-SEMESTER BREAK

Monday, February 25 - Book Discussion: Fursenko & Naftali, One Hell of a Gamble, 166-315, 319-355.     Topic: JFK, Khrushchev, and the Cuban Missile Crisis

Tuesday, February 26 - Thirteen Days (New Line Cinema, dir. (evening, 7:15-9:30) by Roger Donaldson, 2000)

Wednesday, February 27 - A Critique of History by Hollywood: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 - FIRST EXAMINATION (2 HOURS) (evening)

Friday, March 1 - Documentary Film: "Race for the Superbomb," PBS, American Experience Series, Part One, 1999.

Monday, March 4 - Documentary Film: "Race for the Superbomb" (Part Two, 1999) 

Wednesday, March 6 - Lecture: The Nuclear Arms Race

Friday, March 8 - Topic: Nation-Building in Asia, 1954-1963     Book Discussion: Kaiser, American Tragedy, 1-283.

Monday, March 11 - Topic: LBJ & Military Intervention in Vietnam, 1963-1965     Book Discussion: Kaiser, American Tragedy, 284-497.

Wednesday, March 13 - Lecture: Tet, the Media & Public Opinion

Friday, March 15 - Lecture: Nixon, Kissinger & the Paris Accords

Monday, March 18 - Lecture: The U.S. and the Middle East

Wednesday, March 20 - Lecture: Carter and Human Rights

Friday, March 22 - Lecture: Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair

Monday, March 25 - Guest Speaker: Mark Bradley, "The American Intelligence Community"

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 - SECOND EXAMINATION (55 MINUTES)

Monday, April 1 - Book Discussion: Fitzgerald, Way Out There in the Blue, 147-369.

Wednesday, April 3 - Book Discussion: Fitzgerald, Way Out There in the Blue, 370-499.

FRIDAY, APRIL 5 - NO CLASS

APRIL 8 - 12 - SEVEN-PAGE ESSAY DUE