This research seminar will explore the role of the United States in the formative years of the Cold War from World War II through the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. The course will provide an overview of the scholarly literature on the origins of the Cold War and identify issues and documents that will form the basis for an extended research paper.
There are no formal prerequisites, though I highly recommend that students taking this class have had some formal academic experience with the Cold War. Classes such as History 102A, 126, 165C, 172A, 261, 352, or Poli Sci 134 are good preparation for this course.
The course will meet at its regularly scheduled time for the first six weeks of the quarter during which time we will discuss topics in early Cold War history as outlined in the syllabus. Weeks seven through ten will be devoted to independent research and meetings with the instructor in preparation for the submission of your essays and a conference-style presentation at the end of the quarter in which students will orally present their research papers and receive comments from their peers.
