History of International Relations

Objectives

1. To understand the functioning of the international system in the contemporary world.

2. To understand International Relations as a field of study characterized by interdisciplinarity.

3. To foster the reflection with a view to the exercise of a critical and active citizenship;

4. To acquire skills, both of a personal nature (reasoning ability, critical consciousness) and of a scientific historical nature (collection of bibliography and documentary information, critical analysis of the sources and of the bibliography available, drafting of research papers on specific themes of the syllabus).

Program

Power and force in international relations; international systems; the actors in International Relations.

The Peace of Westphalia and its consequences in IR. The Congress of Vienna and the European balance. IR on the eve of the Great War – the complexity of the system of alliances.

The Treaty of Versailles: the values of the new international system.

The League of Nations and its role.

International relations in the interwar period – the international coordination failures; pacifism and interventionism; military peace and economic war.

World War II: the Atlantic Charter (1941) and the consecration of "democratic principles" in international relations.

The Yalta Conference (1945) and the understanding on the future organization of the United Nations.

The post-war period: the "cold war"; decolonization.

The fall of the Berlin wall, NATO enlargement to the East and the problems of global security.

Teaching Methodologies

Theoretical classes – focusing on the professor’s lectures, with the presentation of the main perspectives of approaching the programmatic contents.

Interactive theoretical-practical lessons, focusing on student participation, with guidance from the professor, based on methods of analysis, interpretation and criticism of texts and other documents relevant to the issues under study.

Promotion of dialogue with the students, valuing the "recovery" of knowledge already acquired, not only in the context of the course but, whenever possible, appealing to the importance of interdisciplinarity and of "general klnowledge" in the success of university education.

Bibliography

ARON, Raymond, Paz e Guerra entre as Nações, S. Paulo, 2002.

MALTEZ, José Adelino, Curso de Relações Internacionais, S. João do Estoril, 2002.

MILZA, Pierre, As Relações Internacionais de 1918 a 1939, Lisboa, 1998.

MOREIRA, Adriano, Teoria das Relações Internacionais, Coimbra, 2002.

NOUSCHI, Marc, O Século XX, Lisboa, 1996.

RAWLS, John, O Direito dos Povos, S. Paulo, 2001.

RICHARDSON, James L., Crisis Diplomacy. The Great Powers since de Mid Nineteenth Century, 1994.

VAISSE, Maurice, As Relações Internacionais desde 1945, Lisboa, 1997.