1. Do wars require aggressors? Many observers of WWI have argued that the Great Powers had stumbled into a war all would have preferred to avoid. During the Cold War, many worried the United States and the USSR might repeat these mistakes and inadvertently start a mutually destructive nuclear war. Others note how the United States and the Soviet Union managed to avoid war despite numerous crises, and argue that wars typically require a truly aggressive state such as Nazi Germany in WWII. How concerned should we be about inadvertent war?
2. What role did nuclear weapons play in the Cold War? How has that role changed today, if at all? Do nuclear weapons cause peace or risk enormously destructive war, if not extinction? Would it be wise to get rid of nuclear weapons? Alternatively, should we reduce arsenal sizes? Take other measures to make nuclear war less likely? Defend your answer and provide historical illustrations to support your case.
3. How important have pathological ideas been as a cause of war? Over the course of the semester, weΒve discussed how militarism, imperialism, fascism, nationalism, and racism may have influenced the outbreak of Great Power wars. Some would go
so far as to argue that such pathological ideas are a prime cause of international conflict. To what degree would you agree with this and why? If ideas do play an important role in causing war, what can we do about it?
4. It is commonly asserted in the public discourse that religion and ideology are major drivers of war. Many see the Cold War as having been about ideology, the implication being that had the United States and the Soviet Union not been so divided ideologically, the Cold War could have been averted. Do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not?
5. There has not been a war among the Great Powers since WWII: we are currently living in a ΒLong PeaceΒ that has lasted 76 years and counting. What are the most important factors that account for this? Is the current peace likely to endure? What might change that? Some have argued that this Long Peace is so stable and durable that we should concern ourselves with issues such as terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, and regional and civil conflict rather than the promotion of peace among the Great Powers. Do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not?
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