IR3106 The International System 1870-1945

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Module description

The module will begin with the balance of power as exemplified by the development of the "Bismarckian system", trace its breakdown during the imperial scramble of the late 19th-Century and role in the chain of events that led to the First World War, then focus on inter-war concepts of collective security and the experience of supra-national organisations as embodied in the League of Nations, before concluding with the origins of the Second World War and the new balance of power struck in the post-1945 era with the advent of the cold war. The module will challenge students to engage with the differing ways in which historians and international relations scholars approach the study of international politics, and examine how this period of history speaks to wider debates in both disciplines. It will also aspire to a global outlook, engaging with geographic areas and themes that are often overlooked in traditional accounts.