Who was this man who revolutionized armament technology, yet had an ambivalent relationship to war? This Mini Lecture provides a detailed view on the life and work of Alfred Nobel.

This course explores the reasons for America's past wars and interventions. It covers the consequences of American policies, and evaluates these consequences for the U.S. and the world. History covered includes World Wars I and II, the Korean and Indochina wars, the Cuban Missile Crisis and current conflicts, including those in in Iraq and Afghanistan, and against Al Qaeda.

We will explore the changing political choices and ethical dilemmas of American scientists from the atomic scientists of World War II to biologists in the present wrestling with the questions raised by cloning and other biotechnologies. As well as asking how we would behave if confronted with the same choices, we will try to understand the choices scientists have made by seeing them in their historical and political contexts. Some of the topics covered include: the original development of nuclear weapons and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the effects of the Cold War on American science; the space shuttle disasters; debates on the use of nuclear power, wind power, and biofuels; abuse of human subjects in psychological and other experiments; deliberations on genetically modified food, the human genome project, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research; and the ethics of archaeological science in light of controversies over museum collections.

In the computer-based Ancient Civilizations activity, students create their own civilization and see how it fares over the years based on choices they make for location, animals, plants and materials. Students trade resources between their civilizations, repeatedly go to war with unnamed enemies, and learn some fun facts about real-world ancient civilizations along the way. This activity was inspired by Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

In the paper-based Ancient Civilizations activity, students create their own civilization and see how it fares over the years based on choices they make for location, animals, plants and natural resources. Students create an artistic rendering of their civilization, trade resources between their civilizations and go to war with an unnamed enemy. This activity was inspired by Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, marked a harrowing turning point in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, which originated in 2014. This brazen act of aggression, deemed the largest assault on a European nation since World War II, reverberated globally, eliciting shock and grave concerns regarding its ramifications for regional stability and international relations.Fast forward to the year 2024, and we find ourselves entrenched in the third year of this relentless conflict, surpassing its second anniversary. The protracted duration of this war has exacted a heavy toll on both Ukraine and Russia, inflicting widespread devastation, countless casualties, and the forced displacement of civilians on a massive scale.

This class has been reorganized to focus primarily on the War in Iraq. As in previous years, the class still examines war in cross-cultural perspective, asking whether war is intrinsic to human nature, what causes war, how particular cultural experiences of war differ, and how war has affected American culture.

The collapse of the Soviet State in 1991 was followed by Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev's declaration of the Chechen Republic's independence from Moscow. Concerned over the loss of its territorial integrity, Russian troops invaded the breakaway republic and a civil war ensued. In l996, Chechen rebels regained control of the capital, Grozny, from Russian forces, almost destroying the city in the process. Fighting in Chechnya continues to this day, although on a relatively smaller scale. The WIDE ANGLE video 'Greetings From Grozny' (2002) examines the conflict from the perspectives of Russian soldiers, Chechen separatist militants, radical Chechen Islamists, and civilians living in Grozny.In this lesson, students will explore the multiple perspectives surrounding the conflict, examine the conflict's regional and international implications, and understand the mindsets of Chechens who have managed to maintain their identity and self-esteem in the face of untold human suffering. This lesson can be used during or after a lesson on the breakup of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Russian Federation (1991- present). A basic knowledge of post- Soviet history and basic geographical facts of Eurasia are required for the successful completion of the lesson.

Chapter 15 War, Prosperity, and Collapse is a community college level chapter of a history book used in the class.

This is a collection of downloadable video clips on the theme of Conflict, with guiding questions for students. Clips are drawn from the following PBS WIDE ANGLE documentaries: "Greetings from Grozny" (2002), "Ladies First" (2004), "Suicide Bombers" (2004).

Module on conflict in international relations. Intended for community college students and aligned with the requirements for POLS 140: Introduction to International Relations within the California Community College system. Includes lesson plan, required readings, and ancillary materials (lecture slides and worksheet).

Author of numerous books on war, conflict, reconstruction and foreign policy, guest Nayan Chanda, The Director of Publications for the Center of Study of Globalization at Yale University, joins host Harry Kreisler to discuss regional stability in Asia. (52 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes military analyst Max Boot for a discussion of his new book, War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History 1500 to Today. He offers his reflections on the Afghanistan War, the Iraq War and the 2006 Lebanon War in light of his historical analysis. He also evaluates the successes and failures of the Bush Administration. (58 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Die Zeit Publisher/Editor Josef Joffe for a discussion of America’s role in the 21st century. Starting with an analysis of the differences between a bi-polar and a uni-polar world, Joffe analyzes the roots of anti-Americanism, defines a global strategy for U.S. foreign policy, and offers a unique perspective on the different worlds the U.S. confronts, the Berlin/Berkeley axis—a post modern world of information technology and no possibility of war--and the Beijing/Baghdad axis—a world of nationalism where war is still possible. (58 minutes)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Michael Gordon, Chief Pentagon Correspondent for The New York Times, for a discussion of his new book Cobra II, co written with General Bernard E. Trainor. In the interview, Kreisler and Gordon discuss the origins of the war plan, the key decision makers the intelligence failure before and during the war, the insurgency, SaddamŐs war plan, and the implications of the war for the American military. (59 min)

Classicist and columnist Victor Davis Hanson talks with UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler about the classics, war, and what we stand for in the post-9/11 world. (56 min)

The goal of this seminar is to have open discussions of controversial political and social issues and raise awareness of current world events in an informal setting. Discussions for the first part of each class will focus on current events from that week, while in the second part of class students will discuss a scheduled issue in greater detail. Scheduled issues include the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the regulation of marijuana, how our society should punish criminals, genocide in Rwanda and Sudan, discrimination in our society today, the future of social security, whether pornography is sexist, and where we can go from here in the Arab/Israeli Conflict. Discussions will be supplemented by readings, films, and public speakers. Students will also be encouraged to read news media from around the world.

This course offers a broad survey of modern European history, from the end of the Thirty Years' War to the aftermath of World War II. Along with the consideration of major events and figures such as the French Revolution and Napoleon, attention will be paid to the experience of ordinary people in times of upheaval and transition. The period will thus be viewed neither in terms of historical inevitability nor as a procession of great men, but rather through the lens of the complex interrelations between demographic change, political revolution, and cultural development. Textbook accounts will be accompanied by the study of exemplary works of art, literature, and cinema.

This project discovers the history of Modern Europe, starting at the Hundred Years War and ending at the present time.
A chronological perspective of history is attempted within this text. Although this is the case, it is also important to understand patterns within European History, therefore chapters will attempt to cover a breadth of material even though their titles might be that of a specific pattern in history rather than a time period.

This seminar provides an overview of the field of international relations. Each week, a different approach to explaining international relations will be examined. By surveying major concepts and theories in the field, the seminar will also assist graduate students in preparing for the comprehensive examination and further study in the department's more specialized offerings in international relations.