WarCoercion in the MiddleEast

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

War has been a dominating feature of the creation of the Middle East. The emergence of the contemporary Arab world coincided with the onset of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Arab and Israeli leaders produced discourses on the “theory” of war in terms of the Clausewitzean notion on the intersection between the employment of “force” and achieving “political” objectives. These discourses underpinned the “nature” and “scope” of war and “escalation dynamics” that characterized the gravity and severity of the prevailing security dilemma in the Middle East. Within this context, the course offers an introduction to foundational texts and concepts in the canon of the theory of International Relations, and strategic thought. By “foundational texts and concepts,” the course alludes to works that 1) every student of international politics will encounter at some point, and/or 2) cover central topics (theories and case studies) that will likewise be repeatedly encountered in the academy and policy field. In doing so, it undertakes a comprehensive review of the theoretical and empirical literature on interstate war. It will examine the leading theories, their key causal variables, and the paths or mechanisms through which those variables lead to war. Applying the foundational literature on war, the course is divided into two modules: The first module investigates the puzzles of war initiation; rationalist explanations for war; bargaining; causes of war; alliances; escalation; resolve; signaling; and military doctrines; The second module analyzes coercion in terms of theories on conventional and nuclear deterrence. In addition, the course will address compellence with special emphasis on strategic bombing. The course will culminate with a debate over war termination, testing the main theories discussed, namely, the balance of power, the balance of resolve, and the balance of interests. Each lecture will be divided into two parts. The first elaborates on the conceptual framework. The second will test the theory on specific case studies in the Middle East. As a result, wars, conflicts, and crises that have occurred in the Middle East since 1948 will be investigated. Having covered a survey of war theories, students will learn how to evaluate and present existing models, as well as how to develop their own research projects. Moreover, students will build on their critique of core theories and understanding of historical cases to better analyze current policy issues. By the end of the course, students should be able to recognize core theories and arguments in International Relations, and employ them in analyzing a specific aspect of war and coercion discourses in the Middle East.