Transatlantic SecurityDefense

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor

This course examines the evolution of transatlantic security relations from the establishment of NATO in 1949 and the development of European integration to the present day. Readings and lectures seek to provide students with a deeper understanding of the diplomatic, political, and military relationships and institutions that constitute the transatlantic security community, as well as the shifting role of the United States in ensuring peace and stability in Europe. The course examines how NATO, the European Union, and other institutions adapted to deal with dramatic changes in the security environment from the Cold War to the collapse of Communism, to the crisis in the Balkans, to global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, and pandemics, to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Building on the historical background, class discussions explore how mutually-beneficial transatlantic security relations can be sustained in the face of emerging issues such as: European concerns about the shifting U.S. focus on China and the Indo-Pacific region, American discontent with certain European policies and defense efforts, fragmentation in the European Union, growing nationalism and the erosion of democratic values in some countries, the return to a confrontational relationship with Russia, and differences on countering the challenges posed by China. Active course discussions and writing assignments—including two policy memos briefed in class and a research paper—are designed to help students sharpen their analytical and presentational skills.