HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

This course is a "characterizing" course of the MA in Comparative International Relations (RIC) for the Americas, East Asia and Eastern Europe paths. It provides students with advanced knowledge of the History of International Relations of the 20th and 21st centuries, with an emphasis on the epistemology and methods of inquiry of the discipline, and on "oil politics". In addition to imparting a range of notions, the course aims to foster critical reflection on some of the major turning points in 20th-century international history and their legacies in more recent times. With its focus on defining the concepts under consideration, the course offers students the opportunity to refine their communication skills with reference to the history of international relations. Finally, with its emphasis on the historical method of inquiry, the course offers students a method to analyze events and processes in the international arena, and to develop original interpretations based on them, beyond the specific subject matter of the course itself.

The expected learning outcomes are:
(a) the consolidation of the students’ knowledge of some of the major international political processes of the second half of the 20th century, read through the lens of "oil history";
(b) the acquisition of a secure knowledge regarding the intertwining of international politics and oil issues during the 20th century, with emphasis on the 1970s;
(c) the development of the ability to create a bibliography in international history, as well as to read it critically, also in light of relevant primary sources;
(d) the development of the ability to formulate original and grounded interpretations of the reactions of specific international actors to the 1973 "oil crisis";
(e) the development of the students’ autonomous ability to deepen their knowledge in the field of international history;
(f) the development of the ability to communicate one's knowledge with coherence, clarity and precision, and to participate in informed debates on international affairs, also beyond the specific subject matter of the course.

This course requires a knowledge base in History and Political Science as per RIC admission requirements, and a basic knowledge of modern and contemporary history as per high school curricula. A good level of English language proficiency (at least B2) is also required. A deep interest in the subject and a serious approach to lectures and readings are not formal requirements, but usually help.

This year's course is devoted primarily to understanding the origins, developments and legacies of the 1973 "oil crisis", as well as to reflecting on the "mythology" surrounding this important episode in international politics fifty years after the events. The course is divided into three interconnected parts: in the first, we will quickly examine what are normally considered the basic coordinates of international history in the 20th and early 21st centuries to provide the necessary context for our main investigation. In the second, students will become familiar with the international oil politics of the 1970s and will learn to use secondary and primary sources to distinguish plausible reconstructions of the past from "mythological" ones. In the final part of the course, which will be based on the presentation of independent research papers prepared by students, we will address how, according to current historiography, specific international actors reacted to the "crisis" (and how each of these findings relates to the bigger picture we have previously studied).

In general, the study material for the course consists of the recommended readings, the primary documents, the slides and the guidelines for the final papers uploaded by the teacher in Moodle, and the sources necessary for writing the final papers. Those who wish may use their class notes to substitute the readings below marked with three asterisks (***). For the detailed schedule of readings to be done for each class, see the Schedule in the detailed Syllabus available in Moodle. The suggestion is that the texts (readings and documents) be prepared before each lesson. Please note: The recommended readings will often be commented in class in the light of relevant primary sources, and compared with texts of lesser quality, in order to show why certain reconstructions of the past may be considered more plausible than others. Nevertheless, even the recommended readings remain "maps" of the past which, however accurate, may display diverging interpretations and different information about the same facts, or may need updating. Learning to record certain divergences, to seek interpretive syntheses, and to correct any errors contained in our sources is an integral part of the teaching objectives of this course.

Letture raccomandate
F. Romero, Storia internazionale dell’età contemporanea, Roma, Carocci, 2012, capp. 4-6 oppure G. Formigoni, Storia della politica internazionale in età contemporanea, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018, cap. 6-7 (o altri testi comparabili, previa discussione con il docente)

D. Basosi, Finanza e petrolio. Gli Stati Uniti, l'oro nero e l'economia politica internazionale, Venezia, Studio LT2, 2012, pp. 101-137
D. Basosi, "The decade of ‘the energy transition’: a critical review of the global energy debates of the 1970s”, in S. Gross, A. Needham (eds.), New Energies A History of Energy Transitions in Europe and North America, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh University Press, pp. 107-118
G. Garavini, "Completing Decolonization: The 1973 ‘Oil Shock’ and the Struggle for Economic Rights", The International History Review, vol. 33, n. 3, 2011, pp. 473-487
G. Garavini, The Rise and Fall of OPEC in the 20th Century, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2019, pp. 179-215, 221-229
R. Graf, "Making Use of the 'Oil Weapon': Western Industrialized Countries and Arab Petropolitics in 1973–1974", Diplomatic History, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2012, pp. 185-208
R. Graf, "Energy History and Histories of Energy", Docupedia-Zeitgeschichte, 2023, https://docupedia.de/zg/graf_energy_history_v1_en_2023 , pp. 1-48***
L. Maugeri, The Age of Oil, Westport, Prager, 2006, pp. 77-92, 93-102***
F. Parra, Oil Politics, London, IB Tauris, 2004, pp. 7-22***, 175-188***
O. Sanchez-Sibony, “Energy and Soviet Economic Integration”, in E. Bini, G. Garavini, F. Romero, Oil Shock, London, IB Tauris, 2016, pp. 222-244
F. Venn, The Oil Crisis, London, Longman, 2002, pp. 7-20, 113-136

The assessment occurs through a final examination consisting of an individual paper of about 2000-2500 words (excluding notes and bibliography) and an oral exam of about 20 minutes.

The paper should deal with the reactions to the 1973 "oil crisis" by a specific government (chosen in consultation with the teacher). The paper should demonstrate the acquisition of the notions and methodological tools presented in the course, the ability to link the chosen topic to the literature on the "crisis" and other international processes taking place in the 1970s, and the ability to structure a concise review of the "state of the art" on the chosen topic. Specific guidelines for paper preparation will be made available on Moodle during the semester.

The oral exam will include two main questions, aimed respectively at checking the study of the program (critical knowledge of the readings) and at critically discussing the contents of the paper. The first question will contribute about 30% to the final grade, while the paper and second question together will contribute about 70%.

Students who wish to do so may substitute the first question of the oral interview by accepting the grade deriving from a set of in-itinere tests (multiple choice, short open-ended questions) which will take place during the semester (at regular class time). There will be five tests during the semester. The grade is the average of a student’s best four scores. In order for the grade of the tests to substitute the oral question, students must take at least four. It is always possible to reject the results of the tests and opt for the oral question.

The course includes lectures by the teacher and interactive classes in which the students will discuss the assigned readings or present their own research. Attendance is not compulsory but is highly recommended and requires in-depth individual study of the recommended readings before each class. The in itinere tests will not only be used to determine the final grade, but will also serve as teaching tools to improve one's study over the course of the semester. A dedicated forum and specific materials, as well as specific assessment activities, will be made available on Moodle for students with enrollment code "701".

Italian

This syllabus is not final and may be subject to change before the start of the semester. A detailed class schedule containing the indication of lesson topics and pertaining readings will be available in the Moodle space of the class by the beginning of the semester. The teacher is easily available for questions concerning the course at his office hours and by email at duccio.basosi@unive.it. Emails have to be written in a formal style. Please use my e-mail address parsimoniously and do not think of it as an instant messaging app, nor as a customer care service: it is neither. Emails should not ask questions whose answer can be found in the information contained in this syllabus (e.g.: "what are the readings for this course?", etc.). Students interested in carrying out a master's degree thesis in History of international relations can ask the teacher, after passing the exam, for the guidelines for the thesis (by writing directly to duccio.basosi@unive.it).

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development