8/31 For today's projections: For the projection how to frame questions in historical research, click here.
9/7 For a projection on controversies regarding the CIA, click here. For the projection on courtroom standards of evidence, click here. For a projection on claims regarding the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, click here. For today projection on Freudian slips, click here. For a projection on Occam's Razor and conspiracy theories, click here.
9/14 For a projection on the use of memoirs as primary sources, click here.
9/21 For a projection on reliable sources of newspaper information, click here. For a projection on inaccuracy in newspapers, click here. For the projection on how to interpret controversy in the newspapers, click here. For a projection on "slanted" language in newspaper article on Serbia, click here. For a slanted article on Russia, click here. For a slanted article on Vladimir Putin, click here.
9/28 For the essay, "What are the Connections between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein?" click here. Rules for writing papers, click here. On students' writing mistakes, click here.
10/19 On how to cite sources, click here. For additional citation information, click here. For a projection regarding war atrocities, click here.
10/26 Here is your midterm paper assignment:
Midterm
Hist 498
October 26, 2016
Since 1945, the United States has clearly held a dominant world position. During the 1946-89 period, the US was hegemonic throughout most of the noncommunist world. Since 1989, this hegemony has been extended globally. A widespread view holds that US hegemony has had a basically benign character. First with regard to intent, the United States has consistently acted in a defensive manner. During the Cold War, the US used force reluctantly, in response to Soviet provocation. Since the end of the Cold War, the US has again assumed a defensive stance, acting to restrain new aggressor states, such as Milosevic's Serbia and Saddam's Iraq. With regard to the effects of US hegemony: Defenders claim that hegemony has usually promoted democracy and human rights, while it has restrained tyrants who oppress their own people.
Your paper should assess how various authors that we have read in this class would criticize the above arguments. You should discuss the views of at least three of the following authors: Dube, Kaplan, and Naidu; Shoup; Layne; Petras and Vieux; Gibbs; and Robinson. Substantively, you could focus your answer on either US policy during the Cold War or US policy after the end of the Cold War (do not analyze both periods). You should also provide your own assessment. In analyzing Layne's views of the Cold War, for example, discuss how convincing (or unconvincing) you find his arguments. Provide specific reasons why you find Layne to be convincing or unconvincing.
The completed papers should be 5-8 pages long, double-spaced, and should be placed in my mailbox by 5:00pm, Wednesday, November 2. Please use standard margins and type fonts.