Course Description

How did Europe remake itself after the catastrophe of World War II, and what does that transformation tell us about how states navigate power, identity, and crisis? This course examines the independent and coordinated efforts of Britain, France, and West Germany to adapt to the post-war global order; the creation and development of the Atlantic Alliance; Europe's relations with postcommunist states following the Cold War; decolonization and the evolution of European relations with the Global South; and the movement for European integration that produced the modern European Union. We conclude by applying these frameworks to contemporary crises — including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO's renewed relevance, and the strains of democratic backsliding within the EU. This course is taught in an accelerated half-term format, covering the arc from 1945 to the present in five intensive weeks.

This class satisfies the University of Washington's Additional Writing (W) requirement. All students will complete a staged research paper that includes a draft, written instructor feedback, and a revised final submission, in addition to weekly discussion assignments and one exam.

Course-Level Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Grading

The exam covers Weeks 1–3 content. The research paper is a staged W assignment: all students submit a complete draft in Week 4, receive written feedback, and submit a revised final paper in Week 5. Papers must be 8 pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, cited in MLA or APA style. The full assignment description is posted separately on Canvas. Discussion boards are described below. Late submissions lose 5% per day.

I make every attempt to be fair, transparent, and consistent in grading. To request re-grading (outside of tabulation errors): (1) wait 24 hours and carefully review my comments; (2) email me a typed statement of no more than one page explaining why the grade should be changed, based on the substance of your work; (3) do so within one week of receiving the grade. I will re-evaluate if appropriate and respond within one week.

Important Dates

Letter Grade Distribution

Readings

There is no required textbook. All readings are provided as PDFs on Canvas or are freely available online. Most are academic journal articles accessible through UW Libraries. Complete readings before the relevant discussion board opens each week.

Course Discussions

Each week features one integrated discussion board and one news reaction post, both folded into the 30% discussion grade. Discussion boards combine engagement with course readings, connection to current events, and scaffolded development of your research paper argument. Initial posts are due by Thursday at 11:59pm; replies to at least two classmates are due by Sunday at 11:59pm. News reaction posts are due Sunday (Thursday in Week 4). Late submissions lose 5% per day.

Tentative Course Outline

Accommodations

If you are a student athlete or have a disability requiring accommodations, provide the relevant paperwork within a reasonable time frame — not the week before an exam. If a valid medical incident requires you to miss an assignment, I require documentation before accommodations are made; the sooner you make your request, the more likely accommodations will be granted.

If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), communicate your approved accommodations to me as soon as possible. If you have not yet established services through DRS but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability requiring accommodations, contact DRS at 206-543-8924, email uwdrs@uw.edu, or visit disability.uw.edu.

Religious Accommodations: Washington state law requires that UW accommodate student absences due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form. More information is available at the Religious Accommodations Policy.

Academic Honesty

Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated under any circumstances. A suspected instance of either may be immediately investigated and disciplinary actions may follow. Students are expected to uphold the standards set forth in the Student Rights, Freedoms, and Responsibilities Handbook.

Generative AI Policy: The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or similar) to produce discussion posts, exam responses, or research paper text is not permitted and will be treated as academic dishonesty. This is not because these tools are unfamiliar or unimportant — they are neither — but because the core learning goals of this course require you to develop your own analytical voice and to practice the writing conventions of political science. Submitting AI-generated text cannot fulfill those goals, and it will not represent your thinking or your work. If you are uncertain whether a particular use of AI (such as grammar checking or brainstorming) is acceptable, ask me before submitting.