Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Israeli political scientist and peace activist Galia Golan for a discussion of the peace movement in Israel. She reflects on the Israeli domestic situation, compares Israeli occupation policies to South Africa's apartheid, and analyzes Israel"s geopolitical constraints. She also compares the stability of superpower conflict in the Middle East during the Cold War with today's regional geopolitical situation, especially Israel's conflict with Iran. (58 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes General John Abizaid for a discussion of the role of the military in the 21st century. Drawing on his experience as commander of the U.S. Central Command, he discusses the problems confronting the next President in the Middle East. He analyzes the lessons of the Iraq War and reflects on issues such as intelligence, the Geneva Conventions, and the role of military contractors. (53 minutes)

In this 1986 interview, Ambassador Alfred L. Atherton, a leading figure in the search for peace in the Middle East, joins U.C. Berkeley's Harry Kreisler for a discussion of the role of diplomacy in securing a stable Middle East. (30 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Kishore Mahbubani for a discussion of the changing relationship between the West and Asia. In the interview, he describes the major transformations occurring because of the "march of modernity" made possible by the ideas and global institutions created by the West. He goes on to criticize the West for failing to adapt to the changing balance of power which follows from Asia's rise. (57 minutes)

Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Steve Coll, Pulitzer prize winning author of Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden for a discussion of how the superpower conflict in the last stages of the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy before and after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the political dynamics of South Asia created the setting in which Islamic terrorism took root and flourished. (57 min)

Josef Joffe, editor and publisher of Die Zeit, joins UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler for a discussion of U.S.- European relations one year after the start of the Iraq War. (59 min)

In this 1982 interview, one the U.S. preeminent diplomats Philip Habib talks about his life and times as a foreign service officer and special envoy of the President of the United States. He reflects on great statesmen he has worked with, the difficulties of crisis management, and his involvement in the resolution of the Lebanon crisis, which won him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (90 min)

Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Leon Fuerth, former National Security Advisor to Vice President Gore, for a discussion of how to think about the future in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. (55 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harold P. Smith, Jr, former Pentagon official and Professor of Public Policy at Berkeley, for a discussion of the nuclear terrorism threat in the post 911 world. (58 min)

On this episode of Conversations with History, author and University of Chicago professor John J. Mearsheimer joins UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler to discuss the Realist theory of international relations and its implications for understanding the U.S. role in the world, future relations with China, and our response to the terrorist threat. (58 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Mark Leonard, Executive Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, for a discussion of the ideas that are influencing the domestic and foreign policy debates in China. Through a careful examination of what Chinese intellectuals have to say on topics such as democracy, economy, and international relations, Leonard finds distinctive Chinese worldviews. The West must understand the contours of these debates to effectively address China's rise because they offer important insights into how China will use its enormous power to shape world order in the twenty-first century. (59 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes economist Anders Aslund for a discussion of Russia after the fall of communism. He analyzes the reasons for the succcessful implementation of a market economy and the reasons for the failure to achieve a democratic revolution. He compares the leadership of Gorbachev, Yelstin, and Putin. Anders Aslund also discusses the implications of authoritarian rule by Putin for Russia and for relations with the West. (55 minutes)

This curriculum unit of three lessons covers the critical problems for United States foreign policy posed by the outbreak of the wars of the French Revolution. Was the U.S. alliance with France still in effect? Did America's young economy require the maintenance of close ties with Britain? Ultimately, President Washington decided on a position of neutrality. This official position would last until the outbreak of war in 1812. Neutrality proved to be difficult to maintain, however, particularly in light of the fact that both Britain and France consistently interfered with American affairs.

Critical Epistemologies of Global Politics combines social science and cultural studies approaches to IR, showing why contemporary Border Studies needs to be trans-disciplinary if it is to avoid reproducing the epistemological and political order that has led to contemporary global crises like the rise of ISIS, global migration, or increasing contestations of the State form as such. The volume offers a critical epistemology of global politics and proposes an enriched vision of borders, both analytically and politically, that not only seeks to understand but also to reshape and expand the meanings and consequences of IR.

Most historians agree that the world has never come closer to nuclear war than it did during a thirteen-day period in October 1962, after the revelation that the Soviet Union had stationed several medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. This lesson will examine how this crisis developed, how the Kennedy administration chose to respond, and how the situation was ultimately resolved.

This course focuses on cyberspace and its implications for private and public, sub-national, national, and international actors and entities.

Module on development in international relations. Intended for community college students and aligned with the requirements for POLS 140: Introduction to International Relations within the California Community College system. Includes lesson plan, required readings, and ancillary materials (lecture slides, activity instructions, and worksheet).

Module on diplomacy in international relations. Intended for community college students and aligned with the requirements for POLS 140: Introduction to International Relations within the California Community College system. Includes lesson plan, required readings, and ancillary materials (lecture slides and worksheets).

During the Early Modern era (1450"“1750), the expansion in maritime trade and the incorporation of the Americas into worldwide exchanges meant the world became increasingly interconnected. These connections led to a greater need for diplomatic relations with other states. Like many modern institutions, diplomacy as we know it today had its origins during this period.

In recent years, the redistribution of risk has created conditions for natural and technological disasters to become more widespread, more difficult to manage, and more discriminatory in their effects. Policy and planning decision-makers frequently focus on the impact that human settlement patterns, land use decisions, and risky technologies can have on vulnerable populations. However, to ensure safety and promote equity, they also must be familiar with the social and political dynamics that are present at each stage of the disaster management cycle. Therefore, this course will provide students with: An understanding of the breadth of factors that give rise to disaster vulnerability; and A foundation for assessing and managing the social and political processes associated with disaster policy and planning.