Course List

Prevention is perhaps the most common justification for war. Both world wars, and more recently the invasion of Iraq and concerns over China's economic and military rise, illustrate its historical and present relevance. In this seminar, we analyze the theory, history, and practice of preventive wars - wars fought to avoid negotiating in a position of weakness in the future. When and why do states fight them, and what lessons can we draw from history to avoid them in the future?