International Relations


I.    Nature of International Relations and Foreign Relations

    A.    International relations: sum total of national foreign policies

    B.    Phases of foreign policy

        1.    Conception

        2.    Specific Content

        3.    Implementation

    C.    Diplomacy as negotiations among nations

    D.    Dominant Role of national self interest   

II.    Incompatible Concepts

    A.    National Sovereignty

    B.    International law

III.    Governmental Motivations

    A.    National survival & security

    B.    Ideological "Holy Grail"

    C.    Economic advantage

    D.    Military advantage

    E.    Leadership idiosyncrasies

IV.    Diplomac

    A.    Alliances

    B.    Balance of power

V.    Overriding Contemporary Issues

    A.    Controlling nuclear weapons

    B.    Protection of human rights

    C.    Terrorism

    D.    Natural resource depletion and degredation

    E.    Population growth

II.    War

    A.   Types of War

        1.    Conventional

        2.    Civil

        3.    Guerilla

        4.    Global   

    B.    War as diplomacy by "other means"

    C.    Possible Causes of War

         1.    Nature of Humanity

         2.    Nature of Society

3.    Geography


Key WebSites

United Nations

The Internet and The Bomb

U.S. Department of State

American Foreign Policy Council