HIST 3795 02: Cold War World < Youngstown State University

HIST 3795 - The Cold War World

Summer 2026 Syllabus, Section 02, CRN 30415,
Credit hours: 3

Course Meeting Times

Instructor

Brian Bonhomme

Professional Qualifications:
PhD. Late Modern European History, CUNY Graduate Center, 2000. Minor in the History of Science. BA in History, CCNY, 1993.

Email: bbonhomme@ysu.edu

Office: DeBartolo 519

Office Phone: 330 941 3453

Additional Contact Methods:
None

Preferred Contact Method: Email: bbonhomme@ysu.edu

Communication Expectations:
I will try to respond to all emails within 48 hours of receipt, except for weekends, holidays. All communication must be via your YSU account.

How to Refer to me:
Dr. Bonhomme

Course Description

3795. The Cold War World. Global developments from the end of the Second World War to 9/11, including potential conflict between the US and the USSR; decolonization and economic dependency in the non-western world; militarism and terrorism; pollution; the role of petroleum as a commodity at the center of conflict; and the internationalism of the world. Prereq.: none. 3 s.h.

Course Readings

Group	Title	Author	ISBN
Required	John Lewis Gaddis, The Cold War: A New History (London, New York: Penguin, 2005)

John Lewis Gaddis, The Cold War: A New History (London, New York: Penguin Books, 2005.) ISBN: 978-1-440-68450-0

The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.

Additional Course Materials

Course Learning Outcomes/Objectives/Goals

How to Succeed in This Course

Attendance Expectations

Late Work Submission Policy

Additional Course Expectations

Artificial Intelligence Policy Statement

Assignments/Assessments

Grading and Grading Scale

University Policies

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

Week of	Reading(s)	Proposed Topic	Due/To Prepare for Class
5/11	Textbook, Chapter 1	Introduction: Terms, Concepts, Context: Communism, Capitalism, WWII and the Origins of the Cold War	Assignments 1-2 due SUNDAY, May 17 at 11:59PM
5/18	Chapter 2	Rising tensions, the Arms Race, Containment, NATO Cuban Missile Crisis, Korean War, etc	Assignments 3-4 due SUNDAY 24th May
5/25	Chapter 3	Ideology and its application. From Stalin to Khrushchev in the USSR. China and the Cold War	Assignments 5-6 due SUNDAY 31st May
6/1	Chapter 4	Non-Alignment. The Cold War in North Africa, Asia, etc. From Eisenhower to Kennedy/LBJ and Nixon	Assignments 7-8 due SUnday June 7
6/8	Chapter 5	Nixon, CIA, KGB, diplomacy and espionage. China.	Assignments 9-10 due SUNDAY June 14
6/15	Chapter 6	Arms Race and Limitation Treaties. Interventions, alignments, global maneuverings. Eastern Europe.	Assignments 11-12 due SUNDAY June 21
6/22	Chapter 7	Soviet stagnation. The seeds of collapse. The end of détente and rise of tensions. Reagan and US policy changes. Gorbachev	Assignments 13-14 due THURSDAY June 25

The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.

HIST 3795 02: Cold War World