Hidden codes, special devices, fiendish villains, and top secrets all have a special place in popular culture, but as alluring as the mythology may be, it does not answer important questions about the roles that espionage and intelligence agencies play in international relations. This course covers the evolution of spying and spy services from the late 19th century to the present, focusing on the effects of major issues such as the two world wars, the Cold War, 9-11, and international security threats today. This course examines the evolution of intelligence services throughout the twentieth century, with particular reference to the two world wars, technological changes, and the “Cold War” confrontation after 1945. Special attention in the course will be paid to the role that intelligence played in securing the Allied victory during World War Two, and in crucial Cold War events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War. We will also study numerous historical intelligence failures and how they shaped the world in which we live. The course will explore various realities and perceptions of the intelligence world to examine the processes, see how institutions function, and come to terms with how intelligence is disseminated, employed, and understood. Because of the importance of popular culture in helping to form our understanding of espionage, we will also look at the impact of spy fiction, TV, films, and other media in shaping our perceptions of intelligence matters. The course will conclude with an examination of the many challenges intelligence services face today, and the future of spying in the post-Cold War world. In this regard, the events of September 11, 2001, the current “war on terrorism”,  renewed rivalries between superpowers, cyberespionage, election interference, “foreign government influence”, and the many other facets of contemporary international security discourse will be discussed. Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to see how intelligence and espionage have shaped history, and continue to impact your every day life: often in ways you may not have considered.  Accordingly, you should remember that key issues like personal liberties, human rights, and the development/preservation of civil societies are always part of a discussion on what intelligence is and does.

The two world wars between 1914 and 1945 have transformed our planet. In 1900 Europe dominated international relations; since then we have seen the rise of the superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union, and a shift in power to the non-European world of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This course examines the causes and significance of these changes. Topics include political, economic, and military factors, war-making, and peace-keeping. The early twentieth century witnessed the breakdown of the international political and economic order. Great power rivalries, an arms race, competition for colonies and markets, and domestic turmoil contributed to the explosion in 1914. The First World War destroyed much of European civilisation by bringing an end to four empires, and greatly weakening the power of several others. Countries like the United States and Japan became key players in the new order. New ideologies and new forms of government developed as a result of the changes, giving rise to even more instability and conflict: evidenced in the rise of Mussolini, Stalin, and Hitler. Simultaneously, the “Roaring 20s” brought unprecedented economic and technological growth, producing profound societal and cultural changes, and affecting a host of different issues and ideas: women’s rights, race relations, industry and labour, sexuality, music, art, literature, film, radio, and much more. The global economic crisis in the 1930s brought additional pressures that eventually erupted in another world war between 1939 and 1945. How and why did this happen? Why did Europe self-destruct? What about other countries? This course will explain the enormity of changes that occurred with First World War and the subsequent attempts to re-establish a stable international order in the 1920s and 1930s. We will also examine how and why these attempts failed, and why the Second World War occurred. A wide array of topics and events will be addressed, such as imperialism; nationalism; militarism; technological advancements; pressures for war; the Paris Peace Conference and dismantling of empires; ideological extremism and the rise of Hitler and Stalin; Japan’s conquests in Asia; the Great Depression; American isolationism; appeasement policy; the coming of WWII; the Holocaust; the atomic bomb; “total war”; and the development of a new “cold war” between the United States and the Soviet Union after 1945. In the process, we will examine the historical roots, structures, and problems that shape the international order today.