The history of international relations does not require any prior knowledge other than a good command of the French language and the ability to take notes in a syllabus.
The aim is to provide a basic understanding of the world in which we live. In particular, it looks at how the major "powers", i.e. the most powerful states, have evolved since the Treaties of Westphalia (1648). The focus is on the 20th and 21st centuries, although they cannot be understood without an overview of the preceding centuries. These are discussed in varying degrees of detail, depending on whether they are near or far. It's all about getting a sense of direction, seeing the most significant events and systems.
The material is viewed chronologically, from 1648 to the present day. Geographical groupings are sometimes made but the framework remains chronological. The emphasis is on diplomatic history: major international meetings, treaties, alliances. See the table below.
The assessment is done in a written exam consisting of four open questions, requiring more or less one A4 page of answers. The student must form sentences to answer the questions. These are mainly based on memorization and correspond in a balanced way to the material seen in the course.
Lucien Bély, Les relations internationales en Europe XVIIe-XVIIIe, Paris, PUF, 1992 Daniel COLARD, Les relations internationales de 1945 à nos jours, 8th edition, Paris, Armand Colin, 1999 Jean-Baptiste DUROSELLE, with the assistance of André Kaspi, Histoire des relations internationales de 1919 à 1945, 12th edition, Paris, Armand Colin, 2001 Richard F. HAMILTON and Holger H. HERWIG (eds.), The Origins of World War I, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2003 Gordon MARTEL (ed.), A Companion to International History, 1900-2001, Malden, Mass., Blackwell, 2007 Pierre MILZA, Les relations internationales de 1918 à 1939, 2nd ed, Paris, Armand Colin, 1998 Annika Mombauer, The Origins of the First World War: Controversies and Consensus, London, Pearson Education, 2002 Jean-Jacques ROCHE, Relations internationales, 2nd ed, Paris, L.G.D.J., 2001 Paul W. SCHROEDER, The Transformation of European Politics 1763-1848, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1994