17.423 / Causes and Prevention of War
Van Evera & Mendeloff
April 23, 1998
Please write a paper of 4-6 typed double-spaced pages (with normal 1" margins and standard typeface), that answers the following question. Alternatively, if you find this question confining and wish to cover another topic, please say so and we will consider it.
Imagine that nuclear weapons were invented in 1920 or so, and by 1933 Germany, Britain, France, the Soviet Union and the United States had nuclear second-strike countervalue capabilities as large as those possessed by the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. No other powers possess nuclear weapons in 1933. Which causes of World War II in Europe would have been affected, and in what way? Which would not have been affected? Overall, would a war have been more or less likely in 1939? More or less intense? More or less likely to become a world war?Your papers are due on Thursday, May 7, at 11:00 am (class time). You can bring them to class, or deliver them before the deadline to David Mendeloff's mailbox at the MIT Center for International Studies, 6th floor of building E38 (292 Main Street.) Lateness will be penalized. You are not expected to do outside reading.
You may confer with each other as you gather your thoughts.
Make sure your paper includes a clear summary introduction, of perhaps a paragraph. This paragraph should clearly state your question and should summarize your answer.
Also, get a draft or outline of your paper to Mendeloff by Friday, May 1, to get his feedback.
You should footnote statements of fact, using an abbreviated footnote style if you wish. Footnotes do not count toward the length-limit on your paper, so use them freely.