Are We Living in Cold War II? Geopolitics, Grand Strategy, and Global Power, 1991–Today 4035-AWL-BLOKI-OG

Students will explore key elements of systemic competition, such as ideological conflicts, alliance structures, nuclear deterrence, proxy wars, intelligence operations, and the role of neutral and developing countries. At the same time, the course emphasizes the specificity of the contemporary era: the growing US-China rivalry, the changing role of Russia, deepening economic interdependence, and the importance of technologies and economic instruments. A significant element of the course is the analysis of cases such as Russia's war against Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan, as well as a reflection on the usefulness of historical analogies in analyzing contemporary international politics. The course also introduces a periodization of recent world history and encourages a critical assessment of concepts such as the "end of history" and the "Second Cold War." The course draws on classic publications on the Cold War and the latest research on contemporary great-power rivalry. The aim of the course is to develop students' skills in analyzing global processes and critically thinking about changes in the international order.

Thematic Blocks
1. Introduction to the concept of the "Second Cold War"
 Comparison of the classic Cold War (1947–1991) with the global rivalry after 1991
 Analysis of the concepts: "end of history," "Second Cold War"
 Discussion of the usefulness of historical analogies in the study of contemporary politics
2. Grand Strategy and Systemic Structures
 Ideological Rivalries and Value Conflicts
 Blocs and Alliances: NATO, Warsaw Pact vs. Contemporary
Partnerships (BRICS, AUKUS, NATO)
 The Role of Neutral and Developing States in the International
System
3. Military and Technological Competition
 Nuclear Deterrence and Strategic Balance
 Proxy Wars and Expeditionary Conflicts
 Intelligence Operations, Cybersecurity, Economic
Intelligence
4. Economic Competition and Economic Instruments
 Sanctions, Strategic Dependencies, Decoupling
 Growing Global Interdependence and the Importance of Technology
in Great Power Competition
 The Economic Role of China and the USA in Shaping the Contemporary Order
5. Case Studies: Contemporary Flashpoints
 Russia's War Against Ukraine as a Proxy Conflict
 Taiwan and Potential Flashpoints in the US-China Rivalry
 Analysis of Alliances and Multipolarity: NATO, Quad, AUKUS, SCO, CSTO, BRICS
6. Periodization of Recent History in the Context of universal
 1991–2001: unipolar optimistic phase after the Cold War
 2001–2008: War on Terror
 2008–2014: financial crisis and economic tensions
 2014–2022: growing systemic rivalry
 2022–present: a full-blown “Second Cold War”
7. Comparative Analysis and Drawing Conclusions
 The Limits and Benefits of Historical Analogies
 Lessons from Cold War I for Understanding Cold War II
 Discussion of the Future of Global Order and Potential Strategic Scenarios