84-623 War and Peace in the Contemporary Middle East

12 units, Carnegie Mellon University

This course examines the drivers of war and peace in the contemporary Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The course is structured around five major types of armed conflict that plague the region today - civil wars, insurgent and terrorist campaigns, enduring rivalries, regional disputes, and external interventions. We will delve into the theories of what fuels - and what resolves - each of these types of conflict, while exploring cases around the region such as the disputes in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Turkey, as well as broader clashes like the Arab Israeli conflict, Shi'a-Sunni conflict, and recent great power interventions in the region. The course will rely on a mixture of research articles and books as well as more diverse materials such as war reporting, films, and memoirs in order to give students a holistic understanding of these issues.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Spring 2027, Spring 2026

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