The module examines the factors that give rise to international crises and shape the foreign policy responses of states. It examines the making of foreign policy from a number of different analytical perspectives. Successive weeks examine factors at different scales that influence foreign policy. These include the distribution of power and interests in the overall international system, the role of public opinion, the operation of foreign policy bureaucracies, and psychological processes in the minds of national leaders. Concurrently, we will examine statistical patterns in international crises, using data from the International Crisis Behavior (ICB) project. We will also discuss specific inter-state crises in depth, including India- Pakistan conflicts, the first Gulf War, and the Cuban missile crisis. The main assignment for the module, which is submitted at the end of the semester, will encourage students to combine different levels of analysis into a convincing explanation of a foreign policy scenario in world politics.