2017-2018 Academic Catalog

Apr 19, 2024

2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

HIST 162 - The History of the Modern Middle East 1800 -1925

The collapse of the Soviet Union, the Arab Spring and Syrian Civil War have rocked the political landscape in the world and the Middle East. Today’s nation-states and their boundaries in the region are in question and new nation-states are seeming to emerge. Contours of the region were first shaped by World War I and the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 which dismantled the Ottoman Empire some hundred years ago. This is a crucial point in the history of the region - one that continues to affect it to this day. This course will explore the history of the Middle East from the decline of the Ottoman Empire (early 19^th century) until 1925. Major themes include the emergence of revolutionary nationalism among Armenians, Arabs, Kurds and Turks before and after World War I, massacres, ethnic cleansings and genocides against various people of the region; as well as the rise of Zionism and the ensuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and the emergence of different nation-states in the region. The parameters that were set up in the 1920’s are the origin of today’s problems. Without understanding this period, we cannot understand the Middle East of today.

Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.

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