HIST 250 Modern Middle Eastern History & Politics
(XL: INST 250, POLS 250) This course is an introduction to the history and politics of the modern Middle East, a volatile region of tremendous strategic, political, economic, and cultural importance. Through readings in primary- and secondary-source materials as well as discussion of current news events and the viewing of documentary and other films, we seek to understand key themes and issues that have shaped the region's development and continue to be of vital concern: the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, the colonization of the Middle East by European powers following World War I, the rise of nationalism and the establishment of the modern nation-state under authoritarian regimes, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the politics of oil, the Iranian revolution, U.S. hegemony, the rise of Islamist movements, 9/11 and its aftermath, the 2011 Arab uprisings, and the Syrian civil war.
NEW GEN ED: Meets HU
Cross Listed Courses
INST 250