COURSE DESCRIPTION
Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the course of world history changed radically. In part, the patterns of interaction and exchange among the world’s peoples had developed such that barriers that had long isolated many regions and cultures from another were definitively breached. From this time forward, a world history emerged that was more than just the sum of the histories of individual peoples and regions. There were now processes and ideas—e.g., imperialism, industrialization, socialism—that were global in their reach. Major events, too, increasingly affected multiple areas of the world at once, as witnessed in phrases like the "Second World War." The final decades of the eighteenth century also witnessed a fundamental shift in the relations between Europe (the "West") and its global neighbors. Having stood in the wings for centuries, the European states now played the leads on the world historical stage and maintained this position well into the twentieth century. Western scientific, cultural, communications and military prowess transformed first Europe, then the rest of the world. They laid the foundations of today’s global village, while also bequeathing to it many of its current problems and challenges.
This course seeks to examine and make sense of these global developments. The first half of the course explores the tangle of forces and circumstances, local and international, that promoted Europe’s rise over the long nineteenth century. It also scrutinizes the consequences of these changes for both Europe and the "non-Western" world. The second half of the course examines the political, social, cultural, and economic transformations that put an end to European predominance, saw the rise and fall of the Cold War, and helped create the (seemingly) post-superpower, globalized world of today.
In terms of format, this is a lecture and discussion course. The lectures supplement and expand upon material in the Fernandez-Armesto textbook and primary source readings, while the formal discussions will provide you an opportunity to think about the past in a "hands-on" manner.
Note: This course satisfies a UTC general education requirement in Cultures and Civilizations.