Course Description
The history of colonialism and nationalism in the Middle East,
from Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt until the decolonization of the
Arab Gulf in the 1960s.
Athena Title
Colonial Middle East
Pre or Corequisite
Any course in POLS or INTL or HIST
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions about the history of colonialism and nationalism in the Middle East by gathering and weighing evidence, logical argument, and listening to counter argument.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to write stylistically appropriate papers and essays. Students will be able to analyze ideas and evidence, organize their thoughts, and revise and edit their finished essays.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to identify how the history of colonialism and nationalism in the Middle East has shaped diverse social and cultural attitudes toward religion, ethnicity, and identity, encouraging them to understand diverse worldviews and experiences.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to apply appropriate methodological approaches to their analysis of primary sources and to organize their evidence to show historical continuities and discontinuities.
Topical Outline
- Week 1: Introduction to the Middle East
- Week 2: Napoleon and the Occupation of Egypt, 1798-1801
- Week 3: French Empire and Tribal Resistance in Algeria, 1830- 1920
- Week 4: Missionaries, Colonialism, and the Sectarian Massacres of 1960
- Week 5: Suez Canal, Urabi Revolt, and British Egypt, 1869-1914
- Week 6: World War I and the Anglo-Arab Labyrinth, 1914-1920
- Week 7: Sati al-Husri and the Ideological Origins of Arab Nationalism, 1908-1941
- Week 8: Hashemites, Saudis, and America’s Kingdom in Arabia, 1920-1945
- Week 9: Italian Fascists, Tribal Resistance, and the Libyan Tragedy, 1911-1947
- Week 10: French Mandates in Syria and Lebanon, 1920-1946
- Week 11: Zionism, Nationalism, and British Mandates in Palestine and Jordan, 1920-1948
- Week 12: Imperial Interests, Petroleum Politics, and Nationalism in Iran, 1919-1953
- Week 13: Egyptian Nationalism, Arab Nationalism, and the Suez Crisis, 1919-1956
- Week 14: The British Mandate in Iraq and the July 14 Revolution, 1920-1958
- Week 15: Settler Colonialism, Nationalism, and the FLN in Algeria, 1920-1962
- Week 16: The Decolonization of South Yemen and the Arab Gulf, 1920-1967
