Course Description
An investigation of the spectacular and often traumatic historical processes of the twentieth century, including imperialism, the world wars, Communist and fascist revolutions, decolonization, and the Cold War from a global perspective. Students will become conversant in the grand movements of the twentieth century and better oriented in the twenty-first.
Athena Title
20th Century Global History
Pre or Corequisite
One course in HIST or POLS or INTL or GLOB
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions about the global history of the 20th Century 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 global history of the 20th century shaped diverse social and cultural attitudes toward politics, modernity, 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
- Pre-1914 imperialism
- World War One in a global perspective
- The Russian Revolution, Marxism, and Leninism (and its relation to later Communist revolutions)
- Wilsonian liberalism and the post-war order
- Great Depression in the U.S. and Western Europe
- Stalinism
- Fascism and Nazism
- Spanish Civil War
- Japanese Imperialism
- World War Two, with particular emphasis on the Eastern Front
- International Relations theories and practice
- Cold War
- Chinese communism and its post-Mao reforms
- Nuclear Weapons
- Decolonization
- Cold War interventions (several case studies, and greater attention to Vietnam and Afghanistan)
- Dissolution of the Soviet bloc
- American capitalism, postwar, and post-1970s
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, interpersonal, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
