Course Description
Course traces the history of the political, economic, and social history of oil in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It details the impact of oil on the rise and fall of empires and nations, the social ramifications of the oil industry on local cultures and societies, the role of petrostates in modern geopolitics, and the contribution of the oil industry to the economic and environmental crises.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be required to complete additional in-depth weekly readings, which will be detailed on the graduate syllabus. They will also be required to complete both a bibliographical essay and a research essay.
Athena Title
History of Oil
Undergraduate Pre or Corequisite
Any course in HIST or POLS or INTL or SOCI or ECOL or GEOG or ENGL or BUSN or CHEM or ENGR
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to: • Understand and explain the basic scientific and economic dynamics of oil production and consumption • Analyze the role of oil in major historical episodes of imperial conflict, geopolitical competition, and war • Demonstrate an understanding of the complex interplay between the political, social, and cultural ramifications of oil production • Discuss the potential deterioration or resolution of various geopolitical, economic, and environmental crises related to oil
Topical Outline
1. Fossil Capital: Steam, Coal, and the Petroleum Industry 2. The Breakup of Big Oil: The Standard Oil Monopoly and the Texas Oil Boom 3. The Oil Wars: Carbon Conflict in the Dutch East Indies, Russia, and Iran 4. Petronationalism: The Seven Sisters in Latin America and the Middle East 5. A World Safe for Oil: Conspiracies and Military Coups in Venezuela and Iran 6. America’s Kingdom: Oil, Labor Conflict, and Communism in Saudi Arabia 7. Pyramids in the Sand: Petrodollars, Weapon Sales, and Economic Development 8. The Red Sheikh: Nationalism, Third Worldism, and the Rise of OPEC 9. The Energy Crisis: Peak Oil, Producer Markets, and Environmental Catastrophism 10. The Oil Shock: Yom Kippur War, Oil Boycott, and Iranian Revolution 11. Hydrocarbon Horizons: Supply Shocks and New Frontiers in Shale Production 12. The Long Gulf War: Production Quotas and War in the Persian/Arab Gulf 13. Blood and Oil: Resources, Markets, and Wars in Iraq and Ukraine 14. Renewable Revolutions: Climate Change, Green Energy, and Fracking Debates 15. Blessings and Curses: Wealth, Corruption, and Dictatorship in Contemporary Petrostates 16. The End of Growth: Economic Necessities vs. Environmental Limitations
Syllabus