Question: HIS 271S: THE WORLD SINCE 1500 SUMMER 2017
Course Description: This course examines world history from 1500 to through the 20th century. The course will cover both Western and non-Western nations and the often volatile relationship between the two over a four hundred year time period from the pre-modern world up to our current challenges and issues. Topics covered will include, but are not limited to, the emergence of the West and capitalism, conflict with the Ottoman empire, the collapse of religious conformity in the West, European imperial expansion in the Americas and elsewhere, the rise and fall of Spain and the struggle between Britain and France for imperial ascendancy, the first successful colonial rebellion (the American Revolution), the French revolution and the emergence of the Pax Britannica, the collapse of the old world order under the weight of two World Wars, the Cold War, the rise of China, the waning of imperialism ushering in independence in the Third World, interactions within the Third World, military and economic interactions between the West and the Third World, the creation of the European community, contemporary issues in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, the rise of multinational corporations, global terrorism and the problems and possibilities for the future.
HOME WORK: One 7- 8 page essay examining the historical contact, conflict and/or cooperation between two civilizations over time; using historical research methods, proper documentation and citations, and evaluating and synthesizing material from a variety of sources.