Core 132: Global History Since 1914

King’s College, Fall 2006

Cristofer Scarboro

Class Meetings: TT 8-9:15, 12:30-1:45

MW 2-3:15

Office: Hafey-Marian Hall 312

Office Hours: MWF 10:00-12:00

TT 9:30-12:00

E-mail: cristoferscarboro@kings.edu

Phone: 208-5900 ext. 5637

Sharepoint: http://sharepoint.kings.edu/sites/scarboroCore132

I. Course Description:

This course is intended as an introduction to the major political, cultural and economic developments in the 20^th Century. As a starting point we will investigate the Twentieth Century as a period of “high modernity,” when regimes throughout the world sought to create and perfect particular types of subjects-citizens within competing universalizing ideological frameworks and visions of the future and past: Liberal Democratic Capitalism, Fascism, Communism Anti-Colonialism and Nationalism first among them. Subjects discussed in the class will include such topics as the revolutionary transformation of daily life by new science and technologies; visions of a global economic interdependence arising out of rapid industrialization and urbanization; the rise of a mass consumer culture; socialism and socialist humanism; colonialism, decolonialization and the collapse of European Empires; the disintegration of the Soviet Union and socialist regimes in Eastern Europe; conflicts among evolving, ascendant and declining social classes and interest groups; contestation over cultural forms; liberal democracy and its discontents.

This course is based on a topical approach rather than a strictly chronological or national one: major events will be addressed in roughly chronological order, but certain economic, political and social phenomena and intellectual and cultural movements will be explored over time in order to adequately trace their development and impact. Also, in some instances, focus will rest on particular countries and examples that provide profound and striking illustrations of the key aspects of Global History in the Twentieth Century that we are discussing.

II. Purpose:

A. Mission Statement:

This Core Curriculum requirement is the last course in the Civilization sequence.

Civilization courses are designed to explore in some depth the complex dimensions of our world and the cumulative experience of the past, to provide an understanding of how yesterday influences today and the outlook for tomorrow. We study the major developments of the 20th century because most of the problems and institutions of contemporary society have obvious roots in the recent historical past. Ultimately history is intended to be self-reflective and, like literature, we engage it because it tells us something of who we are.

We offer this course as part of your general education requirements because it is important for educated citizens to be familiar with today's world civilizations and recognize them as historically interacting forces which have produced important forms of political, social, and economic organization. You should understand that most of the structures within which we order our lives are products of this evolution.

Further, whatever your major or career goals may be, throughout your lives you will be deluged with information, opinion, and interpretations about events which you should be able to evaluate critically. Answering questions and solving problems by critical analysis -- not just memorization of data -- is a basic goal of education. Information is just the raw material in this process and, though rational analysis must be based on factual data, memorizing tidbits of information is not an end in itself. Our real goal is to develop concepts which give order and meaning to the raw material of our recorded past. Doing this requires comprehension beyond minimal factual details of past events. Major emphasis will be on patterns, themes, and concepts against which the factual data must be understood. These tools will serve you well in any field you chose to enter.

We hope that upon successful completion of this course you will have improved your understanding of world civilizations and become a more perceptive judge of the data, opinions, interpretations and explanations continuously offered to you.

B. Objectives for the student:

To be familiar with the main stages of world civilizations as expanding forces that have produced important forms of political, social, economic and cultural organization which are our common heritage.
To identify major events, persons and ideas that contributed to the development of Western (including American) and non-Western attitudes and institutions.
To develop concepts which give meaning and order to the raw material of our recorded past.
To identify and analyze significant problems and situations as they relate to the continuing issues of contemporary life.

C. Goals for the student:

To improve understanding of the major events which have influenced the modern world.
To be an intelligent consumer and evaluator of information about world events.
To develop a global perspective which recognizes the political, economic and cultural interdependence of all nations.
To understand the influence of the past on contemporary events and problems or, in other words, to develop historical mindedness.

D. General Learning Outcomes for the student:

In addition to the more content-related objectives described above, this course has some general liberal-learning goals of developing academic skills. It is expected that successful completion of this course will help you improve your ability:

To manage information, which involves sorting data, ranking data for significance, synthesizing facts, concepts and principles.
To understand and use organizing principles or key concepts against which miscellaneous data can be evaluated.
To differentiate between facts, opinions and inferences.
To frame questions so as to more clearly clarify a problem topic or issue.
To compare and contrast the relative merits of opposing arguments and interpretations, moving between the main points of each position.
To organize your thoughts and communicate them clearly and concisely in written form.
To obtain practice in selecting and presenting information and arguments within a restricted environment, especially the limitations of time in exams.

III. General Course Requirements:

A. Course Readings:

The textbook for the course, Richard Goff, Walter Moss, Janice Terry, and Jiu-Wha Upshur, The Twentieth Century: A Brief Global History, 6th ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2002), is intended to provide you with important context and background information before class and to be used as a review and reference work afterwards. You will be responsible for reading the assigned sections of the textbook according to the schedule listed below and come prepared to ask questions and contribute to class discussion. There will also be several readings (generally primary sources) handed out periodically during the semester for which you will be responsible for reading prior to class.

B. Course Film:

During the semester we will also be watching and discussing the film: The Battle of Algiers. The film will be shown outside of class and will be available for viewing on reserve at the College Library. The films will be a centerpiece of class discussions and may also be the subject of one of your second written assignment (a 4-6 page film review).

C. Bob Marley

During the semester we will also be discussing the music and lyrics of Bob Marley. You will receive copies of his songs with lyric sheets and be asked to analyze and interpret them. The music will be a centerpiece of class discussions and may also be the subject of one of your second written assignment (a 4-6 page review).

D. Class Participation:

As well as providing you with the methodological and analytical tools for engaging in historical thinking, this class will ask you to actively take part in a larger conversation of historical issues within the class. I expect this class to allow us to delve deeply into the historical topics of each week’s readings. To that end you need to make sure that you arrive to class on time ready to discuss the weekly readings, having carefully read and thought over the material. You must take an active role in the class discussions. Thus a portion of your grade will depend on your in-class performance and presence.

In a class of this nature it goes without saying that a classroom environment in which everyone feels comfortable is essential. You should treat your fellow classmates with respect, listen carefully to their comments and respond to them in a polite manner.

E. Class Attendance:

King’s College regards student participation in class as essential to the learning process. Therefore, regular class attendance is required of all students. After three unexcused absences your class participation grade will drop a letter grade (from A to B). Each subsequent absence will result in another letter grade deduction. Please see the King’s College student Handbook for policies regarding excusing absences and campus attendance policies.

Students are responsible for making up any work they miss while absent from class. Work missed should be turned in the day you return from an excused absence (unless otherwise agreed to). Late work due to an unexcused absence will be penalized a 1/3 a grade (from A to A-) for each day late.

F. Exams:

You will take two mid-term exams on the assigned dates in the class schedule (Feb. 5^th or 6^th and Mar. 14^th or 15^th) and a final exam to be assigned during finals week. Each exam covers in depth that material since the previous exam, but they are comprehensive and may include material from previous exams.

All exams will consist of short identifications quizzing knowledge of detail and significance, geographical content and essays demanding your understanding of the course material through logical presentation of facts and explanation of historical trends.

You may take a missed exam only at the discretion of the instructor. The makeup exam may be in another form, such as an oral exam.

G. Written Assignments:

You will be responsible for two larger written assignments in this class.

***Your first written assignment is to research and write 6 to 8 page essay on an important cultural, intellectual, or political movement of the 20^th century.

Procedure:

1. Choose a cultural intellectual or political movement of the 20^th century. You must submit your choice in class Jan. 22^nd or 23^rd. A list of potential topics is included on the final page of this syllabus.

2. Carefully research the movement. Locate it historically: what was the movement’s goals? how was it a product of its time and place? Why did the movement take the forms that it did? What was its historical significance?

3. Refer to at least three printed scholarly, detailed works (namely, not electronic from the internet or CD-ROM and not tertiary such as the textbook, handbooks or encyclopedias). These should be history books and/or journal articles written by professional historians and which closely examine the person. If you have any doubts about the appropriateness of your professional sources, please see the instructor.

You must turn in to the instructor pre-bibliography of your sources, in proper format, on Jan. 29^th or 30^th.

5. Write a careful essay whose thesis argues how the movement influenced and was influenced by history. The quality and use of your research from historical books will substantially influence the evaluation of your essay -- be sure to use them in the body of your paper. Be sure to place the movement in historical context, explaining it as a product of and producer of historical trends.

You must turn in to the instructor a thesis sentence with an outline of your key points on February 12^th or 13^th.

6. Visit the Writing Center to review your work and think about revisions. You must visit the center before March 21^st or 22^nd and have the reader-reviewer stamp your draft or outline. This is due in class on March 21^st or 22^nd.

7. Rest, review, and revise repeatedly. Then write a final draft to be turned in on March 26 or March 27^th.

Please turn in all of the material from all of the steps to this assignment together with the final draft on March 26^th or 27^th.

***Your second written assignment

Will be to write EITHER a Film Review (4-6 pages) of the movie the Battle of Algiers OR a Review (4-6 pages) of the Music and Lyrics of Bob Marley.

Your Second Paper Assignment, whichever option you chose, will be due in class on April 16^th or 17^th

**Further, you will also be responsible for e-mailing a list of eight to ten questions to me prior to the class discussions of the film and Bob Marley. You must do this for BOTH Class Discussions:

Battle of Algiers: Discussion questions due by email: Sun. Apr. 1^st at 5:00 p.m.

Bob Marley: Discussion questions due by email: Tues. Apr. 3^rd at 5:00 p.m.

H. Course Handouts and Microthemes:

During the course of the semester you will be responsible for writing three microthemes on the primary source readings from the primary source course handouts. These microthemes should be 1-2 pages and should explore the general thesis of the work, include your impression of it as a historical text and place the work within the larger context of this class and 20^th century global history.

Material from the course handouts will also be a focus of in class discussion and will feature prominently on your exams and you should be sure to read all of the material prior to the assigned class.

I. Grading:

It is your responsibility to understand why you have achieved a certain grade, and what

steps you can take to maintain or improve your grade. You should consult with the

instructor during office hours or by appointment before and after exams and written

assignments.

For your protection, in case of errors in record keeping, you should keep copies of all

exams and assignments until you have received official notice of your final grade.

**Your final grade will be based on the following percentages

100-98 A+

97-95 A

94-92 A-

91-89 B+

88-85 B

83-84 B-

80-82 C+

77-79 C

75-78 C-

74-70 D

69< F

**Your grade distribution for assignments is as follows:

Class Participation / Microthemes: 15%

First Exam: 15%

Second Exam: 15%

Final Exam: 20%

Paper: “Historical Movements”: 20%

Film Review / Music Review: 15%

H. Academic Integrity:

The Department of History adheres to guidelines on academic integrity outlined in the Student Conduct Code in the Student Handbook:

http://www.kings.edu/student_handbook/studentregulations_rights/conductcode.htm

Cheating and plagiarism will be penalized in accord with the penalties and procedures indicated in that source. All students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the definition of these infractions of academic honesty.

I. Dissabilities:

King’s College and I will make every effort to accommodate students with a bona-fide disability that impacts on their ability to learn the course material. Please meet with me privately so that appropriate arrangements can be made to help in the learning process.

IV. Course Schedule

Course Introduction

Mon. Jan. 15^th / Tues. Jan16^th

Section I: The Pre War World and the Age of Imperialism

Modernism: Setting the Stage

“What is modernism and what are its characteristics?”

Wed. Jan. 17^th / Thurs. Jan. 18^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 1-31

**Handout: Chapters 1 and 2 from the Book of Genesis, and Charles Darwin, The Origin of the Species, (selection)

The Scramble for Africa

“How was the Scramble for Africa a modern phenomenon? What role does race play?”

Mon. Jan. 22^nd / Tues. Jan. 23^rd

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 42-55

**Handout: Rudyard Kipling, The White Man’s Burden

*****Choice for First Paper Topic due in class*****

Imperialism and Revolution in Asia

“How was (is) ‘Europe’ created in ‘Asia’? How was (is) modernism resisted and transformed there?”

Wed. Jan. 24^th / Thurs. Jan. 25^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 68-93

U.S. Culture and Imperialism

“‘What will he do?’ How was (is) American overseas colonialism an expression of its own unique historical development? How was (is) it similar to other colonial movements?”

Mon. Jan 29^th / Tues. Jan 30^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 55-68

*****Pre-Bibliography for First Paper Assignment due in class*****

World War I and the Death of the Modern (?)

“How did World War I transform people’s understandings of the modern world?”

Wed. Jan. 31^st / Thurs. Feb. 1^st

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 94-133

**Handout: World War I Poetry: Owen and Sassoon

Section II: Social Revolution and Nationalism

*****First Exam*****

Mon. Feb. 5^th / Tues. Feb. 6^th

The Russian Revolutions

“How did the two Russian Revolutions offer differing visions of the modern and the relationship between state and subject?”

Wed. Feb. 7^th / Thurs. Feb. 8^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 134-148

The Paris Peace Settlements and the Age of Nationalism

“How did the Versailles Treaty create the foundation for the short 20^th Century? What is the nation-state?”

Mon. Feb. 12^th / Tues. Feb. 13^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 149-166

*****Thesis Statement for First Paper Assignment due in class*****

The Great Depression and the Age of Anxiety

“What were the anxieties of the post war world? How were they expressed politically, socially and culturally?”

Wed. Feb. 14^th / Thurs. Feb. 15^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 167-172

**Handout: Dada Manifesto

The Modern Strikes Back (!) (?): Latin America and Turkey

“How does the establishment of the modern Turkish state and the Mexican Revolution help us understand the relationships between the state, nationality and class? How revolutionary was the Mexican Revolution?”

Mon. Feb. 19^th / Tues. Feb. 20^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 173-181

**Handout: An Ottoman Government Decree defines the Official Notion of the “Modern” Citizen

High Stalinism: Tractors and Corpses

“What was the homo-sovieticus? How did the Stalinist system seek to create modern subjects? How do you come to terms with the question of tractors and corpses?”

Wed. Feb. 21^st / Thurs. Feb. 22^nd

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 218-230

Visions of Nazism: “Degenerate Art”

“What do the Great German Art Exhibition and the degenerate Art Exhibition tell us about Fascism as an ideology?”

Mon. Feb. 26^th / Tues. Feb. 27^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 218-230

**Handout: Benito Mussolini, What is Fascism?

Holocaust

“How was the holocaust a modern phenomenon?”

Wed. Feb. 28^th / Thurs. Mar. 1^st

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 243-269

**Handouts: Jaegermann, Memories of My Childhood in the Holocaust and the Jager Report

Review for Second Exam

Mon. Mar. 12^th / Tues. Mar. 13^th

*****2^nd Exam*****

Wed. Mar. 14^th / Thurs. Mar. 15^th

Section III: Cold War

“Sovietization” and “Normalization” the Cold War

“How do liberal democratic capitalism and communism define the ‘good life’?”

Mon. Mar. 19^th / Tues. Mar. 20^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 270-312

The Chinese Revolutions

“How were the Chinese Revolutions reflections of a Chinese vision of modernity? How different were these visions from a ‘western’ model of modernization?”

Wed. Mar. 21^st / Thurs. Mar. 22^nd

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 182-218, 334-339, 444-449

*****Outline/Rough Draft due in class (with a stamp from the writing center)*****

India and Pakistan: Decolonialization New Post War Nations

“How did India and Pakistan bring an end to British colonization of the subcontinent? How did/do they define nationhood and nationality?”

Mon. Mar. 26^th / Tues. Mar. 27^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 340-353, 426-444

*****First Paper Assignment due in class*****

*****Please turn in all earlier material with your rough draft*****

Decolonialization and African Independence

“What is the ‘curse of the nation-state’? What were (are) the particular difficulties of African post-colonialism?”

Wed. Mar. 28^th / Thurs. Mar. 29^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 354-368, 462-476

**Handout: Aimé Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism

Class Discussion: Battle of Algiers

“How does the Battle of Algiers help us understand the pathologies of colonialism?”

Mon. Apr. 2^nd / Tues. Apr. 3^rd

*****Discussion Questions due by e-mail Sun. April 1^st by 5:00 p.m.*****

Bob Marley and the Post Colonial Moment

“How does the music of Bob Marley help us understand the perils and possibilities of living in the post colonial era?”

Wed. Apr. 4^th / Tues. Apr. 10^th

**Assignment: Bob Marley CD and Lyrics

*****Discussion Questions due by e-mail Tues. April 3^rd by 5:00 p.m.*****

Latin America and the Cold War

“What role did ‘small states’ and their peoples have to play in the cold war?”

Wed. Apr. 11^th / Thurs. 12^th

**Readings: 312-333, 410-426

Post-War Middle East

“How do nationalism and modernity play out in the post-war Middle East?”

Mon. Apr. 16^th / Tues. Apr. 17^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 368-393

*****Second Paper Assignment Due in Class*****

Iranian Revolution

“How do we understand the Iranian revolution as a commentary on modernization and westernization?”

Wed. Apr. 18^th / Thurs. April 19^th

**Handout: Khomeini, Speech on the Uprising of Khurdad, 15, 1979

1968

“How do the events of 1968 help us understand the socialist and capitalist visions of the ‘good life’ and the question of consumption?”

Mon. Apr. 23^rd / Tues. Apr. 24^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 393-409

New World Order

“Was 1991 the ‘end of history’? How are we to understand the events of September 11^th and the ‘war on terror’?”

Wed. Apr. 25^th / Thurs. Apr. 26^th

**Readings: The Twentieth Century, 476-500

Review for Final Exam

Mon. Apr. 30^th / Tues. May 1^st

V. Suggested Topics for the First Paper Assignment

Pan-Africanism East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Dadaism Mujahideen (Afghanistan)

Surealism Cuban Revolution

Harlem Renaissance Pop Art

Zapatistas Fascism

Prague Spring Glasnost/ Perestroika

Dirty War (Argentina) FLN (Algeria)

PLO Collectivization

Rwandan Genocide Helsinki Movement

Socialist Realism Cultural Revolution (USSR or China)

Marxism-Leninism Hezbollah

Liberation Theology African National Congress

Non-aligned Movement Apartheid

Pan-Arabism Srebrenica

Swadeshi Negritude