History of the Contemporary Middle East
HIST 392 | 3 Credits
Course Desc: Prerequisite: A writing course. Recommended: WRTG 291. A survey of the history of the Middle East from the late 19th century to the present. The aim is to identify the important events of the last century in the Middle East; understand the sources of contention in that area; and examine the ideology, politics, and culture of the area and how they impact U.S.-Middle East relations. Focus is on major political, economic, social, and cultural trends that inform current events in the region. Topics include the late Ottoman Empire, European colonialism, the rise of nationalism and nation-states, the Arab-Israeli conflict, political Islam, the role of the United States in the region, and contemporary approaches to modernity in the Middle East.
