Delivered at:: Department of History

Course type:: Elective course

When:: 5 year, 1, 2 module

Instructor

Shakarian, Pietro A.

Full Syllabus

Abstract

In the fateful year of 1917, a revolutionary zeitgeist swept Russia, bringing Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power in Petrograd. The revolutions of 1917 in Russia – in February and October (November) – collectively constituted one of several outcomes of the First World War. They indicated that the pre-1914 world of the Fin de Siècle and La Belle Époque had now been cast into history and that a new age of ideologies was struggling to be born. This course examines the 20th century as an epoch of ideologies, which itself was rooted in the earlier period of the “long 19th century,” encompassing the French and Industrial revolutions and the rise of nationalism. The scope of the course is global, covering developments in Western and Eastern Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and South and East Asia. As will be seen, the history of this century was guided by various “isms” – liberalism, socialism, nationalism, fascism, and communism, to name only a few. Such ideas shaped the cultural, political, and social contexts, contours, and developments of global history throughout this period. Through this course, students will discover the ways in which this highly consequential age of ideologies definitively shaped our world as we know it today.

Learning Objectives

The primary objective of the course will be to develop the ability to independently and critically analyze the main ideas and ideologies that informed the global history of the 20th century. The course materials and lectures will provide the basis for developing these skills.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Аnalyze and describe the main ideas undergirding the history of the 20th century
Weigh arguments and evidence using critical and creative thinking
Critically evaluate source materials and historical literature
Investigate and synthesize primary and secondary sources
Conceptualize problems and questions from different perspectives
Work in teams to examine and solve problems collaboratively and democratically
Develop and deliver oral presentations and enhance communication skills
Conduct independent research on their own

Course Contents

Course Introduction, From Enlightenment to Revolution
Industrial “Revolution” and Social Response, The Rise of Nationalism and the Nation-State
Imperialism, Revolution, and Reaction in the Global Fin de Siècl. Film: The New Babylon (1929)
Into the Abyss: World War I and Its Outcomes . Film excerpts: J’accuse (1919)
The Russian Revolution. Primary Source Groups Assigned
Fascism and Nazism. Film Excerpts: Metropolis (1927)
Between Two Worlds: The American New Deal and Stalinism in the USSR
Ideological Divides Between World War II and the Cold War
Post-War, East and West. Film excerpts: Bicycle Thieves (1948). Groups for In-Class Debate Announced
Maoism in China and Anti-Colonialism
1960s Social Revolution, East and West
Global Ideologies Between Stagnation and Reform
The End of History?
Ideology’s Long Shadow and the Legacy of the 20th Century

Assessment Elements

Class Participation
Quizzes
Primary Source Analysis
In-Class Debate
Final exam

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 учебный год 2 модуль
0.15 * Class Participation + 0.3 * Final exam + 0.15 * In-Class Debate + 0.2 * Primary Source Analysis + 0.2 * Quizzes

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Scales, L., & Zimmer, O. (2005). Power and the Nation in European History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=138984

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Kubok, D. (2018). Thinking Critically: What Does It Mean? : The Tradition of Philosophical Criticism and Its Forms in the European History of Ideas. Boston: De Gruyter. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1636981

Bachelor’s Programme 'History'

Contacts

Global Political Ideologies of the 20th Century