Overview of Course

By 1914, European nations controlled or occupied over eighty percent of the world. And yet, within seventy-five years, European global dominance had ended. This course examines the momentous events in Europe from the nineteenth century to the present and explores the impact of those events on the rest of the world. We will look at the development of European nations, states, and empires; the emergence of ideologies, such as nationalism, socialism, communism, and fascism; the impact of industrialization and technological developments; and the impact that world wars and genocides had on Europe and the rest of the world.
This period in European history witnessed devastation through war and genocide, but it also saw tremendous cultural and social achievement. In the process, Europe’s relations with the rest of the world were transformed. Through lectures, classroom discussions, focused readings, and writing assignments, we will explore the developments that shaped the modern European experience, particularly the experience with imperialism and de-colonization, issues of women and gender, issues of race and power, and the struggle for social, political, and economic equality. While the primary focus is on Europe, the course will also include wide discussion of the experiences of subaltern peoples under European colonization as essential for understanding the development of today’s Europe. The course will also enrich our understanding of the countries we will be visiting by exploring European influence (or lack thereof) upon the peoples and politics of the region.