HST242 Europe and the Middle East (1798-1956)

[3–0, 3 cr.]

This course provides students with an overview of European-Middle Eastern relations during the 19^th and early 20th centuries. Introducing students to the stormy and complex interactions between European powers and the peoples and states of the Middle East, the course will not just deal with the political, military and diplomatic events but also with their social, economic and cultural impact on both Europe and the Middle East. The period reveals both Europe and the Middle East evolving rapidly, but not always in tandem.Examples might include the history of Egypt from Napoleon’s invasion in 1798 to the 1952 officer’s revolution led by Nasser; the history of the Ottoman Empire from the Tanzimat to its decline; British, French, German and Russian interests in the Middle East; the impact of the two World Wars, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the creation of modern Turkey and the rise of the Arab state system.