Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
HIST 1211 Primary Source Paper Prompt
For this paper you will compare two primary sources from the list of five options below. Your job will be to analyze each primary source, compare it to its counterpart, and relate both to their specific historical context. The Primary Source Paper is due at the beginning of class on June 14th.
OPTION ONE: Europe after 1945
Joseph Stalin's "Election Speech" of February 1946
and
Winston Churchill's "Sinews of Democracy" (a.k.a. "Iron Curtain") speech of March 1946
OPTION TWO: The Americas in the Cold War Era
Fidel Castro's 1960 Speech to the UN General Assembly
and
John F. Kennedy's 1961 "Alliance for Progress Speech"
OPTION THREE: Postcolonial Asia
Ho Chi Minh's 1945 Speech Declaring the Independence of Vietnam
and
Gandhi's 1947 Speech on Asia and the West
OPTION FOUR: Postcolonial Africa
Kwame Nkrumah's 1961 "I Speak of Freedom" Speech
and
Chenua Achebe's 1966 novel A Man of the People
OPTION FIVE: Technology and Nature in the 21st Century
Wangari Maathai's 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Address
and
2009 Yale Environment 360 interview with Stewart Brand
OPTION ONE: Europe after 1945
Joseph Stalin's "Election Speech" of February 1946
and
Winston Churchill's "Sinews of Democracy" (a.k.a. "Iron Curtain") speech of March 1946
OPTION TWO: The Americas in the Cold War Era
Fidel Castro's 1960 Speech to the UN General Assembly
and
John F. Kennedy's 1961 "Alliance for Progress Speech"
OPTION THREE: Postcolonial Asia
Ho Chi Minh's 1945 Speech Declaring the Independence of Vietnam
and
Gandhi's 1947 Speech on Asia and the West
OPTION FOUR: Postcolonial Africa
Kwame Nkrumah's 1961 "I Speak of Freedom" Speech
and
Chenua Achebe's 1966 novel A Man of the People
OPTION FIVE: Technology and Nature in the 21st Century
Wangari Maathai's 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Address
and
2009 Yale Environment 360 interview with Stewart Brand
Thursday, May 20, 2010
1958: Nixon in Venezuela
Here is a newsreel depicting the violent protests that greeted Vice President Nixon's trip to Venezuela.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
March, 1946: Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" Speech
On March 5th, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered a warning about the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. One phrase that he used, the "iron curtain," became an enduring metaphor of the Cold War decades:
From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in some cases, increasing measure of control from -- from Moscow. Athens alone -- Greece with its immortal glories -- is free to decide its future . . .
The entire speech, with audio & video, is available here.
From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in some cases, increasing measure of control from -- from Moscow. Athens alone -- Greece with its immortal glories -- is free to decide its future . . .
The entire speech, with audio & video, is available here.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Syllabus
HIST 1211
World History Since 1945
Mon./Tues./ Wed./Thurs. 9:50-11:20
Summer I
Northeastern University
Instructor: R. S. Deese
Office Hours: Mon. 8-9:30 or by appt.
rsdeese@gmail.com
This course will examine the political, economic, environmental, and cultural trends in World History since the end of World War II. Topics will include the Cold War, independence and national movements in developing countries, the globalization of the world economy, scientific and technological innovations, wealth and poverty, pandemics and disease control, the fall of the Soviet Union, Middle East turmoil, and the emergence of environmental issues as a growing dimension of global affairs.
To succeed in this course, you must come to class each day fully prepared to discuss the assigned reading for the week, and you must prepare early for your midterm, primary source paper, and final exam.
Required Texts:
Achebe, Chenua. A Man of the People. (Anchor, 1998)
Keylor, William R. A World of Nations: The International Order Since 1945. (Oxford, 2008)
Basic Ground Rules:
1. Turn off all cell phones, etc. before all class meetings begin.
2. Always come on time to all class meetings, and participate in all discussions. Please don’t be shy about speaking up in class discussions, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Virtually all original scholarship begins by posing questions that others have overlooked or dismissed as simply not worth asking; therefore, the very question you might be afraid to ask because it seems naïve or unorthodox could well be the most interesting and groundbreaking question that anyone could raise. Don’t hesitate to ask it. Also, please remember that I am more than happy to field your questions and address your concerns via email, telephone, and during my regular office hours.
3. Always come to class prepared to discuss all readings for that week. When you do the assigned reading each week, be sure to underline passages that you see as important, and write down questions that you would like to raise in our section meetings and in my office hours.
Grade Breakdown:
Attendance & Participation: 25%
Midterm: 25%
Primary Source Paper: 20%
Final Exam: 30%
Midterm and Final Examinations: To prepare for these exams, be sure to review the assigned readings and your notes from lectures and discussion sections. Feel free to contact me via email or during office hours concerning any questions you might have. A [portion of the class prior to the midterm will be devoted to review, and I will also a hold review session prior to the final exam. Please bear in mind that these review sessions will be most profitable to those who have prepared for them by thoroughly studying the material at hand.
Term Paper: You are required to write a 6-page term paper analyzing two primary source documents. In this paper, you will be required to develop an original thesis that relates both primary sources to each other and to their historical context.
Regulations Against Plagiarism: Needless to say, the work you present must be entirely your own and all sources must be diligently credited in your footnotes and bibliography. Any attempt at plagiarism, representing the work of another person as your own, will be result in failure in this course and severe disciplinary action by Boston University. If you should need more information on this subject, consult the website of the History Department.
SCHEDULE OF READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS
Week One
The Bipolar World
Read Keylor, ch. 1 by May 13th
Week Two
The Militarization of Containment
Read Keylor, ch. 2 by May 19th
Week Three
Détente & the Fall of Soviet Power
Read Keylor, chs. 3 & 4 May 26th
Week Four
Postcolonial Africa
Read Keylor, ch. 10 and all of Achebe’s A Man of the People by June 2nd
Week Five
MIDTERM EXAM on Monday, June 7th
European Integration and Inter-American Relations
Read Keylor, chs. 5 & 6 by June 9th
Week Six
PAPER DUE IN CLASS on Monday, June 14th
East Asia and Southeast Asia
Read Keylor, chs. 7 & 8 by June 16th
Week Seven
The Evolving Middle East and the Era of Globalization
Read Keylor, ch. 9 & Epilogue
FINAL EXAM on Thursday, June 24th
World History Since 1945
Mon./Tues./ Wed./Thurs. 9:50-11:20
Summer I
Northeastern University
Instructor: R. S. Deese
Office Hours: Mon. 8-9:30 or by appt.
rsdeese@gmail.com
This course will examine the political, economic, environmental, and cultural trends in World History since the end of World War II. Topics will include the Cold War, independence and national movements in developing countries, the globalization of the world economy, scientific and technological innovations, wealth and poverty, pandemics and disease control, the fall of the Soviet Union, Middle East turmoil, and the emergence of environmental issues as a growing dimension of global affairs.
To succeed in this course, you must come to class each day fully prepared to discuss the assigned reading for the week, and you must prepare early for your midterm, primary source paper, and final exam.
Required Texts:
Achebe, Chenua. A Man of the People. (Anchor, 1998)
Keylor, William R. A World of Nations: The International Order Since 1945. (Oxford, 2008)
Basic Ground Rules:
1. Turn off all cell phones, etc. before all class meetings begin.
2. Always come on time to all class meetings, and participate in all discussions. Please don’t be shy about speaking up in class discussions, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Virtually all original scholarship begins by posing questions that others have overlooked or dismissed as simply not worth asking; therefore, the very question you might be afraid to ask because it seems naïve or unorthodox could well be the most interesting and groundbreaking question that anyone could raise. Don’t hesitate to ask it. Also, please remember that I am more than happy to field your questions and address your concerns via email, telephone, and during my regular office hours.
3. Always come to class prepared to discuss all readings for that week. When you do the assigned reading each week, be sure to underline passages that you see as important, and write down questions that you would like to raise in our section meetings and in my office hours.
Grade Breakdown:
Attendance & Participation: 25%
Midterm: 25%
Primary Source Paper: 20%
Final Exam: 30%
Midterm and Final Examinations: To prepare for these exams, be sure to review the assigned readings and your notes from lectures and discussion sections. Feel free to contact me via email or during office hours concerning any questions you might have. A [portion of the class prior to the midterm will be devoted to review, and I will also a hold review session prior to the final exam. Please bear in mind that these review sessions will be most profitable to those who have prepared for them by thoroughly studying the material at hand.
Term Paper: You are required to write a 6-page term paper analyzing two primary source documents. In this paper, you will be required to develop an original thesis that relates both primary sources to each other and to their historical context.
Regulations Against Plagiarism: Needless to say, the work you present must be entirely your own and all sources must be diligently credited in your footnotes and bibliography. Any attempt at plagiarism, representing the work of another person as your own, will be result in failure in this course and severe disciplinary action by Boston University. If you should need more information on this subject, consult the website of the History Department.
SCHEDULE OF READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS
Week One
The Bipolar World
Read Keylor, ch. 1 by May 13th
Week Two
The Militarization of Containment
Read Keylor, ch. 2 by May 19th
Week Three
Détente & the Fall of Soviet Power
Read Keylor, chs. 3 & 4 May 26th
Week Four
Postcolonial Africa
Read Keylor, ch. 10 and all of Achebe’s A Man of the People by June 2nd
Week Five
MIDTERM EXAM on Monday, June 7th
European Integration and Inter-American Relations
Read Keylor, chs. 5 & 6 by June 9th
Week Six
PAPER DUE IN CLASS on Monday, June 14th
East Asia and Southeast Asia
Read Keylor, chs. 7 & 8 by June 16th
Week Seven
The Evolving Middle East and the Era of Globalization
Read Keylor, ch. 9 & Epilogue
FINAL EXAM on Thursday, June 24th
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