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