The Ottoman Empire and Modern Middle East

Catalog description

The Middle East is the only region of land to bridge three continents and is (arguably) the most controversial in America today. Assuming no prior knowledge of a region that persistently captures headlines, this course provides a robust academic introduction to Middle East history, comprising: (1) the early modern Ottoman Empire, from the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 to collapse in WWI; and (2) the dramatic remaking of Southwest Asia and Northern Africa into a new “Mideast/MENA” region from Ottoman partition to contemporary times. Throughout, we explore the pivotal region between Algeria and Afghanistan via land, sea, air, and other “3D” perspectives: local economies and governance to geopolitics; language and faith to art, music, and sports; and ultimately, how competing modern forces like constitutionalism and militarism; colonialism, nationalism, and international law; and elites to everyday people shape(d) the region today.