Global & Intnl History

Catalog description

This course will introduce students to historical analysis of global interactions during the early modern, modern, and contemporary periods. Understanding of today’s international arena requires a well-grounded, conceptually rich understanding of history. The course seeks, in part, to provide historical perspectives on ‘globalization’ and other contemporary global, international and transnational developments. It will focus especially on the history of international order and structures of global power. Topics examined include: war and other forms of political violence; the formation and interaction of empires; imperial expansion and decline; the evolution of the modern state and states systems (including the European states system and its global spread); the proliferation of “nation-states” during the 20th century; the development of international law; and the emergence of international organizations, transnational civil society organizations (aka “NGOs”), and multinational corporations. World historical patterns of long-distance trade, economic change, human migrations, and cross-cultural exchange will also be examined. The course does not aim to present a comprehensive world history but introduces themes and analytical approaches that are foundational to more advanced study of international interactions.