(Offered as HIST-344 and EUST-344.) Many see today’s world resembling some features of the world in the 19th century. Unlike in the Cold War, there is no stability of two superpowers system. Like in the 19th century some powers today claim regional hegemony, attempt to pursue the course of supranationalism, and encounter the challenge of diversity.

(Offered as HIST 326 and BLST 326) Diamonds have a long history in global trade; for centuries, they were scarce enough to be among the most precious commodities. But in 1867, the discovery of diamonds in a remote part of the Cape Colony in southern Africa turned them into a commodity that helped finance the construction of the British empire on the continent through conquest and African labor.

The medieval and early modern past is constantly being explored and reinterpreted, whether in the traditional realms of academia and the heritage industry or through film, TV, games, and even political protests. Despite this saturation of premodernity in modern culture, few opportunities exist for those outside the academy to consider how the premodern past is selectively shaped and communicated to the public.

This course offers an opportunity for history majors and students intrigued by the past to reflect upon the practice of history. How do we claim to know anything about the past at all? How do historians construct the stories they tell about the past from the fragmentary remnants of former times? What is the connection between the past as it was lived and the narratives that historians write? How do we judge the truth and value of these histories and memories? The course explores questions such as these through readings and case studies drawn from a variety of places and times.

This course will offer an introduction to Great Power/regional dynamics in the Arab World with a view to highlighting the linkages and interplay between regional developments and Great Power politics during the 20 th Century, and how each has affected the other. It will assess the impact of global and regional wars on Great power diplomacy and their role in shaping the region and resolving its conflicts, from the demise of the Ottoman Empire to the emergence of the US as the dominant great power in the late 20 th century.

(Offered as HIST 265, LLAS 265 and ENST 265) This course focuses on the links between ecological transformations and human problems, and between rural social movements and environmentalism. Questions we will engage include: How has imperialism impacted the environment? How have these environmental impacts shaped the possibilities for political resistance by subaltern groups?

(Offered as HIST 235, EUST 245 and RUS 235) Joseph Stalin, the infamous Soviet dictator, created a particular type of society in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. Stalinism became a phenomenon that influenced the development of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, China, and North Korea. The course will begin with the exploration of Stalin’s own life and then focus on what historical forces enabled the emergence of Stalinism.

(Offered as HIST 234 and EUST 234) This class is an introduction to the history of Nazi Germany from 1933-1945. Through readings and class discussion, we will cover topics such as the Holocaust, Nazi ideology and aesthetics, daily life in the Third Reich, women under Nazism, Nazi foreign policy and World War II, and the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial.  In addition, we will discuss themes that range well beyond the Nazi dictatorship: What is the relationship between aesthetics and politics?  How do dictatorships function?  What constitutes political resistance?

(Offered as HIST-233 and BLST-233 [US].) This course explores racial capitalism through the lenses of history and economics. Racial capitalism understands racism, slavery, segregation, and imperialism as key to how the economic system of capitalism enables the creation of profit for some via the racialized exploitation of others.

(Offered as HIST 230 and EUST 230.) Often viewed as one of the defining events in modern history, the French Revolution has been debated and discussed, derided and celebrated by generations of politicians, cultural commentators, and historians. This course enters into this on-going conversation by examining the nature of the revolutionary process as it unfolded in late eighteenth-century France and its empire.