HIST 205 - Contemporary World History

3 Credits: (3 lecture)

Course Description
This course examines major issues of the Twentieth Century such as the causes and consequences of World Wars I and II, the impact of western imperialism on the emergence of Third World nation states, the development of totalitarianism, the conflicts of the Cold War, and the trend towards increasing global interdependence during the 21st century. This course meets the General Education competency of Values, Ethics, and Diverse Perspectives (VE).

Text
Duiker, W. J. (2021). Contemporary world history (7th ed.). Stamford: Cengage Learning. 

Objectives
The student will be able to: 

A. Explain the origins, events, and outcomes of World War I and World War II. 

B. Compare the role of nationalism in the fascist ideologies of Hitler and Mussolini with the role of militarism on the development of Japan during the inter war years. 

C. Determine the causes of the Cold War and its impact on the geopolitical development of the world. 

D. Describe the primary accomplishments of the major leaders of the Twentieth Century. 

E. Identify the impact of western imperialism on non-western states and the manner in which the non-western states responded to it. 

F. Examine the consequences of major post-1945 technological developments. 

G. Evaluate the impact of major ethical, political, economic, and religious ideologies on the contemporary world. (VE) 

H. Examine the complexity of global human diversity and the various forces that shape it. (VE) 

Content
A. The causes and consequences of World War I 

B. The impact of western imperialism on Africa and Asia 

C. The rise of totalitarian states 

D. The causes and consequences of World War II 

E. The new nationalism in the non-western world 

F. The Cold War and post-Cold War tensions 

G. The major leaders of the 20th century and their global impact

Student Evaluation
A-E. Essay and objective examinations. 

F-H. Class discussion, written assignments, and objective and essay examinations.