This course introduces students to the history of the modern Middle East from the nineteenth century to the Arab Spring. The Middle East has long been a crossroads between East and West. As such, it has been fought over by many different peoples. For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire controlled the Middle East. Starting in the early nineteenth century, however, European power changed the politics, economies, societies, and cultures of region. In response to the European threat, local governments instituted drastic reforms. The tensions between European interference and internal reforms created imbalances in societies that have remained till this day.

This course begins with a brief introduction to premodern Islamic civilization from 600-1800. In the nineteenth century, we will study how Europeans came to intervene in the region, the actions initiated by Middle Eastern states to counter European imperialism, and the emergence of constitutionalist, nationalist, and Islamic reform movements. In the twentieth century, we will examine how the region became divided, the emergence of modern nation-states, the rise of authoritarian regimes, Islamist political and extremist movements, and the role of women and minorities in society. The course ends with a consideration of the Arab Spring and its implications for democracy in the region.

Middle Eastern politics, economies, peoples, and cultures play a critical role in international affairs today. While the study of politics is an important component of this course, we will also seek to understand how ordinary people lived their daily lives. To be productive in this class, we must set aside preconceptions about the region and keep an open mind.