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016:082 The World Since 1945
Fall 2005

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Instructor	Paula Michaels	Phone	335-2287
Office	SH160	E-mail	paula-michaels@uiowa.edu
Office Hours	Thursdays 12:00-2:00 and by appt.	URL	http://www.uiowa.edu/~c016082/index.htm

TA	Jason Verber	Phone	353-2053
Office	SH167	E-mail	jason-verber@uiowa.edu
Office Hours	MTW 11:00-12:00

Description:

When World War II ended in 1945, the world seemed to stand at the threshold of a new era. With a monopoly, if only for the moment, on nuclear weaponry, the US was at the height of its power and influence. Though they had been allies during the war, the USSR and the US embarked on a cold war that would involve men and women the world over for nearly a half-century to come. Their cold war would grow hot in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa, but thankfully the nuclear conflagration that put fear in the hearts of generations never came to pass.

The cold war was not the only force to transform human experience after World War II. Europe was divested of its empires, and independent nations sprung up across Africa and Asia. Globalization of the world economy liberated the flow of consumer goods, while perpetuating and perhaps even exacerbating the disparities in wealth between North and South. Human rights and social movements of various stripes sprung up around the world, and technological innovation reshaped peoples' relationship to one another.

It is, of course, impossible to cover the entire history of the world since 1945 in a few short weeks. Rather than even attempt to do so, this course is organized around the themes outlined below:

The Cold War

Decolonization

Globalization

Human rights and transnational social movements

We will examine these themes through five chronological units:

1945-53; 1953-65; 1965-75; 1975-85; 1985-present

In each unit, in addition to addressing the general themes of the class through an examination of different events and processes, we will look at a particular political crisis in greater depth through extended readings, lecture, and discussion. These special topics provide the major thematic thrust for each unit, but also help bring together additional themes and topics under consideration in the unit and the course more broadly. Special topics for in-depth examination include:

The Indian Partition

The French-Algerian War

The Arab-Israeli conflict

Apartheid in South Africa

Globalization

Unfortunately, some regions will receive relatively short shrift. Topics that students are likely to have knowledge about from other sources, or that are covered well in the textbook, such as the war in Vietnam or the post-1945 economic development of Japan, will not be examined in the lectures. Even though the US is part of the world, no time will be spent on American domestic history per se, as I believe that it is more important to use our limited class time to look beyond our own borders to places with which we are less familiar. But, still, despite this agenda, coverage of the world is spotty and uneven, a problem that is unavoidable given the course’s scope. Latin America, for example, will get much less attention than the Middle East or Eastern Europe. Primarily this is a reflection of my effort to work toward something of a coherent narrative, but it also reflects a focus on issues of global impact. At a minimum, the textbook offers the basic contours of events in various parts of the world during the entire post-1945 period, and lectures will at least touch down all around the globe during the course of the semester.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities are encouraged to make an appointment with the instructor or the teaching assistant if they want course adaptations, have emergency medical information, require special arrangements in case of building evacuation, or need other special contingencies.

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