HIST 183 Middle Eastern History Since the Nineteenth Century
This is a survey course in which we will explore the political and socio-economic history of the Middle East from the beginning of the Ottoman reforms of the 1830s until the present. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview and analysis of the events of the past two centuries. In addition to the Ottoman reform period, we will look at the rise of Mehmet Ali in Egypt, the incorporation of the region into the world economy, WWI and its continuing legacies in the region the development of the Arab/Israeli question, the revolutions of the 1950's and the populist regimes they brought to power, the crisis in Lebanon, the Iranian Revolution, the war between Iran and Iraq, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. We will also consider some of the principal features of the economy of the region: agriculture and land reform, oil and state, and labor migration from poor states to richer ones.