10109 Introduction to the Modern History of the Middle East

Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Modern History or in History of the Middle East

Prerequisites: none

Author: Haggai Erlich

The course analyzes events and processes in the Middle East from the beginning of the modern age, and traces the shaping of the political map of the region following World War I and the establishment of present-day states. The modern history of the region is discussed against the background of Islam and its influence on the politics, society and economics of the region and the spiritual life of its people. The course is a necessary foundation for advanced courses in the history of Arab states in the 20th century.

Topics: The Middle East from the beginning of the Islamic-Ottoman Empire to the beginning of the modern age – survey of the region prior to the modern age; The search for power – history of the region during the first half of the 19th century, and the changes following modernization; European social-economic influences in the third quarter of the 19th century and their political and national implications; The modern national response from the last quarter of the 19th century until World War I, the growth of the modern national movements in the Middle East (Egyptian, Turkish and Arab); World War I and the shaping of the contemporary Middle East – the end of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the countries that comprise the Middle East today; Summary of the influence of the processes analyzed in the course on the political developments in Arab countries to the present time.