Contemporary History

Course goals

1. Gaining knowledge of and insight into the most important developments, themes, structures, changes and connections in the period from the 19th century to the present;
2. Familiarizing yourself with relevant concepts and theories;
3. Familiarizing yourself with relevant historiographical debates and with determining your own position;
4. Learning to conduct a limited research project based on primary sources and with the application of a valid research method;
5. Learning to present your research results in the form of a short, well-structured and readable paper.

Learning objectives 1-3 will be assessed in an exam, 4 and 5 will be assessed in a paper.
 

Content

While the early modern period from the late 15^th to the end of the 18^th century laid the foundation for the world as we know it today, it was only in the 19^th and 20^th century that it finally took the shape we are familiar with. Both at the political, social, economic and cultural level, Europe and the world were confronted with unimaginable events and developments that alternated at a breath-taking pace. 

New ideologies like liberalism, socialism and nationalism shook the existing conservative order in Europe. Abroad, European powers continued their competition by establishing colonial empires. Efforts to maintain international peace were disrupted by devastating world wars and genocide. Industrialization, scientific and technological progress raised hope for a better world, but at the same time paved the way for the invention of weapons of mass destruction and racism (social Darwinism). Outside Europe new powers rose in the Americas (the United States, Brazil, Mexico) and Asia (Japan, China, India) demanding their fair share of the growing world economy. But economic globalization did not only produce winners. After 1945 African countries freed themselves from the shackles of slavery and colonialism, but not from war and economic dependence.

At the start of the new millennium, the world seemed to have transformed into a global village, but not necessarily an enjoyable one for many of its inhabitants. The different parts of the world tried to cooperate in international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union. But they were not necessarily successful in disarming new threats ranging from global warming and pandemics to international terrorism and a rising ‘new Cold War’.  
The course’s red thread is ‘Europe in the world’. We start in 1814-1815 when after the Napoleonic Wars peace returned to the European continent. We end in 2026 to conclude that the world has changed enormously in two centuries, but at the same time is still subject to similar threats as then, while new ones have now emerged.
Although Europe is both our point of departure as well as our final destination, this course does not offer a Eurocentric perspective on contemporary history. On the contrary. This course takes you on a historical journey that will bring you to every corner of the world. And not only to discuss how Europe influenced the outside world, but also to find out how historical events and processes in Africa, America and Asia shaped Europe as we know it today.  
 

Additional information