History 380: Twentieth Century World
Fall 2007
Prof. Dodgen
Course Description and Syllabus
The twentieth century has witnessed both a remarkable
expansion of human freedom and daunting repression, great
material progress and monumental evil. But could this not be said
of any century? What makes the twentieth century unique? How
does it differ from the nineteenth century, or the twenty-first? How
do the events of this century reflect the legacy of the past and what
impact will they have on the future. These are some of the
questions we will think about and discuss as we trace the historical
events of the twentieth century. We will look at such varied topics
as art, technology, philosophy, science, gender, the environment,
warfare, economics, politics, and leisure in order to understand the
special character of the last century.
Readings:
The text is Adas, Stearns and Schwartz, Turbulent Passage.
Other required readings are Fergal Keane, Season of Blood
and Stephen Kinzer All the Shah’s Men.
Grading:
I will base your evaluation on two take-home essays and two
in-class exams. I will hand out the take-home essay questions
several days before the essay is due. The first take-home essay will
cover Season of Blood, the second All the Shah’s Men. On each
essay exam, students have the choice of constructing their essay
around one of three possible sets of issues raised by the book.
Essays must be 4-5 pages, typed, double-spaced and are due the
day of the in-class exam. Students MUST support their arguments
with evidence and concise quotes from the book. Page numbers in
parentheses must accompany all supporting evidence taken
from the book, including pages from which you have taken
quotes, ideas, or examples. The point of the essay is to assess
your understanding of the assigned book, not your overall
command of the subject. For this reason, students cannot use
outside work to support their essays.
The in-class exams will require students to discuss in brief
essay format several of the identification items appended to this
syllabus. Each exam will cover material from one-half of the
semester. Students should use the material from their class notes
and any films shown in class in their in-class essays. Blue books
are required for all in-class exams and must be unmarked and
without missing pages. Cheating will result in a failing grade and
be reported for possible discipline by the university.
My office hours are Monday and Wednesday, 12:451:45, Thursday 12-1 by appointment. My office is 2066 Stevenson,
extension 42462. You can also contact me by e-mail at
dodgen@sonoma.edu Students are strongly urged to take
advantage of the opportunity to drop by and talk over the course,
papers, or any other school-related issues.
Syllabus
Day
Topics and Assignments
8/22
--Introduction: Why study a century?
8/27
* Reading assignment: Turbulent Passage (TP) pages
6-11; chapters 1 and 3; Season of Blood, Prologue and
chapter 1.
--Africa and colonial power.
8/29
* Reading assignment: Season of Blood, chapter 2.
--The imperial U.S.
9/3
Labor Day Holiday—no class.
9/5
* Reading assignment: TP chapter 5: Season of Blood,
chapter 3.
-- World War I
9/10
* Reading assignment: TP, pages 84-91, 120-134;
Season of Blood, chapter 4.
--Oil creates the Middle East.
9/12
* Reading assignment: TP, chapter 2, 34-40, chapter 6,
151-56, chapter 7, 185-91; Season of Blood, chapter 5.
--Socialism and the revolution in Russia.
9/17
* Reading assignment: TP, 102-107; chapter 6 and 7,
112-118; Season of Blood, chapter 6.
--Fascism and totalitarianism.
9/19
* Reading assignment: TP 91-99, 156-65; Season of
Blood, chapter 7.
--China’s civil war.
9/24
* Reading assignment: complete Season of Blood,
discussion. The following link is to an interview with
Fergal Keane:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/inter
views/keane.html
9/26
* Reading assignment: TP, 169-75.
--The Global Depression.
10/1
* Reading assignment: TP, 41-48, 183-185.
--The rise of militarism in Japan.
10/3
* Reading assignment: TP, 74-84, 178-83.
--Latin America before WWII.
10/8
*Reading assignments: TP, page 204.
--Anti-Semitism and the Shoah.
10/10
Film: “Night and Fog.”
10/15
Review for Midterm exam.
10/17
MIDTERM EXAM.
10/22
* Reading assignment: TP, chapters 10 and 14, begin
All the Shah’s Men.
--The Soviet Union after Stalin.
10/24
* Reading assignment: TP chapter 15; continue All the
Shah’s Men.
--Occupied Japan.
10/29
* Reading assignment: TP chapter 9, chapter 12, 30507; continue All the Shah’s Men.
--Containment in Europe and Asia.
10/31
Men.
*Readings: TP, chapter 11; continue All the Shah’s
--Africa after WWII.
11/5
* Reading assignment: TP, 389-95, All the Shah’s Men.
--The Post-War Middle East
11/7
*Complete All the Shah’s Men, discussion.
11/12
Veteran’s Day—no class.
11/14
*Reading assignment: TP chapter 12, 297-305.
--Utopian Socialism in China.
11/19
*Reading assignment: TP chapter, pages 217-223.
--Latin America Since WWII.
11/21
Thanksgiving Holiday—no class.
11/26
* Reading assignment: TP, 120-125, 211-212, 275-76,
394, 329-330.
--India and Southeast Asia.
11/28
* Reading assignment: TP chapter 13.
--The Japanese Model and the New Capitalisms.
12/3
* Reading assignment: TP chapter 15.
--China’s Environmental Nightmare
12/5
Review for final exam.
Terms, names and events for in-class exams:
Terms for exam 1:
1. Herero
2. Free Trade
3. Mahatma Ghandi
4. Economic nationalism
5. Congo Free State
6. Patrones
7. George Dewey
8. Benito Mussolini
9. Emilio Aguinaldo
10. Anglo-Persian Oil Co.
11. Balfour Declaration
12. U-boat
13. Bolsheviks
14. Meiji Restoration
15. Kulaks
16. Boxer Rebellion
17. Mustapha Kemal (Ataturk)
18. Lusitania
19. Billy Mitchell
20. Ito Hirobumi
Terms for exam 2 :
1. Jacobo Arbenz
2. Thought reform
11. Zhou Enlai
12. Organization of Petroleum
3. “Containment”
4. Sunni and Shia
5. Kim Il Sung
6. Mikhail Gorbachev
7. Nuremberg Trials
8. S.C.A.P.
9. Great Leap Forward
10. Ho Chi Minh
Exporting Countries (OPEC)
13. “Battle of Algiers”
14. Dien Bien Phu
15. Bay of Pigs
16. Emile Zola
17. Apartheid
18. Khmer Rouge
19. Sputnik
20. Kamikaze