History

This course provides an overview of the political history of France from 1815-1940. It covers the failed Second Republic, neither democratic nor liberal; the return of imperial France, a final transition between an authoritarian regime and a liberal regime; the Third Republic, a severe struggle between the royalists and republicans; and the radical party, aimed at a liberal democracy. The course highlights how, through the end of the 19th century, the installation of the Republic was fraught with economic crises and political oppositions. 

This course explores the role of seapower and empires in the development of modern warfare, strategy, and international relations. Students examine the role of sea power in imperialism and the relationship between East and West, the role of technological innovation in the ability of sea power to affect war and politics both at the global and regional levels, the role of maritime geography as a structural impediment and enabler in the projection of power, and the conceptual complexities involved in the terms empire and imperialism as tools for understanding the strategic challenges that face the world today.

This course offers a study of the politics, society, and culture of the Roman Empire-- the first union of the European world under a single order, a single language, and a single law. 

This course situates the histories of science, technology and industry within global history from ancient times to the present day. The concepts of historical time, social and economic development, and even progress will be examined throughout. Continuity, change and the diffusion of knowledge and practices are central themes. The course covers a variety of activities, such as innovation, research, development, production, distribution, maintenance, and disposal. In so doing, the course draws upon a diverse array of historical sources and research gathered around themes such as power, control, empire, (de)globalisation, autarchy, logistics, gender, organization, and work. The course considers older social science thinkers such as Marx, Weber, and Foucault, as well as more recent commentators.

This is an introductory and interdisciplinary survey course on modern Korean history. The course is designed to present a wide ranging written and visual materials and texts on the topic, with the goal of introducing students to various experiences, phases, and issues of modern Korean history. Our goal as a class is to both familiarize ourselves with the larger historical events that shaped the last century for Korea and its people, and to come to our individual, critical understanding of their significance and relevance for today.

Paris inscribes on every street corner a page of France's history. Its cobblestone streets record centuries of struggle, offering a narrative of this history. Writers, chroniclers, and later filmmakers have picked up these narratives and turned them into eternal works of art. The historian of today, retracing this past, has turned them into sites of memory. This course uses literary texts and films as well as historical texts to search for and reconstruct these sites of memory. From the French Revolution to the student revolt of May 1968, this course follows Parisians, exploring the ways in which cinematic representations and literary texts shape collective memory and are a particular historical/political representation of France. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach and compares and contrasts works of fiction with works of non-fiction, the written word with the visual representation, and includes site visits. Classes are broken up into specific themes each pertaining to a major event in the life of France.