World History II

The course offers a survey of human history in a global context, beginning with the Renaissance in Europe and running up to the present. The historical development of fundamental cultural, political and social institutions will be examined through an analysis of recurring themes in world history. Topics include the respective histories of the world's great religions, the European Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, the European Enlightenment, the development ( and continuing pervasiveness) of nationalism, Western imperialism and colonialism, the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, and decolonization. It should be noted that those topics generally associated with the "West" (for instance, nationalism) will be considered within a more global context; likewise, developments in Europe and North America will be considered in terms of their interaction with other global regions and/or as reflective of analogous responses to similar societal, cultural and environmental challenges. Indeed, the course will address the question of whether the familiar dichotomy of "West" and "East" is, in fact, a meaningful one.

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