Description
This introductory course is tailored specifically to students of International Relations (IR), for whom a basic understanding of the global history of world politics is essential. Modern international relations emerged in the late medieval period, roughly in 1400, and since then, international relations and world politics have been characterized by various processes, practices, transitions and transformations whose historical legacy still continue to affect contemporary international politics. These processes and transitions, which are explored simultaneously and chronologically in this course, include 1) proto-globalization since the early medieval period, its expansion during the early modern period, and transformation from the 19th century onwards; 2) the shift from a world of empires since the late medieval period to a world of nation-states from the 19th century onwards and the role and significance of the Atlantic Revolutions in this process; 3) premodern capitalism’s decline in favor of industrial capitalism and the great divergence between Europe and Asia in the 19th century; 4) European colonial and imperial expansion, the collapse of ‘empire’ after 1945, and the transition to a postcolonial world; and finally 5) technological development and key political and economic events in the 20th century, such as the First World War, the Second World War, the Cold War and its aftermath, and the establishment of the Liberal International Order (LIO) and its destabilization in the 21st century. Through the study of these processes, transitions, transformations, and key events, this course places the different pieces of the global history of world politics back within their global context and provides students an understanding of the historical trajectory of the current global international order and the distribution of wealth and power in contemporary world politics.
Course objectives
- Acquiring and being able to reproduce general knowledge and a non-Eurocentric understanding of the global history of world politics and its various political, economic, and technological transformations since 1400 up to the present.
- Understanding how historians and historical International Relations (IR) scholars analyze the past by drawing on a range of primary and secondary sources, concepts, and frameworks resulting in multiple complementary but sometimes competing accounts.
- Recognizing that the discipline of global history entails diversity, complexity and ambiguity of various past human experiences and practices and requires critical thinking.
- Recognizing and critically acknowledging the historical roots and legacies of various actors, events, processes, practices, and transformations in the global history of world politics on the functioning of contemporary world politics.
- Recognizing and critically acknowledging the importance of history itself in political science research, both theoretically, empirically and methodologically.
Mode of Instruction
Lectures.
Assessment method
A final exam is scheduled in Week 8 with a retake opportunity in June. The exam alone determines the final grade for the course. 100% of the grade is determined by Multiple Choice questions.
The time and location of inspection and debriefing of the exam will be announced via Brightspace no later than the publication of the grades.
The time and location of inspection and debriefing of the exam will be announced via Brightspace no later than the publication of the grades.
Reading List
The reading list and the course syllabus will be posted on Brightspace before the start of the course.
Registration
See 'Practical Information'
Timetable courses and exams
See 'MyTimetable'