HIS261 The Middle East
This course reviews the political, cultural, and economic history of the Middle East. After reviewing major foundational developments such as the emergence of Islam and the Muslim caliphates, the course addresses the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, nationalism and Zionism, Arab-Israeli wars and efforts at peace, the impact of Middle Eastern oil policies on the global economy, tensions between Islamic fundamentalism and modern cultural ideas, America's role in Middle Eastern affairs, and contemporary developments in this region.