History 1201-14: Themes in Twentieth Century World History: Empires, Independence and Globalization

Syllabus –Summer (Session One) 2016

*Excluding materials for purchase, syllabus information may be subject to change. The most up-to-date syllabus will be located within the course in HuskyCT.

Course and Instructor Information

Course Title: Twentieth Century World History

Credits: 3

Format: fully online

Prerequisites: none

Professor: Brad Simpson

Email: Please use the Course Messages tool in HuskyCT to contact me

Telephone: (860) 486-0644

Office Hours/Availability: By Appointment

Course Materials

Required course materials should be obtained before the first day of class.

Texts are available through a local or online bookstore. The UConn Co-op carries many materials that can be shipped via its online Textbooks To Go service. For more information, see Textbooks and Materials on ourEnrolled Studentspage.

Required Texts:

Anthony Best and Jussi Hahnimaki, International History of the Twentieth Century and Beyond 3rd Edition

Additional course readings and media are available within HuskyCT, through either an Internet link or Library Resources

Course Description

This course will explore select themes in global history since 1900 - the rise and fall of twentieth century empires; colonialism and the emergence of independent nation-states; revolutions of the twentieth century (political, technological, rights) and the phenomenon of "globalization" - that shape the contemporary world. It is not an attempt at a comprehensive history, and many things, places, events, and people will be left out. Rather, this course will be a sustained effort in assessment and interpretation.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  1. Analyze major themes in the study of modern world history since 1873 such as imperialism, migration, state-building, decolonization, the Cold War, and globalization.
  2. Recognize and describe the different forms of historical logic and reasoning (deductive vs inductive, observed vs inferred evidence, agreement and disagreement in belief and attitude) employed by historians.
  3. Observe and identify the arguments employed by historians in a scholarly text, and compare and contrast the arguments (both in terms of evidence and reasoning) of several authors writing on the same subject.
  4. Recognize and analyze the different types of textual, visual, audio physical evidence (such as documents, diaries, photos, cartoons, art, songs, maps, material culture, and statistical data) used by historians to make and support their arguments.
  5. Utilize the print and online resources of the UConn library in order to research relevant primary and secondary sources for significant historical topics.
  6. Synthesize evidence and arguments across the course in order to develop their own arguments and conclusions about the importance of major themes in modern world history.

Course Outline

Module 1/Week 1: The 19th Century World Order and the Age of Empire

Module 2/Week 2: The First and Second World Wars and the reconstruction of World Order

Module 3/Week 3: Cold War, Decolonization, and the Emergence of Nation States

Module 4/Week 4: Twentieth Century Revolutions: The Environment, Human Rights, Technology

Module 5/Week 5: The End of the Cold War and the Age of Globalization

See the Course Schedule within the course (HuskyCT) for specific due dates.

Course Requirements and Grading

Summary of Course Grading:

Course Components / Weight
Reflection Journals / 25%
Discussion Forums / 25%
Document Quizzes / 20%
Module Quizzes / 10%
Final Exam / 20%

Reflection Journals

Reflection Journals are an opportunity for students to think broadly across the period covered in each module, to

think about the “big” questions and issues that make each of the module’s periods unique and worth studying on

their own. Each module has multiple subjects and questions for Reflection. Students may address all of them in

the Journal, or focus on just one or two. These are open-ended and need not be structured like a formal essay.

However, they are intended to be records of your own thoughts on, and interpretations of, the course materials,

not summaries of the readings. Journals that simply summarize texts will receive no grade higher that a “C.” The

Reflections should be about 500 words.

Group Discussions

Discussions are intended to get students actively thinking broad questions of modern world history and working with their fellow students to increase understanding. It is crucial that directions be followed for each module, as they are not all the same. Moreover, in answering a discussion question, you are making an argument about some aspect of world history. You must mention what sources serve as the basis for the thoughts and interpretations you present. In other words, this is not a place for “opinion,” but rather the exercise of critical argument. Postings and responses that merely repeat what someone else has said will receive low points. A discussion rubric/grading criteria is provided in the course shell (HuskyCT).

Document Quizzes

Document quizzes are intended to give students practice in critical reading. The quizzes will ask you to break

down the argument of one of the module’s readings and to assess the arguments strengths, weaknesses, and

level of persuasion.

Module Quizzes

Each week, you will have an opportunity to test your knowledge of people,events, concepts and written works which have had a rolein shaping twentieth century world history. These quizzes will include multiple-choice questions and can be taken an unlimited number of times until the module/week ends.

Final Exam

The Final Exam will be a cumulative essay (roughly 1,500 words in length) in which students will be asked to make arguments about central themes of modern world history. These will be formal papers: a thesis will be presented and argued through use of primary historical sources, and proper citation of sources will be required. The instructor will provide question prompts.

*More details for these assignments are provided in the course shell (HuskyCT)

Grading Scale:

Undergrad

Grade / Letter Grade / GPA
93-100 / A / 4.0
90-92 / A- / 3.7
87-89 / B+ / 3.3
83-86 / B / 3.0
80-82 / B- / 2.7
77-79 / C+ / 2.3
73-76 / C / 2.0
70-72 / C- / 1.7
67-69 / D+ / 1.3
63-66 / D / 1.0
60-62 / D- / 0.7
<60 / F / 0.0

Due Dates and Late Policy

All course due dates are identified in the course shell (HuskyCT).Deadlines are based on Eastern Standard Time; if you are in a different time zone, please adjust your submittal times accordingly. The instructor reserves the right to change dates accordingly as the semester progresses. All changes will be communicated in an appropriate manner.

Feedback and Grades

For course questions via the Course Messages tool in HuskyCT, I will respond within 24 hours. For graded feedback on assignments, I will make every effort to provide feedback and grades within 48 hours after the due dates. To keep track of your performance in the course, refer to My Grades in HuskyCT.

Student Responsibilities and Resources

As a member of the University of Connecticut student community, you are held to certain standards and academic policies. In addition, there are numerous resources available to help you succeed in your academic work. Review these important standards, policies and resources, which include:

  • The Student Code
  • Academic Integrity
  • Resources on Avoiding Cheating and Plagiarism
  • Copyrighted Materials
  • Netiquette and Communication
  • Adding or Dropping a Course
  • Academic Calendar
  • Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Inappropriate Romantic Relationships
  • Sexual Assault Reporting Policy

Students with Disabilities

Students needing special accommodations should work with the University's Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD). You may contact CSD by calling (860) 486-2020 or by emailing . If your request for accommodation is approved, CSD will send an accommodation letter directly to your instructor(s) so that special arrangements can be made. (Note: Student requests for accommodation must be filed each semester.)

Blackboard measures and evaluates accessibility using two sets of standards: the WCAG 2.0 standards issued by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act issued in the United States federal government.” (Retrieved March 24, 2013 from Blackboard's website)

Software Requirements and Technical Help

The technical requirements for this course include:

●Word processing software (e.g., MS Word)*

●Adobe Acrobat Reader

●Reliable Internet access

*If you do not have access to MS Word you can access MS Office products using UConn's virtual computer lab: SkyBox

Help

Technical and Academic Help provides a guide to technical and academic assistance.

This course is completely facilitated online using the learning management platform, HuskyCT. If you have difficulty accessing HuskyCT, you have access to the in person/live person support options available during regular business hours through HuskyTech. You also have 24x7 Course Support including access to live chat, phone, and support documents.

Minimum Technical Skills

To be successful in this course, you will need the following technical skills:

●Use electronic mail with attachments.

●Save files in commonly used word processing program formats.

●Copy and paste text, graphics or hyperlinks.

●Work within two or more browser windows simultaneously.

●Open and access PDF files.

University students are expected to demonstrate competency in Computer Technology. Explore the Computer Technology Competencies page for more information.

Evaluation of the Course

Students will be provided an opportunity to evaluate instruction in this course using the University's standard procedures, which are administered by theOffice of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE).

Additional informal formative surveys may also be administered within the course as an optional evaluation tool.