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Course Question & AnswerModern Middle East and Southwest Asia
Purpose of Course showclose
This course will introduce you to the history of the nations and peoples of the Middle East and Southwest Asia from 1919 to the present.You will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place throughout the region during this 100-year period.This course will have a chronological structure.Each unit will include representative primary source documents that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes, such as the emergence of nationalist movements following World War I, European political and economic imperialism during the first half of the 20th century, the creation of the nation of Israel, regional economic development, and the impact of secular and religious trends on Middle Eastern society and culture during the second half of the 20th century.By the end of this course, you will understand how the countries of the region have overcome significant social, economic, and political problems as they have grown from weak former colonies into modern nation-states, and you will recognize the challenges that these nations currently face as they struggle with issues of economic development as well as social and political unrest.
This course will introduce you to the history of the nations and peoples of the Middle East and Southwest Asia from 1919 to the present.You will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place throughout the region during this 100-year period.This course will have a chronological structure.Each unit will include representative primary source documents that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes, such as the emergence of nationalist movements following World War I, European political and economic imperialism during the first half of the 20th century, the creation of the nation of Israel, regional economic development, and the impact of secular and religious trends on Middle Eastern society and culture during the second half of the 20th century.By the end of this course, you will understand how the countries of the region have overcome significant social, economic, and political problems as they have grown from weak former colonies into modern nation-states, and you will recognize the challenges that these nations currently face as they struggle with issues of economic development as well as social and political unrest.
Learning Outcomes showclose
- Identify and explain major political, social and economic trends, events, and people in history of the Middle East and Southwest Asia from the beginning of the 20th century to the present.
- Explain how the countries of the region have overcome significant social, economic, and political problems as they have grown from weak former colonies into modern nation-states.
- Identify and explain the emergence of nationalist movements following World War I, European political and economic imperialism during the first half of the 20th century, the creation of the nation of Israel, regional economic development, and the impact of secular and religious trends on Middle Eastern society and culture during the second half of the 20th century.
- Identify and explain the important economic, political, and social developments in the Middle East and Southwest Asia during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
- Analyze and interpret primary source documents from the 20th and 21st centuries that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes.
Course Requirements showclose
√ Have access to a computer.
√ Have continuous broadband internet access.
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g. Adobe Reader of Flash).
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.
√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.).
√ Be competent in the English language.
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
√ Have completed all the courses listed in “The Core Program” of the history discipline, including HIST101, HIST102, HIST103, and HIST104.
Unit Outline show close
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Unit 1: Imperialism and Indpendence
In this unit, we will examine how European nations exercised political control over the former Ottoman territories and shaped the political and social development of these states as part of their broader empires. We will also look at how the inhabitants of these states responded to European imperial rule and how the growth of independence movements in the Middle East and Southwest Asia threatened European control over the region. At the end of World War I, Great Britain and France oversaw the dismantling of the defeated Ottoman Empire. The covenant of the new League of Nations mandated that Britain and France administer and advise the former Ottoman territories in the Middle East “until such time as they are able to stand alone.” In practice, these “mandate territories” became extensions of the colonial empires of Britain and France. During the 1920s and 1930s, colonial administrators controlled the internal political affairs of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Transjordan, Egypt, and Libya. Only Turkey and Iran exercised significant political independence from European domination.
Unit 1 Time Advisory show close
Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close
- Reading: Wikibooks’ European History: “World War I”
Link: Wikibooks’ European History: “World War I” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage to better understand the causes, conduct, and consequences of World War I. This reading provides the background necessary to understand the subunits that follow.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikibooks version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: WGBH Boston: Eugen Weber’s “The Western Tradition”: “47. The First World War and the Rise of Fascism”
Link: WGBH Boston: Eugen Weber’s “The Western Tradition”: “47. The First World War and the Rise of Fascism” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: You must disable pop-up blockers before attempting to view the video. Scroll down the webpage to find lecture 47. Then, click on the VoD icon to begin the lecture. Please listen to Professor Eugen Weber’s entire lecture (approximately 28 minutes) to learn how World War I became a turning point for the Middle East. This website hosts an entire series of lectures produced by WGBH Boston called “The Western Tradition.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Geopolitics - Geoeconomics: F. William Engdahl's "Oil & World War I"
Link: Geopolitics - Geoeconomics: F. William Engdahl's "Oil & World War I" (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the following in its entirety. You should spend about 30 minutes to complete this reading.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 15: World War I”
Link: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 15: World War I” (iTunes U Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down to find Lecture 15. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 80 minutes), which addresses World War I and its effects on the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle East and the West: WWI and Beyond”
Link: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle East and the West: WWI and Beyond” (Adobe Flash or Mp3)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and then click Listen (or click download for the mp3 version) to hear this program (approximately 9 minutes), which explores World War I in the Middle East and its legacy for the region. This program also provides a brief overview of WWI’s effects in the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikibooks’ European History: “World War I”
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1.1 The Mandate System
- Reading: Wikipedia: “League of Nations Mandate”
Link: Wikipedia: “League of Nations Mandate” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the League of Nations Mandate.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “League of Nations Mandate”
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1.1.1 Formal Breakup of the Ottoman Empire at the End of World War I
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Formal Breakup of the Ottoman Empire at the End of World War I”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Formal Breakup of the Ottoman Empire at the End of World War I” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire document.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Formal Breakup of the Ottoman Empire at the End of World War I”
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1.1.2 League of Nations’ Class A Mandate Status
- Reading: Yale Law School: Lillian Goldman Law Library’s version of “The Covenant of the League of Nations, December 1924”
Link: Yale Law School: Lillian Goldman Law Library’s version of “The Covenant of the League of Nations, December 1924” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order understand the League of Nations covenant.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Yale Law School: Lillian Goldman Law Library’s version of “The Covenant of the League of Nations, December 1924”
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1.1.3 British and French Administration of Former Ottoman Territories
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 16: The Time Between Wars”
Link: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 16: The Time Between Wars” (iTunes U Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down to find Lecture 16. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 76 minutes), which addresses British and French administration of various countries in the Middle East. This lecture also addresses the topics outlined in subunits 1.2 through 1.8.3 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 16: The Time Between Wars”
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1.2 Lebanon and Syria
- Reading: Wikipedia: “French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon”
Link: Wikipedia: “French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon” (PDF)
Also available in:
EPUB
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of France’s administration of its mandate in Syria and Lebanon. This reading also addresses the topics outlined in subunits 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 in this course.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “World War I” and “The French Mandate”
Links: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “World War I” (PDF) and “The French Mandate” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read these entire webpages to better understand the emergence of France’s mandate for Syria.
Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon”
- 1.2.1 French Imperialism
- 1.2.2 Administrative Mandate
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1.3 Iraq
- Reading: Wikipedia: “British Mandate of Mesopotamia
Link: Wikipedia: “British Mandate of Mesopotamia” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of Britain’s administration of its mandate of what became Iraq. This reading also addresses the topics outlined in subunits 1.3.1 through 1.3.4 of this course.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Toby Dodge’s “The British Mandate in Iraq, 1914-1932”
Link: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Toby Dodge’s “The British Mandate in Iraq, 1914-1932” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the above link, and then scroll down the webpage to find TheBritishMandate.pdf (note that the links on this webpage are listed in alphabetical order). Please click this link, and then read the entire PDF (3 pages) to learn about Britain’s administration of its mandate of what became Iraq. This reading also addresses the topics covered in subunits 1.3.1 through 1.3.4 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Tareq Ismael’s “Iraqi Society, 1914-1974”
Link: Gale/Cengage Learning: Tareq Ismael’s “Iraqi Society, 1914-1974” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the above link, and then scroll down the webpage to find IraqiSociety.pdf (note that the links on this webpage are listed in alphabetical order). Please click on this link, and then read the entire PDF (4 pages) to learn about the evolution of Iraqi society in the twentieth century. This reading also addresses subunits 1.3.1 through 1.3.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Gareth Stansfield’s “The Kurdish Question in Iraq, 1914-1974”
Link: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Gareth Stansfield’s “The Kurdish Question in Iraq, 1914-1974” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the above link, and then scroll down the webpage to find TheKurdishQuestion.pdf (note that the links on this webpage are listed in alphabetical order). Please click on this link, and then read the entire PDF (5 pages) to learn about Iraq’s Kurdish community.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “British Mandate of Mesopotamia
- 1.3.1 British Imperialism
- 1.3.2 Administrative Mandate
- 1.3.3 Creation of Kingdom of Iraq
- 1.3.4 Politics of Nationalism
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1.4 Palestine and Transjordan
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 17: Palestine and Zionism”
Link: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 17: Palestine and Zionism” (iTunes U Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down to find Lecture 17. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 83 minutes), which addresses tensions between Palestinians and Zionists in interwar Palestine. This lecture also addresses the topics outlined in subunits 1.4.1 through 1.4.4 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 17: Palestine and Zionism”
- 1.4.1 Zionists and Arab Nationalists under British Administration
- 1.4.2 Immigration Policies
- 1.4.3 British Imperialism
- 1.4.4 Regional Tensions
- 1.5 Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan
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1.5.1 Egyptian Nationalism and Independence
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “From Occupation to Nominal Independence: 1882-1923,” “Economy and Society under Occupation,” “Egypt under the Protectorate and the 1919 Revolution,” and “The Era of Liberal Constitutionalism and Party Politics”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “From Occupation to Nominal Independence:1882-1923” (PDF), “Economy and Society under Occupation” (PDF), “Egypt under the Protectorate and the 1919 Revolution” (PDF) and “The Era of Liberal Constitutionalism and Party Politics” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Egyptian politics and culture during and after World War I. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 1.5.2 through 1.5.4 of this course.
Terms of Use: This material is part of the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “From Occupation to Nominal Independence: 1882-1923,” “Economy and Society under Occupation,” “Egypt under the Protectorate and the 1919 Revolution,” and “The Era of Liberal Constitutionalism and Party Politics”
- 1.5.2 Egyptian Politics
- 1.5.3 British Imperialism in Egypt
- 1.5.4 Social and Cultural Change
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1.5.5 Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Sudan: A Country Study: “The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, 1899-1955” and “Britain’s Southern Policy”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Sudan: A Country Study: “The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, 1899-1955” (HTML) and “Britain’s Southern Policy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand British control of Sudan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Sudan: A Country Study: “The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, 1899-1955” and “Britain’s Southern Policy”
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1.5.6 Italian Administration of Libya
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “Colony of Italy,” “Italy and Arab Resistance,” “The Second Italo-Sanusi War,” and “The Fourth Shore”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “Colony of Italy” (HTML) “Italy and Arab Resistance” (HTML), “The Second Italo-Sanusi War” (HTML) and “The Fourth Shore” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Italian control of Libya.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “Colony of Italy,” “Italy and Arab Resistance,” “The Second Italo-Sanusi War,” and “The Fourth Shore”
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1.6 The Turkish Republic
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Turkey: A Country Study: “The Young Turks,” “World War I,” and “Atatürk and the Turkish Nation”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Turkey: A Country Study: “The Young Turks” (HTML) “World War I” (HTML) and “Atatürk and the Turkish Nation” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Italian control of Turkey. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 1.6.1 through 1.6.4 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Turkey: A Country Study: “The Young Turks,” “World War I,” and “Atatürk and the Turkish Nation”
- 1.6.1 Kemal Atatürk and the Creation of the Turkish Republic
- 1.6.2 Kurdish Rebellion
- 1.6.3 Principles of Government
- 1.6.4 Secularism and the Turkish State
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1.7 Iran
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Constitutional Revolution,” “World War I,” and “The Era of Reza Shah”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Constitutional Revolution” (HTML), “World War I” (HTML) and “The Era of Reza Shah” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the evolution of Iran. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 1.7.1 through 1.7.5 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Constitutional Revolution,” “World War I,” and “The Era of Reza Shah”
- 1.7.1 Democracy and Monarchy
- 1.7.2 Centralization and Administration
- 1.7.3 Reforms
- 1.7.4 British Imperialism
- 1.7.5 The Caucasus
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1.7.6 Afghanistan
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Peter R. Blood, ed.’s Afghanistan: A Country Study: “The Reign of King Habibullah, 1901-1919,” “The Reign of King Amanullah, 1919-29,” “Reform, Popular Reaction, and Forced Abdication,” “Tajik Rule, January-October 1929,” and “Muhammad Nadir Shah, 1929-1933”
Links: US Library of Congress: Peter R. Blood, ed.’s Afghanistan: A Country Study: “The Reign of King Habibullah, 1901-1919” (HTML), The Reign of King Amanullah, 1919-29” (HTML), “Reform, Popular Reaction, and Forced Abdication” (HTML), “Tajik Rule, January-October 1929” (HTML) and “Muhammad Nadir Shah, 1929-33” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the evolution of modern Afghanistan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Peter R. Blood, ed.’s Afghanistan: A Country Study: “The Reign of King Habibullah, 1901-1919,” “The Reign of King Amanullah, 1919-29,” “Reform, Popular Reaction, and Forced Abdication,” “Tajik Rule, January-October 1929,” and “Muhammad Nadir Shah, 1929-1933”
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1.7.7 Iran and Soviet Central Asia
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kazakstan: A Country Study: “Russian Control” and “In the Soviet Union”
Links: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kazakstan: A Country Study: “Russian Control” (HTML) and “In the Soviet Union” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the evolution of modern Kazakstan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kyrgyzstan: A Country Study: “Russian Control” and “The Soviet Union and Recent History”
Links: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kyrgyzstan: A Country Study: “Russia” (HTML) and “The Soviet Union and Recent History” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the evolution of modern Kyrgyzstan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Tajikistan: A Country Study: “The Revolutionary Era,” “Impact of the Civil War” and “The Basmachi”
Links: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Tajikistan: A Country Study: “The Revolutionary Era” (HTML), “Impact of the Civil War” (HTML) and “The Basmachi” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the evolution of modern Tajikistan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Uzbekistan: A Country Study: “Entering the Twentieth Century,” “The Jadidists and the Basmachis,” and “The Stalinist Period”
Links: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Uzbekistan: A Country Study: “Entering the Twentieth Century” (HTML), “The Jadidists and Basmachis” (HTML) and “The Stalinist Period” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the evolution of modern Uzbekistan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kazakstan: A Country Study: “Russian Control” and “In the Soviet Union”
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1.8 Arabia
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Saudi Arabia: A Country Study: “The Rise of Abd Al Aziz” and “The Rule of Abd Al Aziz”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Saudi Arabia: A Country Study: “The Rise of Abd Al Aziz” (HTML) and “The Rule of Abd Al Aziz” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand British control of Saudi Arabia. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 1.8.1 through 1.8.3 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Saudi Arabia: A Country Study: “The Rise of Abd Al Aziz” and “The Rule of Abd Al Aziz”
- 1.8.1 Formation of Saudi Arabia
- 1.8.2 Creation of the Persian Gulf States
- 1.8.3 British Imperialism
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Unit 2: Economic Devlopment
In this unit, we will examine how the Middle East and Southwest Asia developed economically during the Interwar Period and how European economic imperialism left a lasting impression on the economic structure of the region. We will also examine the economic and political impact of World War II on the Middle East and how the war eventually led to independence for many of the mandate territories. In addition to administering political affairs in the mandate territories of the Middle East, Europeans played a major role in the region’s economic development prior to World War II. European firms established subsidiary corporations throughout the region to explore for oil and other natural resources. The mandate territories also served as markets for European manufactured goods. European investors were responsible for road and railroad construction projects as well as many other internal improvements. European control of the local economy bred resentment in many states because local businesses could not compete with powerful European subsidiaries. This growing resentment contributed to the emergence of nationalist movements in many of the mandate territories by the beginning of World War II.
Unit 2 Time Advisory show close
Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close
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2.1 European Economic Imperialism
- Reading: European Economic Imperialism
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: European Economic Imperialism
- 2.1.1 European Investment
- 2.1.2 Markets for European Products
- 2.1.3 European Control over Economic Development
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2.2 Economic Development and Modernization
- Reading: Economic Development and Modernization
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Economic Development and Modernization
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2.2.1 Oil Development
- Reading: Qatar Embassy’s “History of Oil Discovery”
Link: Qatar Embassy’s “History of Oil Development” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand the development of Qatar’s oil industry. This webpage provides a brief history of the oil industry in the Persian Gulf country of Qatar. It describes the role that foreign investors played in developing Qatar’s oil industry.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Qatar Embassy’s “History of Oil Discovery”
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2.3 Impact of World War II
- Lecture: WGBH Boston: Eugen Weber’s “The Western Tradition”: “48. The Second World War”
Link: WGBH Boston: Eugen Weber’s “The Western Tradition”: “48. The Second World War” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: You must disable pop-up blockers before attempting to view the video. Scroll down the webpage to find lecture 48. Then, click on the VoD icon to begin the lecture. Please listen to Professor Eugen Weber’s entire lecture (approximately 28 minutes) to get a sense of how World War II was a turning point for the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Middle East Theatre of World War II”
Link: Wikipedia: “Middle East Theatre of World War II” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the effect of World War II on the Middle East.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: WGBH Boston: Eugen Weber’s “The Western Tradition”: “48. The Second World War”
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2.3.1 Military Conflict in Libya and Egypt
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “The Desert War”
Link: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “The Desert War” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand World War II in Libya.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “Egypt during the War, 1939-45”
Link: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “Egypt during the War, 1939-45” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand World War II in Egypt.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “The Desert War”
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2.3.2 British and Soviet Co-Occupation of Iran
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran”
Link: Wikipedia: “Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: MIT: Lincoln P. Bloomfield and Allen Moulton’s “Cascon Case SOI: Soviet-Iran 1945-46”
Link: MIT: Lincoln P. Bloomfield and Allen Moulton’s “Cascon Case SOI: Soviet-Iran 1945-45” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand the issues regarding the USSR’s decision to remain in Iran following World War II.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran”
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2.3.3 Expanding Transportation Resources
- Reading: Expanding Transportation Resources
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Expanding Transportation Resources
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2.3.4 Unrest and Growing Nationalist Movements in Region
- Reading: Unrest and Growing Nationalist Movements in Region
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Unrest and Growing Nationalist Movements in Region
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2.3.5 Independence of Libya and Syria Following War
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “World War II and Independence” and “Independent Libya”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “World War II and Independence” (HTML) and “Independent Libya” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence of an independent Libya following World War II.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “World War II and Independence” and “After Independence”
Link: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “World War II and Independence” (HTML)and “After Independence” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence of an independent Syria following World War II
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “World War II and Independence” and “Independent Libya”
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Unit 3: Zionism and the Creation of Israel
In this unit, we will examine the origins and the development of the State of Israel and look at the uneasy relationship between Israel and its Arab neighbors. We will also ask how the creation of Israel impacted the lives of Palestinian inhabitants in the region and forced many to flee Israel and take up residence in massive refugee camps in surrounding nations. The Zionist movement began in the late 19th century as a response to extreme anti-Semitism in Europe. Zionist leaders promoted the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, the traditional homeland of the Jewish people. Near the end of World War I, the British government publicly supported this plan in what became known as the Balfour Declaration. During the 1920s and 1930s, Jewish immigrants began settling in Palestine and purchasing property for local landlords. As their numbers began to swell, tensions arose with local Arab inhabitants. British colonial administrators attempted to maintain peace in Palestine and impose limits on Jewish immigration, but the policy was only partially successful. At the end of World War II, a massive wave of Jewish settlers—many of them Holocaust victims—began arriving in Palestine. By 1947, the United Nations recommended that part of Palestine become a Jewish state. The following year, Jewish leaders announced the creation of the State of Israel. They immediately faced an invasion by the armies of the Arab nations surrounding Israel.
Unit 3 Time Advisory show close
Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close
- 3.1 Zionism
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3.1.1 Zionism in Europe
- Reading: Wikipedia: “History of Zionism”
Link: Wikipedia: “History of Zionism” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the history of Zionism.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “History of Zionism”
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3.1.2 The Balfour Declaration
- Web Media: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle: A Century of Conflict: The Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate”
Link: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Mideast: A Century of Conflict: The Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above to go to the NPR webpage, and then click on Listen to Part 2 of Mike Shuster’s series to hear this program (approximately 9 minutes). This program provides a brief overview of Balfour Declaration’s effects in the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of “The Balfour Declaration, 1917”
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of “The Balfour Declaration, 1917” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the linked material. In this 1917 letter to Lord Rothschild, a prominent Jewish banker in England, British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour states that Great Britain will officially support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Balfour’s declaration provided impetus to the Zionist movement, which eventually led to the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle: A Century of Conflict: The Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate”
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3.2 Palestine during the Interwar Years
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Palestine during the Interwar Years”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Palestine during the Interwar Years” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire document. This reading addresses subunits 3.2.1 through 3.2.3.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Palestine during the Interwar Years”
- 3.2.1 Jewish Migration
- 3.2.2 Jewish and Arab Tensions
- 3.2.3 British Administration
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3.3 Israel
- Web Media: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle: A Century of Conflict: Partition, War and Independence”
Link: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Mideast: A Century of Conflict: Partition, War and Independence” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the link above to go to the NPR webpage, and then click on Listen to Part 3 of Mike Shuster’s series to hear this program (approximately 9 minutes). This program provides a brief overview of roots of the Palestinian-Zionist conflict. This link also addresses the topics outlined in subunits 3.3.1 through 3.3.9 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Arich Kochavi’s “The Politics of Displaced Persons in Post-War Europe, 1945-1950”
Link: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Arich Kochavi’s “The Politics of Displaced Persons in Post-War Europe, 1945-1950” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link, and then scroll down the webpage to find ThePoliticsofDisplacedPersons.pdf (note that the links are organized in alphabetical order). Please click this link, and then read the entire PDF (4 pages) to learn about the problem of displaced persons in post-WWII Europe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Angelika Konigseder and Dr. Juliane Wetzel’s “Displaced Persons, 1945-1950: The Social and Cultural Perspective”
Link: Gale/Cengage Learning: Dr. Angelika Konigseder and Dr. Juliane Wetzel’s “Displaced Persons, 1945-1950: The Social and Cultural Perspective” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link, and then scroll down the webpage to find DisplacedPersons1945-1950.pdf (note the links are organized in alphabetical order). Please click on this link, and then read the entire PDF (4 pages) to learn about the problem of displaced persons in post-WWII Europe.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle: A Century of Conflict: Partition, War and Independence”
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3.3.1 1947 United Nations Recommendation for Jewish State in Palestine
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Israel: A Country Study: “Prelude to Statehood,” “Problems of the New State,1948-67,” and “Ingathering of the Exiles”
Readings: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Israel: A Country Study: “Prelude to Statehood,” “Problems of the New State,1948-67,” and “Ingathering of the Exiles”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Israel: A Country Study: “Prelude to Statehood” (HTML), “Problems of the New State, 1948-67” (HTML), and “Ingathering of the Exiles” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence of Israel following World War II. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 3.3.2 through 3.3.9 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Israel: A Country Study: “Prelude to Statehood,” “Problems of the New State,1948-67,” and “Ingathering of the Exiles”
- 3.3.2 Israel Created in 1948
- 3.3.3 First Arab-Israeli War
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3.3.4 Creation of Jordan
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Jordan: A Country Study: “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan”
Link: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Jordan: A Country Study: “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand the emergence of Jordan following World War II.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Jordan: A Country Study: “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan”
- 3.3.5 Arab Refuges
- 3.3.6 Second Arab-Israeli War
- 3.3.7 Political, Economic, and Social Institutions in Israel
- 3.3.8 Third Arab-Israeli War
- 3.3.9 Arab Resistance Movements
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Unit 4: The Cold War in the Middle East
In this unit, we will examine how the Cold War shaped political and economic development in the Middle East and Southwest Asia during the 1950s and early 1960s. We will also look at how the nations of the region attempted to create stable governments and economic systems in the postcolonial period. Following World War II, all the former mandate territories of the Middle East and Southwest Asia gained their political independence. While these states were no longer under direct European political control, they continued to struggle under the economic, political, and social legacy of European imperialism. Some states, such as Egypt, attempted to nationalize European corporations in order to gain economic control of these companies. In 1956, Egypt’s efforts to nationalize the Suez Canal Corporation led to an armed conflict with Britain and France. The growing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union also had a profound impact on the region. The Americans and the Soviets used economic and military aid to secure friendships and political alliances with nations in the region. The United States supported Israel and other pro-Western states, while the USSR provided aid to Israel’s Arab enemies.
Unit 4 Time Advisory show close
Unit 4 Learning Outcomes show close
- Lecture: iTunesU: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 20: The Cold War”
Link: iTunesU: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 20: The Cold War” (iTunes Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down the webpage to find Lecture 20. Please listen to this lecture (approximately 81 minutes), which addresses the ways in which the global Cold War affected and was affected by the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle East and the West: The U.S. Role Grows”
Link: NPR: Mike Shuster’s “The Middle East and the West: The U.S. Role Grows” (Adobe Flash or mp3)
Instructions: Please click on the link above to go to the NPR webpage, and then click on Listen (or click download for the mp3) to hear this program (approximately 9 minutes), which explores the rising influence of the United States in the Middle East following World War II.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: WGBH Boston: Eugen Weber’s “The Western Tradition”: “49. The Cold War” and “50. Europe and the Third World”
Links: WGBH Boston: Eugen Weber’s “The Western Tradition”: “49. The Cold War” (Adobe Flash) and “50. Europe and the Third World” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: You must disable pop-up blockers before attempting to view the videos. Scroll down the webpage to find lectures 49 and 50. Then, click on the VoD icon to begin each lecture. Please listen to both of Professor Eugen Weber’s lectures (both are approximately 28 minutes long) to get a sense of how the Cold War was a turning point of the third world in general and the Middle East in particular.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunesU: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 20: The Cold War”
- 4.1 The International Politics of Development
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4.1.1 U.S. Military and Economic Support of Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of “The Eisenhower Doctrine on the Middle East, A Message to Congress, January 5, 1957”
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of “The Eisenhower Doctrine on the Middle East, A Message to Congress, January 5, 1957” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Eisenhower’s speech to Congress, which lays out what subsequently became known as the “Eisenhower Doctrine.” At the end of World War II, a new war—the Cold War—was unleashed between the United States and the Soviet Union and its satellite states. This conflict manifested itself in the Middle East; it was one of several theaters in the contest between democracy and Communism. In this speech, President Eisenhower describes U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East: to preserve the independence of new Middle Eastern states while also protecting them from Communist Russia.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of “The Eisenhower Doctrine on the Middle East, A Message to Congress, January 5, 1957”
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4.1.2 Soviet Military and Economic Support of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “On the Threshold of Revolution,” “The Revolution and the Early Years of the New Government: 1952-56,” “Egypt and the Arab World,” and “Nasser and Arab Socialism”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “On the Threshold of Revolution, 1945-52” (HTML), “The Revolution and the Early Years of the New Government: 1952-56” (HTML), “Egypt and the Arab World” (HTML) and “Nasser and Arab Socialism” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Egyptian politics following World War II.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “Shishakli Dictatorship,” “Radical Political Influence,” and “United Arab Republic”
Links: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “Shishakli Dictatorship” (HTML), “Radical Political Influence” (HTML), and “United Arab Republic” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence postwar Syria.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Jordan: A Country Study: “Hussein’s Early Reign” and “Crisis and Realignment”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Jordan: A Country Study: “Hussein’s Early Reign” (HTML) and “Crisis and Realignment” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence of Jordan following World War II.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “On the Threshold of Revolution,” “The Revolution and the Early Years of the New Government: 1952-56,” “Egypt and the Arab World,” and “Nasser and Arab Socialism”
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4.1.3 Soviet Central Asia and the Middle East
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Uzbekistan: A Country Study: “Rashidov”
Link: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Uzbekistan: A Country Study: “Rashidov” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand Soviet Control of modern Uzbekistan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kazakstan: A Country Study: “Russian Control” and “In the Soviet Union”
Links: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kazakstan: A Country Study: “Russian Control” (HTML) and “In the Soviet Union” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Soviet control of Kazakstan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kyrgyzstan: A Country Study: “The Soviet Union and Recent History”
Link: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Kyrgyzstan: A Country Study: “The Soviet Union and Recent History” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand Soviet control of modern Kyrgyzstan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Tajikistan: A Country Study: “Creation of Tajikistan,” “Collectivization,” “The Purges,” and “The Postwar Period”
Links: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Tajikistan: A Country Study: “Creation of Tajikistan” (HTML), “Collectivization” (HTML), “The Purges” (HTML) and “The Postwar Period” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Soviet control of modern Tajikistan.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Glenn E. Curtis, ed.’s Uzbekistan: A Country Study: “Rashidov”
- 4.2 Economic Nationalism
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4.2.1 Challenging European Imperialism
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Nasserism”
Link: Wikipedia: “Nasserism” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of Nasserism. This reading also addresses subunit 4.2.2.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Mohammad Mosaddegh”
Link: Wikipedia: “Mohammad Mosaddegh” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of Mohammad Mosaddegh. This reading also addresses subunit 4.2.2.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Nasserism”
- 4.2.2 Nationalization of Foreign Companies
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4.3 Political Development
- Reading: Political Development
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Political Development
- 4.3.1 Democracy
- 4.3.2 Socialism
- 4.3.3 Authoritarianism
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Unit 5: Political, Economic, and Social Tensions in the 1960s and 1970s
This unit will look at the sources of political, economic, and social tensions in the Middle East and Southwest Asia during the 1960s and 1970s and examine how these tensions shaped the development of countries in the region. We will also analyze the results of modernization campaigns in these nations and look at how these campaigns altered the place of women and religious minorities in Middle Eastern society. The 1960s and 1970s were an era of political, economic, and social instability for many nations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Nations such as Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon experimented with elected governments during this time period, but military officials and autocratic leaders seized power in many of these countries after electoral chaos and violence threatened social and political stability. Libya, Iraq, Iran, and the Arabian states profited from oil production, but unstable oil prices prevented them from earning consistent revenues. In 1965, these Middle Eastern states, along with nations in South America, Africa, and Asia, formed the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to control oil production and stabilize international oil prices. Over the course of the 1970s, OPEC began to exert greater power internationally. Some Middle Eastern OPEC nations also used oil as an economic weapon when they embargoed oil shipments to the United States after it supported Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Unit 5 Time Advisory show close
Unit 5 Learning Outcomes show close
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5.1 Turkey
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Turkey: A Country Study: “Turkey after Atatürk,” and “Crisis in Turkish Democracy”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “Turkey after Atatürk” (HTML) and “Crisis in Turkish Democracy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Turkey in the 1960s and 1970s. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 5.1.1 through 5.1.5 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Turkey: A Country Study: “Turkey after Atatürk,” and “Crisis in Turkish Democracy”
- 5.1.1 Democratic Rule
- 5.1.2 Military Control
- 5.1.3 Cold War Politics
- 5.1.4 Development
- 5.1.5 Ethnic and Social Turmoil
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5.2 Egypt
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “Egypt, the Arabs, and Israel,” “The June 1967 War,” “The Aftermath of the War: Internal Relations,” “External Relations,” “Nasser’s Legacy,” “Anwar as Sadat,” “October 1973 War,” “Political Developments, 1971-78,” “Egypt’s New Direction,” Peace with Israel,” and “The Aftermath of Camp David and the Assassination of Sadat”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “Egypt, the Arabs, and Israel” (HTML), “The June 1967 War” (HTML), “The Aftermath of the War: Internal Relations” (HTML), “External Relations” (HTML), “Nasser’s Legacy” (HTML), “Anwar as Sadat, 1970-1973” (HTML), “October 1973 War” (HTML), “Political Developments, 1971-78” (HTML), “Egypt’s New Direction” (HTML), “Peace with Israel” (HTML) and “The Aftermath of Camp David and the Assassination of Sadat” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand Egyptian politics during the 1960s and 1970s. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 5.2.1 through 5.2.7 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages aboveSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Egypt: A Country Study: “Egypt, the Arabs, and Israel,” “The June 1967 War,” “The Aftermath of the War: Internal Relations,” “External Relations,” “Nasser’s Legacy,” “Anwar as Sadat,” “October 1973 War,” “Political Developments, 1971-78,” “Egypt’s New Direction,” Peace with Israel,” and “The Aftermath of Camp David and the Assassination of Sadat”
- 5.2.1 Internal Power Struggles
- 5.2.2 Development and Modernization
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5.2.3 Gamal Abdel Nasser and Egyptian Power in the Middle East
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s “Denouncement of the Proposal for a Canal Users’ Association, 1956”
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s “Denouncement of the Proposal for a Canal Users’ Association, 1956” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire document to understand Nasser’s concerns regarding Western imperialism. Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser gave this speech shortly after he nationalized the Suez Canal Company in 1956. Nasser asserts that Egypt will no longer endure imperialist economic oppression from Canal Company investors England and France and warns these nations that his country will resist any military attacks to regain control of the canal “to the last drop of our blood.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of Gamal Abdel Nasser’s “Denouncement of the Proposal for a Canal Users’ Association, 1956”
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5.2.4 The United Arab Republic
- Reading: Wikipedia: “United Arab Republic”
Link: Wikipedia: “United Arab Republic” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the emergence and disappearance of the United Arab Republic (UAR).
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “United Arab Republic”
- 5.2.5 Conflict with Israel
- 5.2.6 Military Stalemate
- 5.2.7 Social and Cultural Change
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5.3 Libya
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “The September 1969 Coup,” “Qadhafi,” “Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,” “Politics of Oil,” “Libya and Arab Unity,” “Libyan Ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa,” and “Relations with the United States”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “The September 1969 Coup” (HTML), “Qadhafi” (HTML), “Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya” (HTML), “Politics of Oil” (HTML), “Libya and Arab Unity” (HTML), “Libyan Ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa” (HTML) and “Relations with the United States” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the history of modern Libya. These readings also address subunits 5.3.1 through 5.3.6.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “The September 1969 Coup,” “Qadhafi,” “Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,” “Politics of Oil,” “Libya and Arab Unity,” “Libyan Ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa,” and “Relations with the United States”
- 5.3.1 Independence
- 5.3.2 Oil Development
- 5.3.3 Revolution
- 5.3.4 Qadhafi and the Politics of Oil
- 5.3.5 Social and Economic Change
- 5.3.6 International Isolation
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5.4 Lebanon and Syria
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Lebanon: A Country Study: “The Franjiyah Era,” “The Civil War,” and “The Sarkis Administration”
Links: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Lebanon: A Country Study: “The Franjiyah Era” (HTML), “The Civil War” (HTML) and “The Sarkis Administration” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence of modern Lebanon. These readings also address subunits 5.4.1 through 5.4.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “Coups and Countercoups, 1961-70,” “Neo-Baath Dominance, 1963-66,” “The Baath Redirections of 1966 and 1970,” and “The Assad Era”
Link: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Syria: A Country Study: “Coups and Countercoups, 1961-70” (HTML), “Neo-Baath Dominance, 1963-66” (HTML), “The Baath Redirections of 1966 and 1970” (HTML) and “The Assad Era” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence of France’s mandate for Syria. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 5.4.5 through 5.4.7 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Thomas Collelo, ed.’s Lebanon: A Country Study: “The Franjiyah Era,” “The Civil War,” and “The Sarkis Administration”
- 5.4.1 Politics in Lebanon
- 5.4.2 Lebanese Civil War
- 5.4.3 War and Peace
- 5.4.4 Lebanon in the Shadow of Syria and Israel
- 5.4.5 Syria and Egypt
- 5.4.6 Ba’ath Party Control
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5.4.7 Assad and Political Control
- Reading: Encyclopedia Britannica: “Hafiz al-Assad”
Link: Encyclopedia Britannica: “Hafiz al-Assad” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the collapse of the USSR.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Encyclopedia Britannica: “Hafiz al-Assad”
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5.5 Iraq
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Professor Peter Sluglett’s “The Iraqi Community Party, 1934-1979”
Link: Gale/Cengage Learning: Professor Peter Sluglett’s “The Iraqi Communist Party, 1934-1979” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click the link above, and then scroll down the webpage to find TheIraqiCommunist.pdf (note that the links are listed in alphabetical order). Please click this link and then read the entire PDF (4 pages) to learn about the emergence and death of the Communist Party in Iraq.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iraq: A Country Study: “Republican Iraq,” “Coups, Coup Attempts, and Foreign Policy,” and “The Emergence of Saddam Husayn, 1968-79”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Libya: A Country Study: “Republican Iraq” (HTML), “Coups, Coup Attempts, and Foreign Policy” (HTML) and “The Emergence of Saddam Husayn, 1968-79” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these entire webpages to better understand the history of modern Iraq. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 5.5.1 through 5.5.4 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Professor Peter Sluglett’s “The Iraqi Community Party, 1934-1979”
- 5.5.1 The Republic of Iraq
- 5.5.2 Nationalism and Ba’ath Party Rule in the 1970s
- 5.5.3 Rise of Saddam Husain
- 5.5.4 Economic and Social Change
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5.6 The Arabian States
- Reading: The Arabian States
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: The Arabian States
- 5.6.1 Oil Politics
- 5.6.2 Foreign Development and Nationalism
- 5.6.3 Saudi Arabian Influence over Region
- 5.6.4 Economic Development and Social Stasis
- 5.6.5 European Investment and Political Influence
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5.7 The Creation of OPEC
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 21: Oil and the State”
Link: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 21: Oil and the State” (iTunes Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down to find Lecture 21. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 78 minutes), which addresses oil and its effects on the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: UC Berkeley: Daniel Sargent’s 130B The United States and the World Since 1945, “Lecture 16: The Oil Shocks and the Rise of the Middle East”Link: UC Berkeley: Daniel Sargent’s 130B The United States and the World Since 1945, “Lecture 16: The Oil Shocks and the Rise of the Middle East” (iTunes U)
Instructions: Click on the above link. Scroll down to find Lecture 16. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 81 minutes), which addresses oil and its effects on the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: CNN Money, “OPEC 50 Years Later”
Link: CNN Money, “OPEC 50 Years Later” (YouTube)
Instructions: Click on the above link. Please watch to the entire segment (approximately 4 minutes), which addresses the origins and influence of OPEC. This program addresses subunits 5.7.1 through 5.7.5.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 21: Oil and the State”
- 5.7.1 Origins of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
- 5.7.2 Arab Economic Nationalism
- 5.7.3 Expansion of OPEC
- 5.7.4 Challenges and Successes
- 5.7.5 Embargos the Politics of Oil Production
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Unit 6: The Iranian Revolution
In this unit, we will examine the origins of the Islamic Revolution and then take a look at social and political life in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini’s rule. We will also discuss how the Iranian Revolution destabilized the nations of the Middle East and Southwest Asia and led to religious and political turmoil throughout the region in the following decades. Following World War I, Iran attempted to maintain political independence from European imperial authority, but British investments in Iran’s oil industry gave Great Britain significant control over Iran’s economy and politics. After World War II, Iranian voters elected Mohammed Mossadegh as prime minister. Once in power, Mossadegh began nationalizing Iran’s oil industry. In response, the British and American governments instigated Mossadegh’s overthrow and placed autocratic ruler Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in charge of the country. The Shah supported modernization and secularization of Iranian society and brutally suppressed political and religious opponents. In 1978, strikes and demonstrations against the Shah’s rule led to the Iranian Revolution. The Shah fled Iran, and a theocratic council appointed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as the new supreme religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Unit 6 Time Advisory show close
Unit 6 Learning Outcomes show close
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6.1 Origins of the Revolution
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Shah’s White Revolution,” “State and Society, 1964-74,” “Khomeini and Renewed Opposition,” and “The Coming of the Revolution”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Shah’s White Revolution” (HTML), “State and Society, 1964-74” (HTML), “Khomeini and the Renewed Opposition” (HTML), and “The Coming of the Revolution” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand prerevolutionary Iran. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 6.1.1 through 6.1.6 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: C-SPAN Video Library/World Affairs Council of Northern California: “The Shah”
Link: C-SPAN Video Library/World Affairs Council of Northern California: “The Shah” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please watch the entire lecture (approximately 60 minutes) to better understand the Shah’s role in the Iranian Revolution. This lecture also addresses subunits 6.1.4 through 6.1.6.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 23. Iran under the Shahs”
Link: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 23 Iran under the Shahs” (iTunes U Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down to find Lecture 23. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 78 minutes), which addresses Iran under the Shahs.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Shah’s White Revolution,” “State and Society, 1964-74,” “Khomeini and Renewed Opposition,” and “The Coming of the Revolution”
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6.1.1 British and American Imperialism in the 1950s
- Reading: C-SPAN Video Library/National Cathedral’s Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation: “The U.S. and Iran: A Difficult History”
Link: C--SPAN Video Library/National Cathedral’s Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation: “The U.S. and Iran: A Difficult History” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: On the C-SPAN website, please click on the play button and watch the entire discussion (approximately 110 minutes) to better understand U.S./Iranian relations. This lecture also addresses subunits 6.1.3 through 6.1.6.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: C-SPAN Video Library/National Cathedral’s Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation: “The U.S. and Iran: A Difficult History”
- 6.1.2 Nationalization of Foreign Oil Companies
- 6.1.3 Overthrow of Democratic Government
- 6.1.4 Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Comes to Power
- 6.1.5 Modernization, Secularization, and Autocratic Rule
- 6.1.6 Suppression of Muslim Religious Opposition
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6.2 The Islamic Revolution
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Bakhtiar Government,” “The Revolution,” “The New Constitution,” and “The Bani Sadr Presidency”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Bakhtiar Government” (HTML), “The Revolution” (HTML), “The New Constitution” (HTML), and “The Bani Sadr Presidency” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand prerevolutionary Iran. These readings also address subunits 6.2.1 through 6.2.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “The Bakhtiar Government,” “The Revolution,” “The New Constitution,” and “The Bani Sadr Presidency”
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6.2.1 Collapse of the Pahlavi Dynasty
- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s “The Uprising of Khurdad 15, 1979”
Link: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s “The Uprising of Khurdad 15, 1979” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read Khomeini’s speech to better understand the Iranian Revolution. Ayatollah Khomeini gave this speech at the end of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. He warns working-class Iranians not to be deceived by the corrupting pro-Western ideas and values of the elites. He asserts that Iranians should look to the principles of Islam as they seek political and intellectual guidance in order to create the new Islamic Republic rather than to the West.
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- Reading: Fordham University’s Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Professor Paul Halsall’s version of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s “The Uprising of Khurdad 15, 1979”
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6.2.2 American Embassy Hostage Crisis
- Lecture: C-SPAN Video Library/Hofstra University: “Iran Hostage Crisis”
Link: C-SPAN Video Library/Hofstra University: “Iran Hostage Crisis” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: On the C-SPAN website, please click on the play button and watch the entire discussion (approximately 94 minutes) to better understand the causes and effects of the Iranian hostage crisis.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: C-SPAN Video Library/Hofstra University: “Iran Hostage Crisis”
- 6.2.3 Organization of the Theocratic Islamic Republic
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6.2.4 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Appointed Supreme Leader
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 24: The Islamic Republic of Iran”
Link: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 24: The Islamic Republic of Iran” (iTunes U Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down to find Lecture 24. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 73 minutes), which addresses the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 24: The Islamic Republic of Iran”
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6.3 Consolidating the Revolution
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “Terror and Repression” and “Consolidation of the Revolution”
Link: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “Terror and Repression” (HTML) and “Consolidation of the Revolution” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand prerevolutionary Iran. These readings also address subunits 6.3.1 through 6.3.6.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iran: A Country Study: “Terror and Repression” and “Consolidation of the Revolution”
- 6.3.1 Merging of Religious and Civil Authority
- 6.3.2 Suppression of Secular Values
- 6.3.3 Suppression of Political Opposition
- 6.3.4 Support of Revolutionary Terrorist Organizations Abroad
- 6.3.5 Consequences of Iranian Revolution for Middle East and Southwest Asia
- 6.3.6 Consequences of Iranian Revolution for International Community
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Unit 7: Secular and Religious Tensions in the 1980s and 1990s
In this unit, we will examine how the major conflicts of the 1980s and early 1990s destabilized the nations of the Middle East and contributed to the emergence of militant Islamic fundamentalist movements that objected to western influences in the region and supported a return to strict theocratic Islamic rule. A series of military and political struggles shaped the economic and political development of the Middle East and Southwest Asia in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1979, Soviet military forces swept across the border of Afghanistan and seized political control of the country. Afghani resistance fighters backed by the United States and other Middle Eastern nations gradually began to chip away at the Soviet military forces and eventually forced the USSR to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan in 1988. A year after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein took advantage of the chaos of the Iranian Revolution and attacked western Iran. The Iran-Iraq War, which ended the same year as the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, cost the lives of nearly a million Iranians and half a million Iraqis. During this same time period, Israel faced domestic terrorist attacks by members of the Palestine Liberation Organization, a political movement that supported an independent Palestinian state. Finally, in 1990, the United States became directly involved in a military conflict in Iraq and Kuwait after Saddam Hussein invaded the latter country.
Unit 7 Time Advisory show close
Unit 7 Learning Outcomes show close
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7.1 Iran-Iraq War
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iraq: A Country Study: “The Iran-Iraq Conflict”
Link: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iraq: A Country Study: “The Iran-Iraq Conflict” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand the history of the Iran-Iraq conflict. These readings also address the topics outlined in subunits 7.1.1 through 7.1.4 of this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Iraq: A Country Study: “The Iran-Iraq Conflict”
- 7.1.1 Origins of Conflict
- 7.1.2 Military Conflict
- 7.1.3 American Involvement
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7.1.4 Consequences of Conflict for Iran and Iraq
- Lecture: James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (Monterey Institute)/Dr. Ibrahim al-Marashi: “Thirty Years After the Iran-Iraq War: Lessons of Counterproliferation and WMD Deployment””
Link: James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (Monterey Institute)/Dr. Ibrahim al-Marashi: “Thirty Years After the Iran-iraq War: Lessons of Counterproliferation and WMD Deployment” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch the entire discussion (approximately 35 minutes) to better understand the implications of the Iran-Iraq War.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (Monterey Institute)/Dr. Ibrahim al-Marashi: “Thirty Years After the Iran-Iraq War: Lessons of Counterproliferation and WMD Deployment””
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7.2 Afghanistan
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Peter R. Blood, ed.’s Afghanistan: A Country Study: “Early Links with the Soviet Union,” “Experiment with Liberalized Politics,” “Daoud as Prime Minister, 1953-63,” “The King Reigns: The Last Decade of the Monarchy, 1963-73,” “Daoud’s Republic, July 1973-April 1978,” and “Communism, Rebellion, and Soviet Intervention”
Links: US Library of Congress: Peter R. Blood, ed.’s Afghanistan: A Country Study: “Early Links with the Soviet Union” (HTML), “Experiment with Liberalized Policies” (HTML), “Daoud as Prime Minister, 1953-63” (HTML), “The King Reigns: The Last Decade of the Monarchy, 1963-73” (HTML), “Daoud’s Republic, July 1973-April 1978” (HTML) and “Communism, Rebellion, and Soviet Intervention” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the evolution of modern Afghanistan. These readings also address subunits 7.2.1 through 7.2.6.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Peter R. Blood, ed.’s Afghanistan: A Country Study: “Early Links with the Soviet Union,” “Experiment with Liberalized Politics,” “Daoud as Prime Minister, 1953-63,” “The King Reigns: The Last Decade of the Monarchy, 1963-73,” “Daoud’s Republic, July 1973-April 1978,” and “Communism, Rebellion, and Soviet Intervention”
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7.2.1 Soviet Invasion
- Lecture: C-SPAN BookTV: “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Link: C-SPAN BookTV: “Charlie Wilson's War” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the play button on the C-SPAN website, and watch the entire discussion (approximately 55 minutes) to better understand the role that the United States played in the U.S.S.R./Afghanistan War. This lecture addresses subunits 7.2.3 through 7.2.6.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: C-SPAN BookTV: “Charlie Wilson’s War”
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7.2.2 American and Regional Opposition
- Lecture: C-SPAN BookTV: “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Link: C-SPAN BookTV: “Charlie Wilson's War” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the play button on the C-SPAN website, and watch the entire discussion (approximately 55 minutes) to better understand the role that the United States played in the U.S.S.R./Afghanistan War. This lecture addresses subunits 7.2.3 through 7.2.6.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: C-SPAN BookTV: “Charlie Wilson’s War”
- 7.2.3 The Mujahideen and the Modern Jihadist Movement
- 7.2.4 Soviet Withdrawal
- 7.2.5 Continuing Struggle for Political Control in Afghanistan
- 7.2.6 Regional and International Consequences of Afghan War
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7.3 Israel
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Israel: A Country Study: “1967 and Afterward,” “The War of Attrition,” “The October 1973 War,” “The Decline of the Labor Party,” “Oriental Jews,” The Begin Era,” “The Peace Process,” “The Occupied Territories,” and “Israel in Lebanon”
Links: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Israel: A Country Study:“1967 and Afterward” (HTML), “The War of Attrition” (HTML), “The October 1973 War” (HTML), “The Decline of the Labor Party” (HTML), “Oriental Jews” (HTML), “The Begin Era” (HTML), “The Peace Process” (HTML), “The Occupied Territories” (HTML) and “Israel in Lebanon” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these webpages in their entirety to better understand the emergence of Israel following World War II. These readings also address subunits 7.3.1 through 7.3.5.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Library of Congress: Helen Chapin Metz, ed.’s Israel: A Country Study: “1967 and Afterward,” “The War of Attrition,” “The October 1973 War,” “The Decline of the Labor Party,” “Oriental Jews,” The Begin Era,” “The Peace Process,” “The Occupied Territories,” and “Israel in Lebanon”
- 7.3.1 Regional Tensions
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7.3.2 The Palestine Liberation Organization
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Yezid Sayigh’s “The PLO and the Palestinian Armed Struggle”
Link: Gale/Cengage Learning: Yezid Sayigh’s “The PLO and the Palestinian Armed Struggle” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link, and then scroll down to find PLOandPalestinian.pdf (note the links are organized in alphabetical order). Please click this link and then read the entire PDF (5 pages) to learn about the emergence of the PLO.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Gale/Cengage Learning: Yezid Sayigh’s “The PLO and the Palestinian Armed Struggle”
- 7.3.3 The First Intifada
- 7.3.4 The Oslo Accords
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7.3.5 Palestinian Self-Rule
- Reading: Yale Law School: Lillian Goldman Law Library’s “Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization Agreement, 1993”
Link: Yale Law School: Lillian Goldman Law Library’s “Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization Agreement, 1993” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this document to understand the Israeli-PLO agreement of 1993. In this year, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators reached an agreement regarding the status of the occupied Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank. The agreement provides for limited self-government in Gaza and the West Bank and establishes a timeline for Israeli military withdrawal from the occupied territories. The agreement attempts to resolve many of the longstanding disagreements between the two sides that had sparked waves of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Yale Law School: Lillian Goldman Law Library’s “Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization Agreement, 1993”
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7.4 Collapse of the Soviet Union
- Reading: Collapse of the Soviet Union
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Collapse of the Soviet Union
- 7.4.1 Caucasus and Central Asia Join the Economic and Political Sphere of the Middle East and Southwest Asia
- 7.4.2 Religious Conflict in the Caucasus
- 7.4.3 Economic Development in the Former Soviet Republics
- 7.4.4 American Influences
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7.5 The First Gulf War
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Gulf War”
Link: Wikipedia: “Gulf War” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the first Gulf War. This reading also addresses subunits 7.5.1 through 7.5.5.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: US Department of State: United States: A Country Study: “The Gulf War”
Link: US Department of State: United States: A Country Study: “The Gulf War” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage to better understand the first Gulf War. This reading also addressed subunits 7.5.1 through 7.5.5. This website hosts online versions of previously published country studies commissioned by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress as part of the Country Studies/Area Handbook Series.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Gulf War”
- 7.5.1 Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait
- 7.5.2 American Response
- 7.5.3 International Response
- 7.5.4 Liberation of Kuwait
- 7.5.5 Regional and International Consequences of Conflict
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7.6 Emergence of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Emergence of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Emergence of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire document.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Emergence of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism”
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7.6.1 Religion and Politics
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Religion and Politics”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Religion and Politics” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire document.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Religion and Politics”
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7.6.2 Political, Religious, and Social Objectives
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Political, Religious, and Social Objectives”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Political, Religious, and Social Objectives” (PDF)
Instructions: Please click on the link above, and read the entire documentSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Political, Religious, and Social Objectives”
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7.6.3 Militarism and Terrorism
- Reading: Militarism and Terrorism
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Militarism and Terrorism
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7.6.4 Regional Impact in the 1990s
- Reading: Regional Impact in the 1990s
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Regional Impact in the 1990s
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7.6.5 International Impact in the 1990s
- Reading: International Impact in the 1990s
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: International Impact in the 1990s
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Unit 8: The Middle East and Southwest Asia in the 21st Century
In this final unit, we will examine some of the key developmental challenges that nations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia face today. We will also look at the growing tensions between secular Islamic states and supporters of Islamic fundamentalism. Finally, we will examine the role that such external political agents as the United States and the European Union continue to play in the development of the region. Middle Eastern and Southwest Asian nations continue to struggle with political, economic, and social problems in the 21st century. Many of these nations remain economically underdeveloped and continue to depend on oil revenues as their major source of income. American military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan has further inflamed regional tension and has encouraged militant Islamic fundamentalist movements, such as al-Qaeda, to plot terrorist attacks on American allies in the region. In Iran, conflicts between political moderates and extremists boiled over during the aftermath of the 2009 presidential elections. For nations with a tradition of democratic rule, such as Israel and Turkey, the first decade of the 21st century has been a period of economic success tempered by internal ethnic and social unrest.
Unit 8 Time Advisory show close
Unit 8 Learning Outcomes show close
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8.1 Oil and Economic Development
- Reading: Oil and Economic Development
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Oil and Economic Development
- 8.1.1 Uncertain Power of OPEC
- 8.1.2 Uneven Distribution of National Wealth
- 8.1.3 The Gulf States
- 8.1.4 The Modernization Struggle
- 8.1.5 Technical and Economic Challenges
- 8.1.6 Regional Development
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8.2 American Hegemony
- Reading: American Hegemony
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: American Hegemony
- 8.2.1 Regional Influences
- 8.2.2 Economic Power
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8.2.3 War in Afghanistan
- Reading: Wikipedia: “War in Afghanistan (2001-Present)”
Link: Wikipedia: “War in Afghanistan (2001-Present)” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this entire webpage in order to get a sense of the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML). You can find the original Wikipedia version of this article here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Wikipedia: “War in Afghanistan (2001-Present)”
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8.2.4 War in Iraq
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Invasion of Iraq”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Invasion of Iraq” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the linked material.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Invasion of Iraq”
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8.3 Al-Qaeda
- Lecture: C-SPAN Video Library: “After Words with Peter Bergen”
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: “After Words with Peter Bergen” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the play button on the C-SPAN website, and watch the entire discussion (approximately 57 minutes) to better understand al-Qaeda and its relationship with the West. This video also addresses subunits 8.3.1 through 8.3.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: C-SPAN Video Library: “Osama Bin Laden”
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: “Osama Bin Laden” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the play button on the C-SPAN website, and watch the entire discussion (approximately 71 minutes) to better understand Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the United States. This video also addresses subunits 8.3.1 through 8.3.4.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: C-SPAN Video Library: “After Words with Peter Bergen”
- 8.3.1 Objectives
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8.3.2 Terrorism and Islamic Fundamentalism
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 25: A New Era of Violence”
Link: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 25: A New Era of Violence” (iTunes Audio)
Instructions: Click on the above link. You might be asked to launch iTunes before you can access the lecture. Scroll down to find Lecture 25. Please listen to the entire lecture (approximately 76 minutes), which addresses the emergence of violence in the Middle East.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the link above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: iTunes U: Columbia University: Richard Bulliet’s W3719 History of the Modern Middle East, “Lecture 25: A New Era of Violence”
- 8.3.3 Influence on Regional Development
- 8.3.4 International Consequences
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8.4 Iran
- Reading: BBC News: “Iran Country Profile”
Link: BBC News: “Iran Country Profile” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entire webpage for an introduction to contemporary Iran. This reading also addresses subunits 8.4.1 and 8.4.2.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: C-SPAN Video Library: “After Words with Hooman Majd”
Link: C-SPAN Video Library: “After Words with Hooman Majd” (Adobe Flash)
Instructions: Please click on the play button on the C-SPAN webpage, and watch the entire discussion (approximately 61 minutes) to better understand contemporary Iran. This video also addresses subunits 8.4.1 through 8.4.2.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: BBC News: “Iran Country Profile”
- 8.4.1 Khatami and the Politics of Moderation and Reform
- 8.4.2 Ahmadinejad and Militant Populism
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8.4.3 The 2009 Election and Internal Power Struggles
- Reading: BBC News: Jim Muir’s “Clashes Show Unresolved Iran Crisis”
Link: BBC News: Jim Muir’s “Clashes Show Unresolved Iran Crisis” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this report for some context on contemporary Iran. This BBC webpage provides information about the ongoing political crisis in Iran related to the disputed 2009 presidential election. This article discusses how the Iranian government has violently repressed opposition protests and ignored international pressure to mediate the crisis.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: BBC News: Jim Muir’s “Clashes Show Unresolved Iran Crisis”
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8.5 Israel
- Reading: Israel
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Israel
- 8.5.1 Relationship with Palestinian Authorities
- 8.5.2 Hamas
- 8.5.3 Seeking a Two-State Solution to the Palestinian Conflict
- 8.5.4 Religious Extremism and Political Moderation
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8.6 Turkey
- Reading: Turkey
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Turkey
- 8.6.1 Economic Expansion and Development
- 8.6.2 Relationship with European Union
- 8.6.3 Secular and Religious Tensions
- 8.6.4 Civil and Military Tensions
- 8.6.5 Ethnic Tensions
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8.7 The Modernization Challenge
- Reading: The Modernization Challenge
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: The Modernization Challenge
- 8.7.1 Role of Islam in Government and Society
- 8.7.2 Social and Cultural Reforms
- 8.7.3 The Role of Women in Society
- 8.7.4 Power of Traditional Values
- 8.7.5 Outside Influences
- 8.7.6 Regional Economic Development
- 8.7.7 Failed States and Regional Cooperation
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Final Exam
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's HIST232 Final Exam
Link: The Saylor Foundation's HIST232 Final Exam
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's HIST232 Final Exam
