Prof. Andrew I. Port Department of History (3137 FAB) Email: ar6647@wayne.

edu

Fall 2013, T/Th 3-3:55 pm + section Office Hrs: Tuesday 4:15-5:45 pm Tel.: (313) 577-2525

History 1400: The World Since 1945

This survey course examines the history of the world from the end of the Second World War to the beginning of the twentieth-first century. It will provide students with an in-depth overview of the major global events that have taken place since 1945 especially from a comparative perspective and help them better understand todays world. Intended to be truly global in nature, lectures and discussion will concentrate on political, social, economic, as well as cultural developments during the postwar era, focusing not only on the international dimension but also on domestic developments as well. The main themes of the course include the origins and evolution of the Cold War, decolonization and the emergence of the so-called Third World, significant developments in the socio-economic and cultural spheres, the fall of communism and its aftermath, as well as new global challenges that emerged following the end of the Cold War. This is an introductory course, in the sense that no prior knowledge is assumed or required, but it is nevertheless intended to familiarize participants with questions of interpretation as well. To that end, lectures and discussion will also consider fundamental issues about the practice of history as well as the major varieties of historiography: political, diplomatic, social, economic, and cultural. This course is designed, more generally, to help you achieve the following learning outcomes: 1) understand how the beliefs, values, practices, problems, and institutions of humans varied across time and place; 2) understand what historical interpretation entails, as distinct from merely recording events that happened in the past; 3) analyze primary sources as evidence for or against historical interpretations and to understand actors and events within their historical context; 4) develop skills in critical writing and historical enquiry; 5) learn how to formulate cogent arguments; 6) improve written and oral communication skills. The course will meet three times each week: two sessions will consist of lecture, the third a discussion about the assigned primary sources. A handout will be distributed at the start of each lecture and will include an outline of the instructors presentation as well as names, events, important dates, etc. that will be mentioned or discussed during lecture. The terms in bold are fair game on the written examinations (see below). Participants are strongly encouraged to take notes during lecture and discussion as well as when reading the assigned material to help them better prepare for the written exams. Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the weekly discussion sections. All participants are expected to have read and absorbed the reading assignments for that lecture BEFORE class begins. The textbook, which is intended to supplement the lectures, is Keith Robbins, The World since 1945: A Concise History.

Each participant will also read a variety of primary sources collected in a Reader edited by Michael Hunt (this is now out of print, so the Bookstore will make a course pack available). The smaller discussion sections will give participants an opportunity to discuss the readings and lecture material. Questions will be distributed in lecture one week in advance to help students guide their reading for section. Students will also read two memoirs over the course of the semester; two films will be shown during scheduled lecture times. This course is offered as a Learning Community. This program provides extracurricular opportunities such as additional tutoring, review sessions, events, and group interaction that engages students socially and academically. Participation in the Learning Community is voluntary and limited to only thirty students on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Peer Mentors coordinating the Learning Community are Robert Pfaff (ev0673@wayne.edu) and Sakeena Fatima (eh1506@wayne.edu). Please see the Learning Communities tab on Blackboard for more information on activities, events, schedules, and contact information. Required readings: Keith Robbins, The World since 1945: A Concise History Michael Hunt, The World Transformed, 1945 to the Present: A Documentary Reader Heda Margolius Kovly, Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague, 1941-1968 Rae Yang, Spider Eaters: A Memoir The books are available for purchase at the Wayne State University Bookstore (Barnes & Noble, located at the corner of Warren & Cass). They have all been placed on three-hour reserve at the undergraduate library as well. Course requirements and grading: Exercise Due Date participation in section three 300-word response papers 1st 1000-word paper 2nd 1000-word paper 1st written exam 2nd written exam entire semester varies Sept. 17 Oct. 29 OR Nov. 12 Oct. 8 Nov. 21 % of final grade 15% 15% (5% each) 15% 15% 10% 15%

3rd written exam Dec. 5 15% THREE examinations will take place during the normal class period. Each of the exams on Oct. 8 and Dec. 5 will consist of one essay and several ID's; the exam on Nov. 21 will be a document based exam (instructions will be given in advance). Each exam will last fifty-five minutes. Please bring one BLUEBOOK to each exam.
Each participant will be required to submit TWO 1000-word response papers. The first paper will be based on the Kovly memoir, the second paper on EITHER the two documentary films OR the Yang memoir. Participants are free to choose which of the second response papers they would like to submit, but everyone must submit a paper about the Kovly memoir. Full instructions for the written assignment will be distributed in class well before the due dates. The two 1000-word papers must be submitted via Blackboard using SafeAssign by 5:00 p.m. on the day that they are due. Each participant will also be required to submit THREE 300-word response papers over the course of the semester. These papers should focus on the primary source documents in the Reader and should respond to one of the study questions distributed in advance. In addition, the papers must be submitted via Blackboard using SafeAssign BEFORE the beginning of section; late papers will not be accepted under any circumstances. Guidelines and Policies ***Regular attendance in class and active participation during discussion are mandatory. Attendance will be taken at the weekly discussion sections. More than three unexcused absences will significantly affect the final grade (only documented illnesses or emergencies will be considered as excused absences). ***Cell phones and pagers should be turned off during lecture and section. There should be no text messaging or internet surfing during the lectures or discussions. If a participant arrives late or leaves early, he or she is kindly requested to do so quietly. ***All assignments from the Document Reader should be completed before the section in which they will be discussed. This will ensure that all participants will be able to ask questions and participate actively in discussion. The documents from the Reader will be discussed the week after they are assigned on the syllabus. For example, the documents assigned on Sept. 10 and 12 will be discussed in section the FOLLOWING week, i.e., the week beginning Sept. 16. ***Participants are encouraged to check Blackboard on a regular basis for important announcements and other course information. If you do not regularly check your WSU email account, be sure to have your emails from that account automatically forwarded to the account you use. All handouts, slide shows, etc. will be made available on Blackboard throughout the semester. If a participant misses a class, he or she is responsible for procuring lecture and discussion notes from another student enrolled in the course. Prof. Port will not distribute his own lecture notes, but students are free to record lectures, if they wish.

***Make-up examinations will only be given for documented medical reasons or a family emergency. If an examination is missed for any other unexcused reason, the participant will receive a failing grade for that exercise. Participants should provide their section leader with the documentation and are responsible for contacting their section leader by email, phone, or during office hours to make arrangements for a make-up exam. ***If the two 1000-word papers are not submitted on time, they will be penalized by a half grade each day that they are late (e.g., an A- paper submitted one day late will receive a B+). Exceptions will only be made in the case of documented illness or family emergency. ***Cheating and plagiarism (i.e., the unacknowledged use of another persons words or ideas) are serious academic offenses and will result in a FAILING GRADE FOR THE COURSE WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF WITHDRAWING. Participants should carefully read the Statement on Plagiarism attached to this syllabus and contact the instructors for guidance if they have any further questions about what constitutes this offense. ***Drafts will not be accepted for the papers -- except at the discretion of the section leader. ***All participants are encouraged to visit Prof. Port during office hours (Tuesday 4:15-5:45 p.m., 3137 FAB) to discuss any issues relating to course content, guidelines, and assignments. BUT ALL EMAILS REGARDING COURSE CONTENT, GUIDELINES, ASSIGNMENTS, ETC. SHOULD BE SENT TO THE SECTION LEADER. ***Email etiquette: Despite popular practices, participants are kindly requested to use salutations and closings in all emails to the instructors. ***In Fall 2013, students must add classes no later than the end of the first week , including online classes. After Sept. 4, students must personally request departmental permission in order to register. If departmental permission is granted, students must register themselves for the class in Pipeline during the second week. Receiving departmental permission is NOT the same as registering for the class! Students may continue to drop classes (with full tuition cancellation) through the first two weeks of the term (through Sept. 11). ***Students who wish to withdraw must initiate the request in Pipeline no later than November 9. After the deadline, the Withdraw option will not be available in Pipeline. The Registrars Office does not grant exceptions to this deadline so please plan ahead and mark your calendar. PLEASE VERIFY ALL OF THE ABOVE DATES FOR ACCURACY. ***Participants with a documented disability that requires accommodations will need to register with Student Disability Services for coordination of their academic accommodations. The Student Disability Services (SDS) office is located at 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library in the Student Academic Success Services department. SDS telephone number is 313-577-1851 or 313-577-3365 (TTY: telecommunication device for the deaf; phone for hearing impaired students only). Once accommodations are in place, the instructor and TAs will be glad to meet privately during office hours to discuss special needs.

Lecture, Reading, and Assignment Schedule DATE Aug. 29 Sept. 3 THEME/ASSIGNMENTS Introduction and Course Overview The Short 20th Century: Major Themes Robbins: pp. 1-22 Hunt: Introduction (pp. 1-6) Sept. 5
Origins of the Cold War (Part I)

READING

Robbins: pp. 23-38 Hunt: Docs 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.11

Sept. 10

Origins of the Cold War (Part II)

Robbins: pp. 38-47, 56-60 Hunt: Docs 3.1, 3.3

Sept. 12

Reconstruction and Prosperity in Western Europe and Japan Sovietization in Eastern Europe FIRST PAPER DUE

Robbins: pp. 76-82, 183-189 Hunt: Docs 2.3, 2.9, 5.6, 5.7

Sept. 17

Robbins: pp. 33-34 Hunt: Docs 1.3, 1.4 Kovly memoir (entire)

Sept. 19

Destalinization

Robbins: pp. 61-76 Hunt: Docs 4.1, 4.2, 4.4

Sept. 24

Latin America and the Legacy of Colonialism

Robbins: pp. 54-56, 108-114 Hunt: Docs 6.9, 6.10, 6.14, 9.4, 9.5

Sept. 26

Decolonization

Robbins: 47-48, 82-96 Hunt: Docs 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8

Oct. 1 + 3

FILM: Battle of Algiers

Handout: Battle of Algiers (available on Blackboard)

Oct. 8 Oct. 10

FIRST WRITTEN EXAM:| ESSAY + IDs Racism and Conflict in Africa Robbins: pp. 50-52, 171-177, 244-248 Robbins: pp. 48-50, 99-108 Hunt: Docs 3.4, 3.5, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.10

Oct. 15

The Vietnam Conflict

Oct. 17

1968: A Year of Global Crisis

Robbins: pp. 118-120, 167-168 Hunt: Docs 4.11, 4.12

Oct. 22 + 24 Oct. 29

FILM: The Weather Underground Social and Cultural Transformations SECOND PAPER DUE (OPTION 1) Robbins: pp. 139-141 Hunt: Docs 5.1, 5.3, 5.4, 5.11, 5.12 Robbins: pp. 52-54, 155-156, 177-183 Hunt: Docs 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 9.11

Oct. 31

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Nov. 5

End of the Thirty Glorious Years: Stagflation and the Right-wing Revolution

Robbins: pp. 135-138, 141147, 162-167, 217-222 Hunt: Docs 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 8.2, 8.3

Nov. 7

The Rise of Political Islam

Robbins: pp. 151-152 Hunt: Docs 9.1, 9.2

Nov. 12

Reform and Revolution in Asia: Capitalism Chinese-Style SECOND PAPER DUE (OPTION 2)

Robbins: 130-132, 189-200, 236-241 Hunt: Docs 8.10, 8.11, 8.12, 8.13 Yang memoir (entire)

Nov. 14

The End of the Cold War (Part I)

Robbins: pp. 97-99, 114-118, 127-135 Hunt: Doc 7.1, 7.2

Nov. 19

The End of the Cold War (Part II)

Robbins: pp. 147-162, 201-217 Hunt: Docs 7.3, 7.5, 7.9, 7.10

Nov. 21 Nov. 26

SECOND WRITTEN EXAM: DOCUMENT-BASED ESSAY Post-Wall World: The Costs and Benefits of Globalization NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING Post-Wall World: Genocide, Terrorism, and the Rise and Fall of American Hegemony THIRD WRITTEN EXAM: ESSAY + IDs

Review: Hunt, pp. 1-6 + How to Read a Document Robbins: pp. 248-256 Hunt: Docs 5.8, 10.3, 10.13

Nov. 28 Dec. 3

Robbins: pp. 222-236 Hunt: Docs 10.4, 10.6, 10.10

Dec. 5