UNIT 1. The World and the West, 1500–1900

1. Aztecs: A New Perspective, John M.D. Pohl, History Today, December 2002

Who were the Aztecs? What were their accomplishments? What caused their downfall? For centuries, the answers to these questions were shrouded in mystery and misinterpretation. John M.D. Pohl offers a fresh interpretation of the Aztecs and their civilization, written from the perspective of our twenty-first century world.

2. The Peopling of Canada, Phillip Buckner, History Today, November 1993

Canada was the creation of two imperial powers—France and England—during two distinct time periods. At first a French colony and later a British one, Canada experienced dramatically different immigration patterns. During the earlier French phase, emigration to Canada was painfully slow. However, during the later British phase, the emigration rate rose dramatically, creating a cultural dichotomy that still affects Canada today.

3. 400 Years of the East India Company, Huw V. Bowen, History Today, July 2000

Elizabeth I granted a charter to the East India Company in 1600, and in the two centuries to follow it became a powerful vehicle for economic and imperial expansion. It was important for extending British influence into China and India, and it even played a role in starting the American Revolution.

4. The Ottomans in Europe, Geoffrey Woodward, History Today, March 2001

In its contacts with the non-Western world, Europe usually gained the upper hand. However, one non-Western power was able to fight Western Europe to a standstill and sometimes threatened its very existence. For a few centuries, the Ottoman Turks were a problem that Europe couldn’t ignore.

5. The Potato Connection, Alfred W. Crosby, Civilization, January/February 1995

Although the New World offered an opportunity for conquestand conversion to Christianity, the acquisition of new foodcrops, especially corn and white potatoes, had the greatestglobal impact. Foods from the Western Hemisphere spread worldwide andare a part of a “Columbian Exchange” that continuestoday.

6. Coffee, Tea, or Opium?, Samuel M. Wilson, Natural History, November 1993

The transport of opium to China gave the British merchants a favorable trade balance for the purchase of tea and other Chinese goods. Threatened with the moral destruction of their people, the Chinese government tried to stop the drug trade, but superior British warships enforced the trade and won five ports and Hong Kong for British control.

7. After Centuries of Japanese Isolation, a Fateful Meeting of East and West, James Fallows, Smithsonian, July 1994

The arrival of Matthew Perry at the head of a U.S. naval squadron in 1853 forced Japan out of two centuries of isolation. Although the outside intrusion was unwelcomed, the Japanese suffered no defeat and in the next half-century successfully melded their culture with Western technology to become the most powerful nation in the Far East.

8. Chinese Burns: Britain in China, 1842–1900, Robert Bickers, History Today, August 2000

The Boxer Rebellion began in 1899 in northern China and was based upon Chinese resentment of foreign intrusion and domination. It attracted the support of the Qing government and resulted in the killing of hundreds of missionaries, Chinese Christians, and foreigners. Western retaliation was swift and effective, but when Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, the Western emphasis was upon forgetting, the Chinese emphasis upon remembering.

9. The Zulus and the Boer War, Jabulani Maphalala, History Today, January 2000

In South Africa, the Zulus were defeated by both the Boers and the British as the Europeans pushed into Zulu territory. When the British fought against the Boers at the end of the nineteenth century, they recruited Zulus to fight for them. After the war, the British were more concerned with reconciliation with the Boers than with reward for the Zulus. Despite British promises, the natives were worse off after the conflict.

UNIT 2. The Ferment of the West, 1500–1900

10. The First Feminist, Shirley Tomkievicz, Horizon, Spring 1972

She did not hate men, nor did she deny the traditional roles of women as wives and mothers. However, in the late eighteenth century, Mary Wollstonecraft pursued a successful writing career and argued that the female had as good a mind as the male.

11. George Mason: Forgotten Founder, He Conceived the Bill of Rights, Stephan A. Schwartz, Smithsonian, May 2000

He thought public service was a duty, supported the American Revolution, and believed in the natural rights of people. He participated in the writing of the Federal Constitution, yet refused to endorse it because there was no Bill of Rights. George Mason thus sacrificed his public reputation, and he remains a "forgotten founder."

12. This is Not a Story and Other Stories, Eugen Weber, The New Republic, February 1, 1993

Denis Diderot was an 18th century French thinker/writer/editor who was responsible for creating the Encyclopedia, the largest compendium of written knowledge in the western world to that date. The world he and his colleagues—Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu—described became a key text of the Age of Enlightenment, which paved the way for the creation of our modern world.

13. From Mercantilism to ’The Wealth of Nations,’, Michael Marshall, The World & I, May 1999

Jean-Baptiste Colbert developed mercantilist economic ideas under Louis XIV in an attempt to create a favorable balance of trade for France. His ideas clashed with the later free trade thoughts of Adam Smith of Scotland. The controversy continues today because nations still worry about unfavorable trade flows.

14. The Return of Catherine the Great, Tony Lentin, History Today, December 1996

Catherine the Great of Russia (1762–1796) was one of a group of national leaders known as enlightened despots, rulers who governed with an iron fist, but tried in varying degrees to initiate reforms to help their people. A fascinating character, she ultimately failed to bring Enlightenment values to Russia.

15. As Good as Gold?, T. J. Stiles, Smithsonian, September 2000

Wampum, bales of tobacco, coins, paper, and gold have all been used as money—a “medium of exchange” as the economists call it—in the United States. Now, paychecks are issued electronically and money is an electric current.

16. A Woman Writ Large in Our History and Hearts, Robert Wernick, Smithsonian, December 1996

She wrote novels, smoked cigars, wore men’s clothing, had a string of love affairs, and adopted a man’s name. Living in France, George Sand set an example of freedom for women to pursue a profession as well as to care for a household.

UNIT 3. The Industrial and Scientific Revolutions

17. Eyes Wide Open, Richard Powers, New York Times Magazine, April 18, 1999

An obscure Arab in the tenth century resolved a question that had bothered thinkers for 800 years—did light travel from the eye to an object or was it the reverse? Ibn al-Haytham invited people to observe the sun, and realized from the results that light traveled to the eye. His emphasis upon direct observation later became a foundation stone for the development of the scientific method in Europe.

18. In God’s Place, Alan Lightman, New York Times Magazine, September 19, 1999

With his great book Principia, Isaac Newton not only explained fundamental scientific ideas about force, inertia, and gravity, but he also destroyed Aristotle’s division between earthly and heavenly knowledge. There was in Newton’s thought the implicit assumption that the physical universe could be known. This idea was an advance in the development of human self-awareness.

19. The Workshop of a New Society, The Economist, December 31, 1999

The industrial revolution began in Great Britain. There were various contributing factors such as iron technology, availability of coal, rural industries, growing demand, political stability, and geographic isolation. At first there were problems and concerns regarding urbanization and worker safety, but by 1900 the British citizen was better fed, housed, clothed, politically represented, and entertained than ever before in history.

20. The X Factor, Mark Elvin, Far Eastern Economic Review, June 10, 1999

In the eleventh century, the Chinese utilized principles of mass production and mechanization, but did not experience an industrial revolution. Disruption by warfare, lack of innovation, environmental destruction, and faults in the organization of production are the common reasons given for the failure, but it is still a historical mystery.

21. Samurai, Shoguns & The Age of Steam, Ron Clough, History Today, November 1999

The Industrial Revolution made its way to 19th century Japan where the new Meiji government was in the process of making Japan a world power. To build their rail system, they imported help from England, completing this prodigious task which revolutionized and modernized the country.

22. The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable, Gillian Cookson, History Today, March 2000

The completion of a lasting transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866 provided instant communication between the two hemispheres. The task was not easy to complete, but it strengthened the financial and commercial markets and whetted the appetite for fresh news.

23. A Tale of Two Reputations, Jared Diamond, Natural History, February 2001

Jared Diamond examines the life and work of two of the 19th/20th centuries most influential thinkers—Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud—and assesses their impact on the modern world. Although Diamond calls both “irreplaceable,” we are more critical of Freud’s errors than we are of Darwin’s because they have had a more direct impact on our lives.

24. The 20th-Century Scientific-Technical Revolution, Mikulas Teich, History Today, November 11, 1996

Near the end of the 20th century, Mikulas Teich looks at the scientific and technical changes that have occurred since 1900. He sees them as responsible for creating a new world culture and global organization, but concludes that the century’s emphasis on money over philosophy and aesthetics threatens to dampen the progress already attained.

UNIT 4. The Twentieth Century to 1950

25. On the Turn—Japan, 1900, Richard Perren, History Today, June 1992

Following the visit by Commodore Matthew Perry’s flotilla in 1853 and the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan rapidly westernized. By 1900 the transformation was so great that there was no turning back time. The Japanese victory in 1904–1905 over Russia demonstrated Japan’s success in becoming a great power of the world.

26. Home at Last, Bill Powell and Owen Matthews, Newsweek, July 20, 1998

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, as the new leader of the Soviet Union, ordered the murder of Nicholas II and his family in 1918. In 1991 the skeletons were exhumed and subjected to DNA testing for identification. The whole family, including Anastasia, along with various servants, had been killed. The remains were reburied at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg as a gesture of national healing.

27. Gandhi and Nehru: Frustrated Visionaries?, Judith Brown, History Today, September 1997

Gandhi and Nehru, India’s most important 20th century figures, played pivotal roles in their nation’s push toward home rule. The former, a moral leader, the latter a political one, had differing visions of how to achieve the same goal, a strong, unified India. Today, the visions of these two giants have been lost in a maze of provincialism and religious strife. It behooves India’s modern leaders to return to the path set by Gandhi and Nehru.

28. Mao Zedong: Liberator or Oppressor of China?, Michael Lynch, History Review, September 2002

In many ways, Mao Zedong can be considered one of the twentieth century’s greatest leaders. He created a communist-inspired movement which he used to take control of China, and turn it into a bona fide world power. But what price have the Chinese people paid for this? And what about his debauched personal life? Like most historical figures, Mao is viewed by some as an innovator and by others as a traditionalist. History will ultimately determine how enduring his legacy will be.

29. The Maginot Line, Rudolph Chelminski, Smithsonian, June 1997

Having been invaded by Germany twice in 50 years, the French built a series of defensive bunkers called the Maginot Line. It was just being completed when war broke out once more in 1939. The line held admirably, but German flanking movements forced the French government to surrender in 6 weeks. The Maginot Line was turned over to the Germans.

30. Women in the Third Reich, Renate Wiggershaus, Connexions, Volume 36, 1991

Nazi ideology showed contempt for women and assigned to them the role of procreation of Aryan children. Why was National Socialism not widely rejected by women?

31. Exposing the Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang, Newsweek, December 1, 1997

After taking Shanghai in 1937, Japanese forces moved against Nanking where widespread atrocities occurred—260,000 to 350,000 Chinese murdered, 20,000 to 80,000 Chinese women raped and tortured. The death toll was greater than that of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but it has remained an obscure event because of cultural and political reasons.

32. His Finest Hour, John Keegan, U.S. News & World Report, May 29, 2000

Although Hitler thought that Great Britain would surrender, Winston Churchill rallied his country to fight to the death. He was an orator, book writer, soldier, journalist, and politician. He oratorical skills inspired the British people to gain ultimate victory.

33. Judgment at Nuremberg, Robert Shnayerson, Smithsonian, October 1996

Following the end of World War II, German leaders were brought to trial at Nuremberg to answer to “crimes against peace.” Ten were hanged and one committed suicide. The trial upheld the rule of law and resisted the temptation to force mass guilt and executions on the German people.

UNIT 5. The Era of the Cold War, 1950-1990

34. The Plan and the Man, Evan Thomas, Newsweek, June 2, 1997

In 1947, George C. Marshall, the American secretary of state, announced the “Marshall Plan” in a speech at Harvard. The plan provided $13.3 billion in aid to the ravaged countries of Europe to help them recover from World War II and to hold off the spread of communism. The British foreign minister called it a “lifeline to a sinking man.”

35. Korea: Echoes of a War, Steven Butler, U.S. News and World Report, June 19, 2000

The Korean War was an intervention under the United Nation’s flag, but was also the first taste of defeat and limited war for the United States. After millions of people were killed, including 36,500 Americans, the war settled nothing, and Korea remained divided along the same line established at the end of World War II.

36. Tibet Through Chinese Eyes, Peter Hessler, The Atlantic Monthly, February 1999

To Westerners Tibet should be independent, as it was before it was forcibly annexed by China in 1951. Tibetans see their culture being destroyed by the Han Chinese migrants who have been sent by the Chinese government. The migrants see themselves as servants with a duty to help Tibet to modernize and return as a part of a unified China.

37. Iraq’s Unruly Century, Jonathan Kandell, Smithsonian, May 2003

From British protectorate to Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, Iraq, the land that was once an ancient cradle of civilization, has had few bright moments. Dominated by Britain for more than fifty years, it was governed by a constitutional monarchy that was eventually overthrown by a military coup d’etat. This brought about a diabolical one-man rule, which ended with the recent United States-sponsored war. What will the future bring to Iraq’s second century?

38. The USA in Vietnam, Kevin Ruane, Modern History Review, April 2003

“Why did the United States become involved in the Vietnam War?” is a question still being asked today. Kevin Ruane presents an answer with a survey of American foreign policy during the first two decades of the Cold War (1945–1965). He traces growing American commitments to contain communism in four consecutive presidential administrations. Gradually the commitments grew larger, ultimately leading to one-half million troops being sent to Vietnam during the Lyndon Johnson presidency.

39. The End of the Cold War: A Russian View, Vladimir Batyuk, History Today, April 1999

The arms reduction treaties of the 1980s paved the way for Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of perestroika and glasnost. The new policies marked a change of attitude from looking upon the West as an enemy to one of seeing the West as a potential partner in solving international problems. Moscow did not intervene in the “velvet revolutions” in Eastern and Central Europe. The Berlin Wall came down, Gorbachev acceded to German unification, and the cold war came to an end.

UNIT 6. Global Problems, Global Interdependence

40. Like Herrings in a Barrel, The Economist, December 31, 1999

In 1798 Thomas Malthus, at a time when the world’s population was close to one billion, predicted famine and pestilence as a result of future overpopulation. In 2006 the population will reach 6.5 billion. Fertility is slowing, however, and Earth’s population may stabilize in 2050.

41. The Weather Turns Wild, Nancy Shute, U.S. News & World Report, February 5, 2001

There is a growing scientific consensus about the warming of global climate. Although there is debate about its effects, it will likely result in a rise in sea levels, hotter cities, drought, flooding, and the dislocation of millions of people.

42. Bombs, Gas and Microbes: The Desperate Efforts to Block the Road to Doomsday, The Economist, June 6, 1998

It has become increasingly easy to assemble atomic bombs, poison gases, and deadly germs that might be used in warfare. The spread of these technologies seems impossible to stop, and the best protection for the world is to persuade countries to give up the quest for mass destruction for their own benefit.

43. 10 Million Orphans, Tom Masland and Rod Nordland, Newsweek, January 17, 2000

In sub-Saharan Africa about 6,000 people die every day from AIDS. This has resulted in an orphan crisis unmatched in size and scope in all the history of the world. Orphan children with AIDS are often abandoned and others are subject to malnutrition and exploitation.

44. In God’s Name: Genocide and Religion in the Twentieth Century, Stephen R. Haynes, Christian Century, February 27, 2002

Read a comparative analysis of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the Jewish Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II. Striking similarities appear, including the complicity of large numbers of Christians in each genocide. There is also a chilling conclusion: Rwanda proves that world leaders learned nothing from the Jewish Holocaust. Will future historians speak about the Rwandan genocide in the same way that contemporary historians speak about the Holocaust?

45. Terror in the Name of God, Mark Juergensmeyer, Current History, vol. 100, no. 649 (November 2001)

Terrorism today has a new face—not political but religious. Its tactics are also different—not assassinations but random acts of violence designed to strike fear into its enemies. And the presumption of being on the right side in a cosmic good v. evil battle provides justification for these actions.

46. Coping with Globalisation, Sharif M. Shuja, Contemporary Review, November 2001

Globalisation offers enhanced opportunities for the world’s nations. Free markets bring increased wealth and promote the rise of democracy. The new informational technology makes it all possible. But there is also a downside to globalisation. It has a tendency to help the have rather than the have not nations. Local considerations are given less weight than international ones. And sometimes ethical factors are overlooked. If globalisation is to be the panacea that it is claimed to be, it will have to address these problems and many others it has created.

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