The Modern World: Global History since 1760
by University of Virginia
This course material is only available in the iTunes U app on iPhone or iPad.
Course Description
This is a survey course in modern world history for students, beginning or advanced, who wish to better understand how the world got to be the way it is today. In order to understand modern history, a global perspective is essential. This is true whether you are interested in economics, warfare, philosophy, politics, or even pop culture. This course can therefore be essential for students in many fields, a base equipping them with tools for lifelong learning.
It is tempting to think that if we can just understand the big patterns, we don't have to get too caught up in the details. In this course, though, we care about chronology. We care about individuals. Without some careful attention to sequences of cause and effect, without tracing how big changes come from the choices made by particular people, history can turn into just a series of descriptions, a somewhat tiresome recitation of one thing after another. So beyond just offering a set of remarkable stories, this course offers you training in how to analyze a situation and how to think about problems of explaining change.
| Name | Description | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | History and Neorealism | Neorealists argue that nations operate on the basis of self-interest defined in terms of power. This book contends that while some leaders have egregiously expanded their power, others have sought less power than their comparative strength might have justified, raising hope for a world with less conflict. | -- | $28.99 | View in iTunes |
| 2 | Seeing Like a State | Compulsory ujamaa villages in Tanzania, collectivization in Russia, Le Corbusier’s urban planning theory realized in Brasilia, the Great Leap Forward in China, agricultural "modernization" in the Tropics—the twentieth century has been racked by grand utopian schemes that have inadvertently brought death and disruption to millions. Why do well-intentioned plans for improving the human condition go tragically awry? In this wide-ranging and original book, James C. Scott analyzes failed cases of large-scale authoritarian plans in a variety of fields. Centrally managed social plans misfire, Scott argues, when they impose schematic visions that do violence to complex interdependencies that are not—and cannot—be fully understood. Further, the success of designs for social organization depends upon the recognition that local, practical knowledge is as important as formal, epistemic knowledge. The author builds a persuasive case against "development theory" and imperialistic state planning that disregards the values, desires, and objections of its subjects. He identifies and discusses four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society by the state; a "high-modernist ideology" that places confidence in the ability of science to improve every aspect of human life; a willingness to use authoritarian state power to effect large- scale interventions; and a prostrate civil society that cannot effectively resist such plans. | -- | $28.99 | View in iTunes |
| 3 | The First World War | Hew Strachan's monumental account has been heralded as the definitive work on the First World War. His narrative, always readable and incisive, brings together an unparalleled range of material. Military and strategic perspectives are combined with those of cultural, diplomatic, economic, and social history. The viewpoints of Germany, England, and France are represented with equal clarity. The result is an account that breaks the bounds of national preoccupations to become both global and comparative. | -- | $30.99 | View in iTunes |
| 4 | The Sleepwalkers | One of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (History) The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 is historian Christopher Clark’s riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I. Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself, but on the complex events and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict. Clark traces the paths to war in a minute-by-minute, action-packed narrative that cuts between the key decision centers in Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Paris, London, and Belgrade, and examines the decades of history that informed the events of 1914 and details the mutual misunderstandings and unintended signals that drove the crisis forward in a few short weeks. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Christopher Clark’s The Sleepwalkers is a dramatic and authoritative chronicle of Europe’s descent into a war that tore the world apart. | -- | $8.99 | View in iTunes |
| 5 | The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor | "Readers cannot but be provoked and stimulated by this splendidly iconoclastic and refreshing book." —Andrew Porter, New York Times Book Review The Wealth and Poverty of Nations is David S. Landes's acclaimed, best-selling exploration of one of the most contentious and hotly debated questions of our time: Why do some nations achieve economic success while others remain mired in poverty? The answer, as Landes definitively illustrates, is a complex interplay of cultural mores and historical circumstance. Rich with anecdotal evidence, piercing analysis, and a truly astonishing range of erudition, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations is a "picture of enormous sweep and brilliant insight" (Kenneth Arrow) as well as one of the most audaciously ambitious works of history in decades. | -- | $14.99 | View in iTunes |
| 6 | The Empire Project | Magisterial global history of the rise and fall of the British Empire during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. John Darwin charts how the Empire was first strengthened, then weakened and finally severed on the rollercoaster of global economic, political and geostrategic upheaval on which it rode from beginning to end. | -- | $25.99 | View in iTunes |
| 7 | The Age of the Democratic Revolution | For the Western world, the period from 1760 to 1800 was the great revolutionary era in which the outlines of the modern democratic state came into being. Here for the first time in one volume is R. R. Palmer's magisterial account of this incendiary age. Palmer argues that the American, French, and Polish revolutions—and the movements for political change in Britain, Ireland, Holland, and elsewhere—were manifestations of similar political ideas, needs, and conflicts. Palmer traces the clash between an older form of society, marked by legalized social rank and hereditary or self-perpetuating elites, and a new form of society that placed a greater value on social mobility and legal equality. Featuring a new foreword by David Armitage, this Princeton Classics edition of The Age of the Democratic Revolution introduces a new generation of readers to this enduring work of political history. | -- | $24.99 | View in iTunes |
| 8 | May and Zelikow, Preface, Introduction and Excerpts (The Kennedy Tapes) | -- | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
| 9 | Zelikow, The Suicide of the East? | -- | -- | Free | View in iTunes |
| 10 | 14.7 The Global and the Local | -- | 24:30 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 11 | 14.6 Drift and Shock | -- | 25:06 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 12 | 14.5 The Muslim World | -- | 30:13 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 13 | 14.3 The Great Convergence | -- | 34:02 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 14 | 14.2 Toward a New Era in World History | -- | 14:47 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 15 | 14.1 The Washington Consensus | -- | 14:12 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 16 | 13.7 The End of the Cold War | -- | 27:31 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 17 | 13.6 New Thinking in the East | -- | 12:12 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 18 | 13.5 Global Capitalism Transformed | -- | 28:44 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 19 | 13.4 New Thinking in the West | -- | 22:33 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 20 | 13.3 Bust | -- | 11:33 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 21 | 13.2 The Weary Establishment | -- | 19:02 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 22 | 13.1 Breakdown and Reaction | -- | 26:33 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 23 | 12.9 Wars of Containment | -- | 25:54 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 24 | 12.8 To the Brink | -- | 29:05 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 25 | 12.7 The Third World | -- | 34:28 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 26 | 12.6 New Empires and Confederations | -- | 32:45 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 27 | 12.5 The Nuclear Revolution | -- | 13:35 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 28 | 12.4 The Shadow of World War III | -- | 15:02 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 29 | 12.3 Contemplating World War III | -- | 11:23 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 30 | 12.2 Choosing War in Korea | -- | 19:29 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 31 | 12.1 The Age of the Americans | -- | 19:37 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 32 | 11.8 Revolutionary Asia | -- | 18:09 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 33 | 11.7 Two Europes | -- | 14:55 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 34 | 11.6 Postwar | -- | 14:58 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 35 | 11.5 Imagining New Countries | -- | 19:52 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 36 | 11.4 Zero Hour | -- | 24:32 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 37 | 11.3 Strategies for Total War | -- | 19:23 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 38 | 11.2 Gambling for Victory | -- | 21:32 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 39 | 11.1 Choosing Global War | -- | 33:46 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 40 | 10.5 Triumph of the New Empires | -- | 20:49 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 41 | 10.4 New Wars for New Empires | -- | 20:07 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 42 | 10.3 Total Politics | -- | 20:40 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 43 | 10.2 Escapes from Freedom | -- | 24:55 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 44 | 10.1 Challenges to Capitalism and Collective Security | -- | 21:15 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 45 | 9.8 The World of 1930 | -- | 12:50 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 46 | 9.7 Modern Women | -- | 15:17 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 47 | 9.6 The Age of Uncertainty | -- | 17:59 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 48 | 9.5 Anti-Communism | -- | 21:59 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 49 | 9.4 Communism | -- | 19:18 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 50 | 9.3 The End of Empires? | -- | 16:34 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 51 | 9.2 Why Did the Allies Win? | -- | 14:24 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 52 | 9.1 Total States | -- | 11:53 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 53 | 8.6 On to Victory? | -- | 26:08 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 54 | 8.5 All the Plans Fail | -- | 13:21 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 55 | 8.4 The Shock of 1914-Second Cut | -- | 13:01 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 56 | 8.3 The Balkan Whirlpool | -- | 10:03 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 57 | 8.2 Schizophrenic Germany | -- | 11:36 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 58 | 8.1 The Shock of 1914 | -- | 8:43 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 59 | 7.8 The Big Picture | -- | 4:51 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 60 | 7.7 The Battles Begin | -- | 18:47 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 61 | 7.6 Battle Lines | -- | 12:56 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 62 | 7.5 Revolutionary Nation-States | -- | 11:35 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 63 | 7.4 Modern Nation-States | -- | 14:43 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 64 | 7.3 The Dynamo and the Virgin | -- | 13:12 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 65 | 7.2 Modern Capitalism | -- | 27:09 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 66 | 7.1 The Second Industrial Revolution | -- | 24:28 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 67 | 2.4 Liberty and Common Sense | -- | 5:59 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 68 | 2.1 The Diffusion of Authority | -- | 7:07 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 69 | 6.5 The Wave Breaks | -- | 13:56 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 70 | 6.4 China in the Balance | -- | 34:56 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 71 | 6.3 Varieties of Imperialism | -- | 19:10 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 72 | 6.2 Tipping Points | -- | 18:09 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 73 | 6.1 The Age of Imperialism | -- | 16:01 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 74 | 4.6 Breaking Open China and Japan | -- | 19:09 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 75 | 4.5 The Islamic World Adapts | -- | 13:49 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 76 | 5.5 Enemies of Liberalism | -- | 36:24 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 77 | 4.4 The New Situation | -- | 18:24 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 78 | 4.3 Harnessing the New Forces | -- | 7:47 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 79 | 5.4 A Liberal Rainbow | -- | 11:20 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 80 | 4.2 Engines, Electricity, Evolution | -- | 17:29 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 81 | 5.3 The Zenith of Liberalism | -- | 15:52 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 82 | 5.2 The Global and the Local | -- | 32:05 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 83 | 4.1 The Great Divergence-Why? | -- | 10:31 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 84 | 14.8 An Age of Transition | -- | 34:57 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 85 | 5.1 To Build a Nation | -- | 28:46 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 86 | 14.4 The Bottom Billion | -- | 15:14 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 87 | 3.1 Lucky Americans | -- | 21:43 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 88 | 3.2 Napoleonic Wars | -- | 13:01 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 89 | 3.3 The End of Spanish America | -- | 17:33 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 90 | 3.4 New Republics and Empires in the Americas | -- | 8:44 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 91 | 3.5 The Tipping Point-India | -- | 13:47 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 92 | 3.6 The World of 1830 | -- | 12:35 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 93 | 2.3 These United States | -- | 19:32 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 94 | 2.7 The World's Revolution | -- | 10:29 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 95 | 2.2 Democratic Revolutions | -- | 16:57 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 96 | 2.5 The French Revolution | -- | 15:23 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 97 | 2.6 The French Republic | -- | 11:50 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 98 | 1.1 The Study of History | -- | 5:48 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 99 | 1.2 The Great Divide | -- | 8:17 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 100 | 1.3 The Traditional and the Modern | -- | 7:04 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 101 | 1.4 The Great Divide-Why? | -- | 8:28 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 102 | 1.5 The World of 1760 | -- | 21:54 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 103 | 1.6 The Commercial Revolution | -- | 21:24 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 104 | 1.7 The Military Revolution | -- | 9:25 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 105 | 1.8 Introverts and Extroverts | -- | 7:57 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 106 | 1.9 The Fates of India and North America | -- | 10:52 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 106 Items |
Customer Reviews
Engaging Lecturer
Great course but all materials are not included. The videos stop in the middle of week 8, the middle of WWI. Someone forgot to post the remaining videos.
