Colonization & Decolonization inNorth Africa and The Middle East (HIS 5325)
Term: 2010-2011 Fall Semester
Description
The course will examine the various experiences with colonization and decolonization processes in the North Africa and Middle East region from a
comparative perspective. Starting with Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt in 1798, case studies will present the different patterns of direct French rule in North Africa and Britain's "informal Empire" in the Middle East. Also, the role of the Ottoman Empire as a colonizing power shall be taken into account. Furthermore, the course will compare the motivations and strategies of national liberation movements in different parts of the region, contrasting secular and religious ideologies with the pragmatic and charismatic uses of power by military leaders as the dominant agents of decolonization.