Descriptif

The course will examine America’s policy in the “greater Middle East” during the Cold War and in the post-Cold War period, from 1945 until the end of the George W. Bush administration (2009). In order to understand the objectives that defined American strategy in the region, particular attention will be devoted to the notion of Western “oil dependence” in economic, social, and cultural terms. In order to understand the local, regional context in which this strategy was applied, we will seek to gain a better understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and of Arab and Persian nationalism. Together, we will analyze primary sources covering the major turning points of postwar Middle Eastern history. The objective of this course is to let students construct their own historical knowledge based on the analysis of primary sources. In this sense, this is not just an introduction to the history of American Middle East policy: it is also an introduction to the work of a historian. Because the past is never really past, students will also be encouraged to draw connections between these historical themes and more contemporary issues.