Modern Middle East and Southwest Asia (saylor.org)

This course will introduce you to the history of the nations and peoples of the Middle East and Southwest Asia from 1919 to the present.You will learn about the major political, economic, and social changes that took place throughout the region during this 100-year period.This course will have a chronological structure.Each unit will include representative primary source documents that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes, such as the emergence of nationalist movements following World War I, European political and economic imperialism during the first half of the 20th century, the creation of the nation of Israel, regional economic development, and the impact of secular and religious trends on Middle Eastern society and culture during the second half of the 20th century.By the end of this course, you will understand how the countries of the region have overcome significant social, economic, and political problems as they have grown from weak former colonies into modern nation-states, and you will recognize the challenges that these nations currently face as they struggle with issues of economic development as well as social and political unrest.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Identify and explain major political, social and economic trends, events, and people in history of the Middle East and Southwest Asia from the beginning of the 20th century to the present.
Explain how the countries of the region have overcome significant social, economic, and political problems as they have grown from weak former colonies into modern nation-states.
Identify and explain the emergence of nationalist movements following World War I, European political and economic imperialism during the first half of the 20th century, the creation of the nation of Israel, regional economic development, and the impact of secular and religious trends on Middle Eastern society and culture during the second half of the 20th century.
Identify and explain the important economic, political, and social developments in the Middle East and Southwest Asia during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Analyze and interpret primary source documents from the 20th and 21st centuries that illustrate important overarching political, economic, and social themes.