About this course: This course will discuss the developments in the Middle East from the early 20th century to the present. It will discuss the rise and retreat of Arab nationalism, the problems of internal cohesion of the Arab states, issues of religion and state, and the evolution of Islamist politics. It will also focus on the evolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and its impact on the region and will conclude with an in depth analysis of the “Arab Spring” by placing these contemporary revolutionary events in their historical context. Please note that this course builds upon a previous course - The Emergence of the Modern Middle East - Part I Learn about the history of the Middle East for a deeper understanding of current regional developments!
Created by: Tel Aviv University
Taught by: Professor Asher Susser, Senior Research Fellow
Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
| Commitment | 3-4 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Spanish, Hebrew |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
WEEK 1
Independence and revolutionary politics in the Arab world
14 videos, 2 readings
- Video: V. Arab Independence and Revolution
- Video: 5.1.1 Egypt: Crisis and Revolution - Part 1
- Video: 5.1.2 Egypt: Crisis and Revolution - Part 2
- Video: 5.2.1 Iraq from the Overthrow of the Hashemites to Saddam Hussein - Part 1
- Video: 5.2.2 Iraq from the Overthrow of the Hashemites to Saddam Hussein - Part 2
- Video: 5.3.1 Syria's Prolonged Instability - Part 1
- Video: 5.3.2 Syria's Prolonged Instability - Part 2
- Video: 5.4.1 Lebanon's Civil Wars - Part 1
- Video: 5.4.2 Lebanon's Civil Wars - Part 2
- Video: 5.5. The Surprising Stability of the Arab Monarchies
- Video: 5.5.1.1 The Surprising Stability of the Arab Monarchies: Jordan - Part 1
- Video: 5.5.1.2 The Surprising Stability of the Arab Monarchies: Jordan - Part 2
- Video: 5.5.2 The Surprising Stability of the Arab Monarchies: Saudi Arabia
- Video: 5.6 The Arab Cold War
- Reading: Suggested Readings
- Reading: Lecture Transcript
WEEK 2
WEEK 2
The beginnings of the Arab-Israeli conflict
15 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 6.1 Introduction: Contexts and Discourse
- Video: 6.2 Early Zionism
- Video: 6.3.1 Initial Arab Resistance - Part 1
- Video: 6.3.2 Initial Arab Resistance - Part 2
- Video: 6.4.1 The Arab Rebellion and the Jewish Response - Part 1
- Video: 6.4.2 The Arab Rebellion and the Jewish Response - Part 2
- Video: 6.4.3 The Arab Rebellion and the Jewish Response - Part 3
- Video: 6.5 The Impact of World War II
- Video: 6.6 The Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry
- Video: 6.7.1 Partition and the First Phase of War - Part 1
- Video: 6.7.2 Partition and the First Phase of War - Part 2
- Video: 6.8 The Second Phase of the 1948 War
- Video: 6.9.1 The Narratives of the 1948 War - Part 1
- Video: 6.9.2 The Narratives of the 1948 War - Part 2
- Video: 6.9.3 The Narratives of the 1948 War - Part 3
- Reading: Suggested Readings
- Reading: Lecture Transcript
WEEK 3
WEEK 3
The escalation and de-escalation of the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1948 to 1973
11 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 7.1.1 From 1949 to the Suez War - Part 1
- Video: 7.1.2 From 1949 to the Suez War - Part 2
- Video: 7.1.3 From 1949 to the Suez War - Part 3
- Video: 7.2.1 The Revival of the Palestinian Identity - Part 1
- Video: 7.2.2 The Revival of the Palestinian Identity - Part 2
- Video: 7.3.1 The Deterioration to War in 1967 - Part 1
- Video: 7.3.2 The Deterioration to War in 1967 - Part 2
- Video: 7.3.3 The Deterioration to War in 1967 - Part 3
- Video: 7.4 The Palestinian Struggle from Jordan
- Video: 7.5 Black September
- Video: 7.6 The War of Attrition, 1968-70
- Reading: Suggested Readings
- Reading: Lecture Transcript
Graded: Week 3 Quiz
WEEK 4
WEEK 4
The escalation and de-escalation of the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1973 to the present
13 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 8.1.1 The October Surprise - Part 1
- Video: 8.1.2 The October Surprise - Part 2
- Video: 8.2.1 The Egyptian-Israeli Peace - Part 1
- Video: 8.2.2 The Egyptian-Israeli Peace - Part 2
- Video: 8.3 The PLO and the 1982 War in Lebanon
- Video: 8.4.1 The First Palestinian Intifada - Part 1
- Video: 8.4.2 The First Palestinian Intifada - Part 2
- Video: 8.5.1 The Oslo Accords - Part 1
- Video: 8.5.2 The Oslo Accords - Part 2
- Video: 8.6 The Jordanian-Israeli Peace
- Video: 8.7.1 Camp David, 2000 - Part 1
- Video: 8.7.2 Camp David, 2000 - Part 2
- Video: 8.8 Unilateral Disengagement and Further Negotiations
- Reading: Suggested Readings
- Reading: Lecture Transcript
WEEK 5
WEEK 5
The Middle East from 1967 to the present including the Arab Spring
14 videos, 2 readings
- Video: 9.1.1 The Post-1967 Middle East: The Victory of State Interest - Part 1
- Video: 9.1.2 The Post-1967 Middle East: The Victory of State Interest - Part 2
- Video: 9.2 The Islamic Revival
- Video: 9.2.1.1 The Islamic Revival in Egypt, Syria and Iraq - Part 1
- Video: 9.2.1.2 The Islamic Revival in Egypt, Syria and Iraq - Part 2
- Video: 9.2.2 The Examples of Jordan, Algeria and the Palestinians
- Video: 9.3.1.1 The "Arab Spring": Modernity and Tradition - Part 1
- Video: 9.3.1.2 The "Arab Spring": Modernity and Tradition - Part 2
- Video: 9.3.2.1 The "Arab Spring": Egypt and Tunisia - Part 1
- Video: 9.3.2.2 The "Arab Spring": Syria, Jordan, Yemen and Libya - Part 2
- Video: 9.4.1 The Non-Arab Countries - The Republic of Turkey : From WWII to the Present
- Video: 9.4.2.1 The Non-Arab Countries - Iran: From the Pahlavi Dynasty to the Islamic Republic - Part 1
- Video: 9.4.2.2 The Non-Arab Countries - Iran: From the Pahlavi Dynasty to the Islamic Republic - Part 2
- Video: 9.5 Concluding Overview
- Reading: Suggested Readings
- Reading: Lecture Transcript
Graded: Final Test
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Tel Aviv University (TAU) is Israel's largest institution of higher learning – with over 30,000 students and more than 125 schools and departments in nine faculties. Global in outlook and impact, it is consistently ranked among the world's top 100 universities, as well as the top 20 institutions in terms of scientific citations. A spirit of openness and innovation is evident in all of TAU's teaching and research activities, breaking down barriers between disciplines, and boldly striving to address the twenty-first century's most pressing challenges.
Ratings and Reviews
Very good overview of the Middle East, thank you
Wonderfully informative and detailed. Fascinating topic.
Highly recommended!
Un excelente recuento de la historia moderna de Medio Oriente
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KC
This course explained more about the Middle East than I had ever known in my life. I never understood the conflicts in that region, or why there was so much strife, but this class explained that perfectly. I wish this had been taught in school for me, I would have felt so much better informed.