International History

History explores how societies have changed over time to make our contemporary world. For this reason, knowledge of the past is crucial to understanding the present—and to thinking about the future. Because it deals with the ways the world has become increasingly integrated during recent centuries, International history offers a crucial contribution to the comprehension of the societies we live in. Accordingly, the purpose of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of the main political and economic processes that have featured international history since late 19th century to present. In this span of time, 4 main powerful trends emerged: a clear trend towards globalization, strengthen by closer interdependence between communities and the related set up of permanent international (governmental) organizations and NGO; the role of political ideologies in shaping the century (from communism to political Islam; · a steady loss of power of the “Old continent” - Europe was gradually eclipsed, especially after WWII (rise of USA and USSR as "superpowers" and decolonization); the tendency on the one hand, to descend into conflict fed by ideology, religion, nationalism and, on the other hand, the tendency to advances in technology and institutional administration.