This course gives a chronological overview of history from 1815 till today. The nineteenth century saw the rise of industrial societies and of the new political ideals of popular sovereignty (e.g. Marxism, socialism) and national self-determination. These forces continued to operate in the twentieth century, which was characterized by tremendous upheavals like the Russian Revolution, the two World Wars and the demise of communism in Eastern Europe. The course offers a survey of the main economic, political and cultural developments from 1815 to the present.

Are Native American tribes third world nations in a first world country? How do Native ways of knowing and being question and enrich Western epistemologies? Why, on a very windy day on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, did a Lakota Matriarch beseech UCR students to “be our smoke signals.” This course addresses these questions.

This history course explores the lives of ordinary people through the lens of gender from the 19th through the 21st centuries. The approach centers storytelling in cultural expressions and forms, ranging from spoken narratives to news publications, children’s storybooks, artwork, music, photography, film, podcasts, and TikTok. Topics include 19th century slavery, “The” 1950’s, Conversion ‘therapy’ in the 1970’s, New Queer Cinema in the 1990’s, childhood and older adulthood over time, and banned books today. Class members also contribute to telling stories about gender by engaging with the Walking With Pride Project. It features the stories of queer people and their allies and assumes that textiles are sites of storytelling.

This course is about great powers, superpowers and even hyperpowers. ‘Empire’ is a powerful and dangerous word. It has a rich and ambiguous history and strong polemical connotations now and in the past. The typical empire is usually presented as oppressive and ruthless, although some of the modern empires are democracies that focus upon the improvements of its society. This course deals with some of the most important empires in World History. Next to this some of the most important theories on empires will be treated. How is the rise and fall of empires explained? What are the sources of empire and how are great power politics conducted?

This course gives a chronological overview of the history of Warfare in the Western World from antiquity to the present day. All aspects of war on land, sea, and in the air are covered: weapons and technology; strategy and defense; discipline and intelligence; mercenaries and standing armies; cavalry and infantry; chivalry and Blitzkrieg; guerrilla assault and nuclear arsenals. The history of the West has centered around ferocious competition for mastery, in which the ruthless, innovative, and the decisive displaced the complacent, the imitative, and the irresolute.

This course guides students through the full arc of historical inquiry—from formulating compelling research questions to engaging critically with primary and secondary sources. Emphasizing methodological rigor and interdisciplinary thinking, the course prepares students to produce a substantial research paper.