The Middle East in the 20th Century

Course Overview

Course No. 8394

Understand the complex forces that shaped today’s Middle East through 24 illuminating lectures by Arabist Eamonn Gearon.

This course examines:

• The Ottoman Empire’s collapse and European mandates
• The birth of Israel and Arab nationalism
• Oil politics and Cold War tensions
• Revolutionary movements and conflicts
• The Arab Spring and ongoing challenges

Video Lectures

01: A Middle East Crossroads in the Year 1900 (28 min)

Explore the waning Ottoman Empire and forces setting the 20th century stage.

02: Constitutional Revolts in Persia and Turkey (30 min)

Analyze early reform movements in Iran and the Young Turks’ revolution.

03: World War I and the Ottoman Empire’s Fall (32 min)

Trace Britain’s contradictory promises and the postwar regional shakeup.

04: Egyptian Revolution and Turkish Independence (24 min)

Witness anti-British uprisings and Atatürk’s creation of modern Turkey.

05: Monarchies of the 20th-Century Middle East (26 min)

Study Saudi Arabia’s formation and how oil transformed regional power.

06: The Muslim Brotherhood and Its Founder (28 min)

Meet Hassan al-Banna and his pan-Islamist response to secularization.

07: World War II Fault Lines in the Middle East (32 min)

Assess battles like El Alamein and the war’s impact on local politics.

08: European Anti-Semitism and Israel’s Birth (31 min)

Follow Zionism from the Balfour Declaration to 1948 statehood.

09: How Nasser Transformed Egypt and the World (32 min)

Profile the charismatic leader who defined Arab nationalism.

10: The Suez Crisis and Cold War in the Desert (25 min)

See how Nasser played superpowers against each other in 1956.

11: The Algerian War of Independence (26 min)

Relive Algeria’s brutal 1954-1962 struggle against French rule.

12: Middle Eastern Armies and Coup D’états (27 min)

Analyze 20 successful military takeovers between 1949-1970.

13: The 1967 Arab-Israeli War and Its Aftermath (26 min)

Examine the Six-Day War and 1973 Yom Kippur War consequences.

14: The Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 (26 min)

Discover how OPEC used oil as political leverage globally.

15: Lebanon’s Civil War and Rise of Intolerance (27 min)

Track Beirut’s fall from “Paris of the Middle East” to warzone.

16: Terrorism, Islam, and Sayyid Qutb (22 min)

Re-examine roots of political violence and “Islamic terrorism” labels.

17: How 1979 Transformed Iran, Egypt, and Iraq (29 min)

Study the Iranian Revolution, Egypt-Israel peace, and Ba’athist purges.

18: The Iran-Iraq War and a Decade of Horrors (27 min)

Witness the devastating 1980-1988 conflict between regional rivals.

19: The First Gulf War in Kuwait (29 min)

Analyze Saddam’s invasion and the international response.

20: A Path through Oslo to Arab-Israeli Détente (24 min)

Assess the groundbreaking 1993 peace accords’ promise and limits.

21: US Invasion of Iraq and Its Consequences (25 min)

Trace 9/11’s aftermath through the 2003 Iraq War and occupation.

22: Are Democracy and Islam Compatible? (31 min)

Explore governance challenges from mandates to Arab Spring uprisings.

23: Taking Stock of Progress in the Middle East (23 min)

Evaluate social indicators like health, education and quality of life.

24: After the Arab Spring (32 min)

Reflect on 2011’s revolutionary wave and the region’s ongoing evolution.