HI 265: History of Modern China

An exploration of the main political and cultural themes in the history of modem China from the late Ming Dynasty to the present day. Topics will include exploring the notion of modernity; the fall of the Ming and Qing Dynasties; the Western imperialist challenge; nationalism; the development of communism; the Second World War and Civil War; the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution; and, after Mao’s death, the economic liberalization of the economy. Concludes with an examination of China in the years after Tiananmen Square.