All Courses
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The Unification of Italy, 1796-1871
In this course, Dr Marcella Sutcliffe (University of Cambridge) explores Italy's unification movement, starting with Napoleon’s invasion of Italy in the late 1790s, and ending with the unification of Italy in 1861. As we move through the course, we think about the impact of Napoleon’s reforms on Italy; the extent to which these reforms were reversed following the Congress of... Read more
The USA and Japan, 1941-52
In this course, we explore the relationship between the United States and Japan between the attack on Pearl Harbour to the San Francisco Peace Conference and the end of US occupation of Japan. In six modules, we explore the relationship between the two countries up to 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbour and the Pacific War, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the beginnings... Read more
The US Civil Rights Movement, c. 1945-70
In this course, Dr Tom Davies (University of Sussex) focuses on the struggle for civil rights in the United States from the late 1940s to the 1960s. The course begins with an introduction to race relations in the United States, before focusing more closely on the struggle for civil rights from the late 1940s to mid 1950s. In the third module, we turn to the grassroots... Read more
The Vietnam War, 1945-75
In this course, Dr Patrick Hagopian (University of Lancaster) explores the history of the Vietnam War, from Ho Chi Minh's Proclamation of Independence in September 1945 to the Fall of Saigon at the end of April 1975. In the first module, we attempt to explain why the United States was interested in Vietnam at all. After that, we consider the period between 1956-63, when the... Read more
The Wars of the Roses, c. 1450-1525
In this course, Professor Michael Hicks (University of Winchester) explores the Wars of the Roses, c. 1450 – c. 1525. In the first module, we explore the English system of government in the late Medieval period, focusing in particular on the relationship of the king to his nobles, and the breakdown of these political norms in the 1450s. After that, in the second module, we... Read more
The Weimar Republic, 1918-33
In this course, Professor Benjamin Ziemann explores the Weimar Republic, the system of government that replaced the German Empire in 1919. In the first module, we think about the beginning of the Weimar Republic, before moving on to consider political fragmentation in the German state. In the fourth and fifth modules, we turn to two groups that were overwhelmingly important... Read more
The Westward Expansion of the United States, 1803-90
In this course, Dr Kevin Waite (University of Durham) explores the westward expansion of the United States in period 1803-90. After a broad introduction to the period in which we outline some of the factors that contributed to this westward movement, we think about the foundation of the American state in the late 18th century and the initial attempts at expansion,... Read more
The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, 1500-1700
In this course, Robin Briggs (University of Oxford) explores the witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, looking in particular at Germany, England, Salem and the Duchy of Lorraine. As we move through the course, we think about the nature of the witch craze, its causes and its impact, as well as the similarities and differences between each of the four regions. Read more
Thucydides
In this course, Professor Neville Morley (University of Bristol) explores Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War, focusing on the key episodes in the text and thinking in particular about some of the historiographical issues that modern historians face when reading Thucydides. As we move through the course, we think about the opening paragraphs of Thucydides’ history... Read more
Tragedy: A Complete History
In this course, Professor John Lennard explores the history of tragedy from its origins in ancient Athens to the present day. In the first three modules, we think about the tragedy of Classical Athens, looking in particular at the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, before turning in the fourth module to Roman tragedy and Seneca the Younger. In the fifth module, we... Read more
US Civil Rights, 1865-1941
In this course, Professor Robert Cook explores the development of African-American civil rights from the end of the American Civil War (1865) to the United States' entry into World War II (1941). After a brief introduction that provides an overview of the whole course, we begin by exploring the changing fortunes of African-Americans in the Reconstruction Era (1865-77), and... Read more
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is the belief that the right action is the one that maximises happiness. The philosophy theory has its origins in the hedonism of Aristippus and Epicurus, though reached its most well-known form in the writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. The more sophisticated account was that of Mill, who introduced the ideas of ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ pleasures, as... Read more