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Modern History II, the Age of Imperialism

Code: 100346
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
History OB 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OP 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
David Martinez Fiol
Email :
david.martinez.fiol@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Oriol Luján Feliu
Miguel Angel Rio Morillas

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

None

Objectives

According to the Degree Programme in History, the course Contemporary World History II aims to provide students with the resources and tools necessary to acquire a solid understanding of the political, institutional, socio-economic, and cultural transformations that took place between the end of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune and the end of the Second World War, taking into account the various interpretations and historiographical debates that emerged and continue to emerge.

In the first part, the course will examine: the consolidation of unified liberal states on both sides of the Atlantic (from the unifications of Germany and Italy to the consolidation of the American states, as well as the Japanese case); imperial expansion and the cultural and political responses associated with what came to be internationally known as anti-imperialism; urban growth and the consequent emergence of mass politics, with its various ideological and labour-oriented expressions on both the right and the left. Within this context, particular attention will be paid to the rise of women’s political and intellectual movements. Finally, the Great War will be analysed as the violent expression and global extension of mass politics, which many contemporaries regarded as the true revolution that would change the world.

In the second part, the course will explore the failure of the international system that emerged from the peace treaties of 1919–1923 and the widespread disillusionment that followed across the globe. Special attention will also be devoted to the political development of Asia and the Americas as a whole. In this regard, it will be important to examine the popularisation of revolutionary nationalist movements as a response to the crisis of liberal states and the consequences of the end of the Great War. This process was accompanied by the emergence of fascist movements, populisms, and revolutionary experiences of different kinds, such as those in Mexico and Russia.

The interwar context will be complemented by an analysis of the culture and economy of the “Roaring Twenties,” the Great Depression, the political, diplomatic, and military crises of the 1930s, and the Second World War. Throughout the course, the traditional focus on European dynamics will be nuanced by consideration of historical developments in extra-European regions, including the United States, Latin America, China, Japan, and others.

Learning outcomes

  1. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  2. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  3. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
  4. Solving problems autonomously.
  5. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  6. Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
  7. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  8. Working in teams respecting the other's points of view.
  9. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  10. Recognising diversity and multiculturalism.
  11. Identifying the social, economic and political structures of the contemporary world.
  12. Using the specific work methods of Contemporary History.
  13. Recognising the historical processes that led to the contemporary society.
  14. Assessing the contribution of movements like feminism, environmentalism or various identity movements.
  15. Demonstrating good writing skills in different contexts.
  16. Work in teams respecting all points of view. Use the specific vocabulary of history correctly.
  17. Demonstrate the capacity to continue working in the future autonomously gaining a deeper understanding of the knowledge acquired or embarking on new areas of knowledge.
  18. Present works in formats tailored to the needs and personal styles, both individual and small group.
  19. Properly using the specific vocabulary of History.
  20. Using computing resources of the area of study of history.
  21. Critically evaluate the impacts of globalisation in different areas: security, environment, human rights, migrations and peace.
  22. Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  23. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  24. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  25. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  26. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
  27. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  28. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  29. Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  30. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  31. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  32. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  33. Critically summarise the different historiographical explanation for the rise of political regimes in the Contemporary Era.
  34. Producing and preparing presentations of reports and intervention proposals.
  35. Working autonomously.
  36. Designing data collection techniques, coordinating the information processing and meticulously applying hypothesis verification methods.
  37. Explaining political, individual and collective attitudes and behaviours, as well as the education process and expression of political preferences.
  38. Identifying and distinguishing the functioning of the electoral processes.
  39. Use the working methods of the field of contemporary history.
  40. Use different theoretical contributions on actors and networks of actors as well as the characteristics of collective action.
  41. Identify the main actors in the political system, examine their interactions and evaluate their behaviour in their environment and in the political system from a theoretical and applied perspective.
  42. Critically analysing and assessing the emergence of liberalism.
  43. Critically analysing and assessing the appearance of the inter-war fascisms and the reconstruction of the liberal democrat thought after WW II.
  44. Critically analysing and assessing the alternatives to liberalism.
  45. Arguing about the rebirth of republicanism.
  46. Arguing about the contrast between communitarianism and libertarianism.
  47. Describe the emergence of the State in the modern sense and explaining the theoretical contributions of Machiavelli, Bodino, Hobbes.
  48. Decribe and comment evaluatively on new proposals for demoliberal thought, such as its individualist basis or the neutrality of institutional designs.
  49. Explaining the impact of the emergence of Christianity on the political thought.
  50. Explaining the contribution of John Rawls and the distributive justice, and assessing its impact on the debate of contemporary politic theory.
  51. Explaining the several approaches of the socialist tradition, specially the 1917 breakup and the emergence of communism.
  52. Exposing key elements of political thought in the Graeco-Roman past: the individual and the community from Socrates to Aristotle.
  53. Identifying and connecting main contemporary political theories, interpreting classical and current political texts, and arguing from different theoretical positions.
  54. Managing contemporary political theories and understanding its analytical value in internal or international concrete cases.
  55. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.

Contents

  1. THE CONSOLIDATION OF LIBERAL STATES SINCE 1870. POSSIBLE CASE STUDIES: THE KAISERREICH, THE FRENCH THIRD REPUBLIC, THE ANGLOPHONE WORLD AT THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN JAPAN, AND THE AMERICAN STATES.
  2. RESISTANCE, MODERNITY, CULTURE, AND IMAGE IN THE AGE OF IMPERIAL NATION-STATES: URBAN GROWTH, FIN-DE-SIÈCLE AVANT-GARDES, DECADENTISM, AND SOCIAL DARWINISM.
  3. IMPERIAL NATION-STATES AND THE PARTITION OF THE WORLD: THE IDEA OF EMPIRE AND OF THE IMPERIAL NATION AT THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. ANTI-IMPERIALIST RESPONSES.
  4. THE MYTHS AND COUNTER-MYTHS OF THE LABOUR MOVEMENT: FEDERATION, PARLIAMENTARISM, REVOLUTIONARY TRADE UNIONISM, PROPAGANDA OF THE DEED, AND SOCIAL CATHOLICISM.
  5. REGENERATIONISMS, PROGRESSIVISM, AND DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS (1900–1914). THE MASSES BETWEEN THE STREETS, THE BALLOT BOX, AND INSURRECTIONALISM (GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, RUSSIA, MEXICO, SALONICA, CHINA).
  6. WAR AGAINST WAR? THE AMBIVALENT POLITICAL AND MILITARY FRAMEWORK OF THE GREAT WAR OR EUROPEAN WAR.
  7. THE SECOND REVOLUTIONARY WAVE: IRELAND, RUSSIA, GREECE, GERMANY, AND AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. THE ROAD TO THE ARMISTICE (1916–1918).
  8. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW WORLD ORDER: THE BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR AND THE ATOMIC AGE.
  9. THE PEACE TREATIES (1919–1923): ANTI-BOLSHEVISM, DEMOCRACY?, ETHNICITY, NATIONALISM, AND THE RENEWED IMPERIALISM OF FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN.
  10. THE ENDLESS WAR: REVOLUTIONS (ASIA, EUROPE, AND AMERICA) AND POSTWAR CIVIL WARS.
  11. THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS: A NEW PARTITION OF THE WORLD AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CULTURE OF REVOLUTIONARY ANTI-IMPERIALISM IN ASIA, AFRICA, AND AMERICA.
  12. AN AGE OF CONSTITUTIONS: LIBERALISM, DEMO-LIBERALISM, AUTHORITARIANISM, CORPORATISM, BOLSHEVISM, MONARCHY OR REPUBLIC.
  13. THE ERA OF REVOLUTIONARY NATIONALISMS: FROM FASCISM TO COMMUNISM THROUGH POPULISMS AND POPULAR FRONTS.
  14. STATISM AND PLANNERS: THE ROLE OF THE STATE BETWEEN THE “ROARING TWENTIES” AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
  15. IMPERIALISMS ALTERNATIVE TO FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN: NAZI GERMANY, FASCIST ITALY, AND THE JAPANESE EMPIRE.
  16. AN IMPOSSIBLE PEACE? THE SECOND WORLD WAR: THE GENOCIDAL MOMENT AND THE CHALLENGE TO THE FRENCH AND BRITISH EMPIRES.
  17. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW WORLD ORDER: THE BEGINNING OF THE COLD WAR AND THE ATOMIC AGE.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Search of bibliography and other materials for the realization of the different tasks 5 0.2 2, 3, 4, 9, 12
Classroom practices 8 0.32 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Theory classes 37 1.48 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13
Reading historiographic texts and working with diverse documentary material; search for information, and its organization and exploitation; study of the contents of the subject; preparation of a written assignment, perhaps in a group. 95 3.8 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13

The directed activities consist of theoretical classes and classroom practices. The organized activities in the classroom encourage the participation of the students. These activities may include work on texts, graphics and visual materials, as well as debates and discussion on readings.

The autonomous activities mainly consist in reading historiographic texts and working on various materials, searching for bibliographic information and other documentation, organizing the information collected, studying the contents of the subject and, in the case of carrying out a group task, the discussion about its content and organization with classmates.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Written exams (2) 70% (35% + 35%) 3 0.12 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 53, 54
Various activities such as, among others possible, practical exercises in the classroom, questionnaire on facts and concepts, oral tests, public group presentations... 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT


A. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ASSESSMENT


1.- The final grade for the course will be based on the following assessment activities:


a) 70% from two examinations (35% + 35%) covering the material explained in class and the required readings: Each exam accounts for 35% of the final grade.

b) 30% from various activities (map analyses, texts, course readings, assignments, essays, oral assessments or public presentations, reviews, or summaries) carried out during class throughout the semester. During the first session of the course, students will be informed about the specific activities that will constitute the assessment evidence.


2.- Assessment will take into account the knowledge acquired, mastery of the concepts and vocabulary specific to the discipline and subject matter studied, as well as the maturity, structure, and formal correctness of written texts produced in examinations, practical exercises, and assignments. In the case of oral presentations, assessment will consider fluency of speech, relevance to the topic presented, structure of the presentation, materials used, appropriate time management, etc.


3.- The dates of in-class assessment activities and, where applicable, assignment submission deadlines will be communicated to students sufficiently in advance. At the time each assessment activity is completed or submitted, the instructor will provide information regarding the grading review procedure and schedule.


4.- The assessment schedule may not be modified except for exceptional and duly justified reasons.


5.- In cases of documented chronic or acute illness, students are entitled to a postponement within the limits permitted by the academic calendar. Requests for changes in date or time must be submitted at least seven days in advance and accompanied by the relevant supporting documentation. In cases of unforeseen force majeure, regulations allow the request to be submitted after the scheduled examination date, provided that supporting documentation is presented within a maximum of three working days. Such situations include, for example, the birth or adoption of a child, or the death of a partner or a relative up to the second degree. In cases of illness or other circumstances, the documentation must clearly demonstrate that the student was unable to take the examination at the scheduled date and time. The instructor reserves the right to consider circumstances beyond those listed above.


6.- Erasmus and exchange students who need to leave before the scheduled assessment dates must provide official documentation from their home university addressed to the Degree Programme Exchange Coordinator, certifying a scheduling necessity (overlap with academic activities at the home institution).


7.- Additionally, Erasmus and exchange students requesting an earlier examination date must submit to the instructor written documentation from their home university justifying the request.


8.- For all in-class assessments, students enrolled in the PIUNE programme are granted an additional 30 minutes to complete their assessment activities. They may also use any supplementary resources (such as specialized computers, among others) deemed necessary by PIUNE programme professionals.



B. REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSING THE COURSE


1.- The course is passed with a minimum overall grade of 5 out of 10, calculated from all assessment activities completed, provided that at least one of the two examinations has been passed.


2.- Submission and completion of all assessment activities are mandatory in order to pass the course.


3.- Any irregularity committed by a student during an assessment activity (copying, plagiarism, etc.) will result in a grade of zero for that specific assessment component, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may follow. Multiple irregularities committed throughout the course will result in an overall course grade of zero.


4.- The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted at any stage of this course. Any assignment containing AI-generated content will be considered a breach of academic integrity and will receive a grade of zero without the possibility of reassessment, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.



C. REASSESSMENT


1.- To be eligible for reassessment, students must have obtained a minimum overall grade of 3.5 out of 10 in the sum of all continuous assessment activities and must not have failed both examinations with grades below 3 out of 10.


2.- Reassessment will consist of a comprehensive examination covering the entire course content and will take place on the official dates established by the Faculty. Under no circumstances may reassessment be used to improve the grade of students who have already passed the course through the normal continuous assessment process. The highest grade obtainable through reassessment is 5.0 (Pass).


3.- A student will receive the grade “Not Assessed” if they have completed less than 30% of the assessment activities.



SINGLE ASSESSMENT


1.- Students who choose the single assessment option must demonstrate that they have acquired the same competencies as students following the continuous assessment system.


2.- It is important to note that choosing the single assessment option does not exempt students from attending classes.


3.- Single assessment will take place on a single date, which may coincide with dates reserved for continuous assessment activities.


4.- It will consist of a written examination worth 70% of the final grade and one or more additional activities worth 30% of the final grade. These may include, among other possibilities, an oral examination, a questionnaire containing factual and/or conceptual questions, a commentary on texts, maps, electoral results, or other materials, or a thematic presentation.


5.- Completion of all assessment activities required by the instructor is mandatory in order to pass the course.


6.- The course is passed with a minimum overall grade of 5 out of 10 based on the sum of all assessment activities completed, provided that the examination grade is not below 3 out of 10.


7.- Students who fail the single assessment will take the reassessment examination on the same date assigned to students in the continuous assessment system. On that date, students must retake all failed components (the examination and any alternative practical activities).


8.- To be eligible for reassessment, students must have obtained a minimum overall grade of 3.5 out of 10 from all completed assessment activities.


9.- A student will receive the grade “Not Assessed” if they have completed less than 30% of the assessment activities.


10.- For all in-class assessments, students enrolled in the PIUNE programme are granted an additional 30 minutes to complete their assessment activities. They may also use any supplementary resources (such as specialized computers, among others) deemed necessary by PIUNE programme professionals.




Bibliography

GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY


David ALEGRE, Miguel ALONSO & Javier RODRIGO (coords.), Europa desgarrada. Guerra, ocupación y violencia, 1900-1950. Zaragoza, Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza, 2018.


Derek ALDCROFT, Historia de la economía europea, 1914-2000. Barcelona, Crítica, 2003.


W. G. BEASLEY, Historia contemporánea de Japón, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 1995.


Philipp BLOM, Años de vértigo. Cultura y cambio en Occidente, 1900-1914. Barcelona, Anagrama, 2010.


Aurora BOSCH, Historia de Estados Unidos 1776-1945. Barcelona, Crítica, 2010.


Joanna BOURKE, La Segunda Guerra Mundial. Una historia de las víctimas. Barcelona, Paidós, 2002.


Hernán CAMARERO, Víctor JEIFETS, Manuel LOYOLA (Coords.), Lenin y el leninismo en América Latina, Santiago de Chile, Ariadna Ediciones, 2025.


Marcello CARMAGNANI, Estado y sociedad en América Latina, 1850-1930, Barcelona, Crítica, 1984.


Patrizia DOGLIANI, El fascismo de los italianos. Una historia social. València, Publicacions de la Universitat de València, 2017.


D. K. FIELDHOUSE, Western Imperialism in the Middle East 1914–1958, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006.


Ferran GALLEGO, De Múnich a Auschwitz. Una historia del nazismo, 1919-1945, Barcelona, Plaza Janés, 2001.


Emilio GENTILE, Fascismo. Historia e interpretación, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 2004.


Eric HOBSBAWM, La era del Imperio (1875-1914), Barcelona, Labor, 1990.


Ian KERSHAW, Descenso a los infiernos. Europa 1914-1949. Barcelona, Crítica, 2016.


Margaret MCMILLAN, 1914. De la paz a la guerra. Barcelona, Turner, 2013


Moshe LEWIN, El siglo soviético, Barcelona, Crítica, 2006.


María Jesús MATILLA QUIZA, Sufragismo y feminismo en América y Europa (1789-1948). Madrid, Síntesis, 2018.


Francisco MORENTE & Javier RODRIGO (eds.), Tierras de nadie. La Primera Guerra Mundial y sus consecuencias. Granada, Comares, 2014.


R[obert] A[lexander] C[larke] Parker, Historia de la segunda guerra mundial. Zaragoza, Prensas Universitarias de Zaragoza, 1998.


Josep PICH MITJANA, David MARTÍNEZ FIOL & Jordi SABATER (eds.), La paz intranquila. Los tratados de paz de la guerra que no acabó con todas las guerras (1918-1923), Barcelona, edicions bellaterra, 2020.


Stefan RINKE, América Latina y la Primera Guerra Mundial. Una historia global, México, Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2019.


David STEVENSON, 1914-1918:Historia de la Primera GuerraMundial. Barcelona, Debate, 2013.


Norman STONE, La Europa transformada, 1878-1919. Madrid, 2019.


Adam TOOZE, El diluvio. La Gran Guerra y la reconstrucción del orden mundial (1916-1931). Barcelona, Crítica, 2016.


Enzo TRAVERSO, A sangre y fuego. De la guerra civil europea (1914-1945), Valencia, PUV, 2009.


Francisco VEIGA, Pablo MARTÍN & Juan SÁNCHEZ MONROE, Entre dos octubres. Revoluciones y contrarrevoluciones en Rusia (1905-1917) y guerra civil en Eurasia, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 2017.


Henri L. WESSELING, Divide y vencerás. El reparto de África (1880-1914), Barcelona, Península, 1999.


Peter ZARROW, China in War and Revolution, 1895–1949, London and New York, Routledge, 2005.


The specific bibliography on each subject will be provided throughout the course. Compulsory readings will be communicated at the beginning of the course.

Software

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Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed