Syllabus

Prof. Susan I. Horowitz

shorowitz@sva.edu

History of Ideas 11: the 20th Century-HHD 3012R &R1

Objectives: This course will introduce students to and focus on the social, political and
economic background of the 20th century. Topics include: World war 11,the cold war,
the turbulent 1960’s, the civil rights movement, Cuban Missile Crises, Vietnam,
Watergate, Irangate and the third world. The course will also examine the ideas of Hitler,
Mao, Martin Luther King, Jr.; and the issues behind McCarthyism, totalitarianism,
socialism, capitalism and communism. This class gives students an understanding of past
historical events and the worlds we live in today. Emphasis is placed on critical reading
of world wide historical events

Attendance Policy: More than three absences will result in withdrawal from the course
unless pre-approved by the instructor and a doctor’s note.

Grades: Grades for the course will be based on two exams which count 50% each to the
basic grade of the course.

Writing Assignments: There will be a short essay required, (2 to 3 pages) on a relevant

topic from the course.

Course Requirements: Assigned readings from History of US, All The People, Book 10
Since 1945- 5th Edition by Joy Hakim as well as current news articles and films as
appropriate to the topic.

l. Global Economic Crisis and Restructuring of the Social and Political Order
a. Socialism and Communism
b. The role of artists in political and social movements, Abstract Art
Read- Chapter- Preface, page 9-12
2.World War II: The Final Crisis of European Global Dominance
a. The dropping of the Atomic Bomb/Hydrogen Bomb Manhattan Project
b. Re-drawing the map of Europe- The Yalta Conference
Reading, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, NATO, Warsaw Pact, BI-Polar World,
Arms Race
Chapter 1, 5

3. From Cold War to the Global Marketplace: International Relations since

1945
 a. The Cold War, Domino Theory, Military Industrial Complex, IMF, World Bank,
United Nations
b. Korean war
c. The Vietnam War
d. Berlin Wall
Reading- Chapter-3, 4, 9, 7, 10, 11, 27
4.The United States and Western Europe in the Post-War Decades
a. McCarthy Period
b. The 1960’s
c. CIA and Abstract Art- Pollack, De kooning, Motherwell
d. The Cuban Missile Crises
e. Fall of the Berlin Wall, End of the Cold War, Multi-polar world
Read- Chapter 7,8,17,18,21,22,23,27,28, 32,35,36,38,

5. The Break-up of the Soviet Union

a. Iraq War
b. Rise of religious movements
c. Afghanistan War
Read- Chapter 40, 44, 45, 49, 51,43, 54

Student with Disabilities: In order to receive academic accommodations due to a

disability, a student must first register with the Disability Resources Office. Once
approved for accommodations, students must provide the instructor with an official
Accommodation Letter. Instructors are not obligated to provide accommodations without
first receiving this official letter. All instructors are required to adhere to SVA's policies
regarding accommodations for students with disabilities. Students who have a need for
academic accommodations, or suspect they may have a disability, should contact the
Disability Resources office by telephone: (212) 592-2396, or email:
disabilityresources@sva.edu.

Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Students found to have committed
an act of academic dishonesty will fail the assignment for which an infraction is suspected and
substantiated. More serious violations will be handled through the process enumerated in the SVA
Handbook (p.8). Put simply, make sure your work is your own.