We have been studying the process of modernization in the Middle East and the emergence of new states as a result of this process. At the end of WWII, new states emerged in the Middle East (Turkey, Iraq, Transjordan, Saudi Arabia) and older ones were radically restructured (Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran). Choosing two of these states, write a paper that compares and contrasts the process of state-formation and modernization within your two selected states. Chronologically, begin with the immediate post-WWI period and in the early 2000s.
You should include the following considerations in your paper:
- How were your two states declared/formed immediately after WWI?
- What ideologies (nationalist, Marxist-socialist, secular, Islamist) were operating in your two states and under what conditions?
- What different roles did the various social classes play in the continued transformation of these states throughout the 20th century?
- Monarchy, notables, tribes, peasants, workers, military, religious scholars (‘ulema)
- What are the factors that have led these particular states to their current situation?
- Here, I want you to reflect on causation. Review Jules R. Benjamin’s A Student’s Guide to History for a definition of causation.
Paper requirements:
- 3-5 pages, double spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins
- Heading: include your name, class number, and date (single spaced)
- Footnotes in Chicago Style (see Benjamin, Ch. 10 for reference)
- Sources
- 1 citation from Benjamin’s A Student’s Guide to History
- 2 citations from Cleveland’s History of the Modern Middle East
- 2 citations from one of the encyclopedias or databases listed under “Resources for History Research: Middle East and North Africa” in Benjamin’s A Student’s Guide to History (page 246).
Papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Does the paper meet all of the requirements?
- Does the paper cover all the considerations and answer them clearly?
- How well does the paper incorporate the required sources?
- Is the argument of the paper strong and backed up well by the sources?
