HIS 309

Dictators in the Modern Era

This course will acquaint students in depth with examples of major dictatorships selected from the history of the 20th and 21st centuries. During this era, certain regimes have come to exercise unprecedented levels of control over their populations. What developments created the preconditions for these new forms of government? What historical impact have such governments had? The regimes under consideration will vary from year to year; possible case studies may include, but are not restricted to, Soviet Russia; Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany; Imperial Japan, Maoist China, and North Korea; and Latin American dictatorships, such as Cuba under Castro or Argentina under Pinochet.

Units: 3.0