Crescent of Crisis: The Middle East and the Balkans from the Ottomans to Today
Classes
Tuesday 14 January - Tuesday 25 March 2025, 6pm-9pm
10 sessions -
Check class timetable
Availability limited
Overview
Lands that were once part of the Ottoman Empire form an arc around the eastern Mediterranean, a crescent that has gained notoriety in recent decades as a region of striking instability. Yugoslavia suffered bloody breakup in the 1990s, and Bosnia remains a centre of unresolved tensions; Iraq and more recently Syria have collapsed into battlegrounds for internal factions and external forces; and Turkey’s penchant for military coups, authoritarian government and repression of Kurds suggest that its stability is only relative to the turmoil of nearby countries.
External commentary often presents tensions across this crescent as legacies of the Ottoman Empire and its violent end, and in our Crescent of Crisis short course we will delve into the question of Ottoman and post-Ottoman origins of contemporary problems. We will examine:
- the internal and external pressures upon Ottoman state and society during the empire’s last years
- the difficult process of transition from Ottoman provinces to post-Ottoman nation-states
- the influence of popular perceptions of the Ottoman-era past in modern political affairs.
The course encourages debate about Ottoman decline, Ottoman legacies to post-Ottoman states, the dynamics of nation-building, and the roles of history and nostalgia in contemporary public affairs. It will also challenge you to think comparatively about historical developments across distinct geographic regions and chronological periods.
It is ideal if you have a personal or professional interest in the Middle East, southeastern Europe, contemporary politics, empires and nationalism.
This short course is assessed via a 5000-word essay and 60% attendance requirement.
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Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Most of our short courses have no formal entry requirements and are open to all students.
This course is taught at postgraduate Master's level. In order to fully engage with the class, you should have previous knowledge of history and the demands of historical analysis, for example, by having successfully completed an intermediate class at Level 5/6 (such as an undergraduate degree) or by having significant professional experience in this area. You should also have an interest for the key themes.
As part of the enrolment process, you may be required to submit a copy of a suitable form of ID.
International students who wish to come to the UK to study a short course can apply for a Visitor visa. Please note that it is not possible to obtain a Student visa to study a short course.
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How to apply
How to apply
You register directly onto the classes you would like to take. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis - so apply early. If you wish to take more than one short course, you can select each one separately and then register onto them together via our online application portal. There is usually no formal selection process, although some modules may have prerequisites and/or other requirements, which will be specified where relevant.