2023/2024
East Asia in the 20th-21st Century
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Minor
Delivered by:
School of International Affairs
When:
3, 4 module
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Instructors:
Перминова Александра Александровна,
Мартынова Дарья Олеговна,
Keiji Ide,
Andrei Lankov,
Anastasia Pyatachkova
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
5
Contact hours:
60
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This part of the course concentrates on the history of East Asia in the 20th century. Course content is divided into three main parts. The first one covers the history of China from the Xinhai revolution until the end of the 20th century. The second part is devoted to Japan from Taisho era to the first lost decade. It describes the Japanese way from the militaristic empire to the economic superpower. The third part of the course is about two states of the Korean peninsula after the Korean War and until the end of 20th century.
Learning Objectives
- The aim of this course is to provide sequence of historical events of the 20th century in East Asia in the form of consistent and logical process. This course will define approaches in historiography about key historical events, processes, leaders and concepts, which influenced political, economic and cultural development of East Asia in the 20th century. It will reveal main patterns of relations between modern East Asian states — China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and how events of the 20th century influenced them.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students can define the chronology of Chinese, Japanese and Korean history in the 20th century and basic approaches to its historiography.
- Students can describe general and unique features of the development of East Asian countries in the 20th century.
- Students can distinguish different factions and opposing sides in Chinese political struggles and civil wars in the first half of the 20th century.
- Students can describe the main events of the World War 2 in Asia and its consequences for Japan and China.
- Students can discuss the role, which Mao Zedong played in directing the development of the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Republic of China.
- Students are able to analyse political and economic reforms in China in post-Mao era.
- Students are able to explain the key processes in Japan’s cultural and social development during the 20th century.
- Students can define key features of the Japanese ideology, economy and political institutes during its imperial era.
- Students can compare economic and political development of East Asian countries in the 20th century.
- Students are able to describe impactful factors, which led to economic miracles and periods of high economic growth in Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.
- Students can describe the geopolitical situation in East Asia in the post-bipolar era.
- Students can describe the way of development of the Republic of Korea from the military dictatorship to the democratic state.
- Students can define main features of the North Korean ideology and principles of its development.
- Students can describe main features of political systems of China, Japan, the DPRK and the Republic of Korea.
Course Contents
- China 1) The Xinhai revolution and the Warlord Era. The Nanjing decade.
- 2) The War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and the second stage of the Civil War.
- 3) China under the rule of Mao Zedong.
- 4) China after Mao Zedong and the Age of Reforms.
- 5) China in the end of the 20th century - present and “other” China (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau).
- Korea 6) The aftermath of the Korean War. The two states part ways in their development.
- 7) The Republic of Korea in 1970s-1980s.
- 8) The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 1970s-1980s.
- 9) South Korea: the end of the 20th century-present
- 10) North Korea: the end of the 20th century-present
- Japan 11) The Taisho democracy. Japanese colonialism.
- 12) The Japanese Empire in the World War 2.
- 13) Japan during the period of occupation and the post-war restoration (1945-1960).
- 14) Japan in the period of high economic growth (1960-1971). Japan as one of the leading economic powers (1971-1990).
- 15) The lost decades in Japan (1990-present).
Assessment Elements
- Final Essay ChinaFinal take-home essay in each of the three parts of the discipline. Each student is expected to produce three essays altogether. Each essay must consist of 2,500 words (±10%) on a topic that is to be assigned by the responsible professor.
- Final Essay KoreaFinal take-home essay in each of the three parts of the discipline. Each student is expected to produce three essays altogether. Each essay must consist of 2,500 words (±10%) on a topic that is to be assigned by the responsible professor.
- Final Essay JapanFinal take-home essay in each of the three parts of the discipline. Each student is expected to produce three essays altogether. Each essay must consist of 2,500 words (±10%) on a topic that is to be assigned by the responsible professor.
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Robert Hoppens. (2015). The China Problem in Postwar Japan : Japanese National Identity and Sino-Japanese Relations. Bloomsbury Academic.
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Michael J. Seth. (2019). A Concise History of Korea : From Antiquity to the Present (Vol. Third Edition). [N.p.]: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2265005