LEARNING RESULTS · Applied knowledge to understand the transformation of society and long-term rules of social convention and cohabitation. Understand how sovereignty, rights and freedoms, ideologies, and beliefs change over time, and understand the role of large social movements.

1. The origins of the modern state and the formation of the system of States in the Modern Age. 2. Formation of Nation-States, nationalisms and first empiralisms. 3. Revolutions, new elites and social change in the 19th century: The French Revolution, American Independence, the new social and political regime and the rise of the Bourgeoisie. 4. Urbanization, industrialization, capitalism, worker movements and the extension of suffrage. 5. The Modern State, secularization and the modern world. 6. Professionalization of bureaucracy, transnational movements, progressive ideology, and political and military rivalry. 7. Wars and the weakness of the international political system during the interwar period. 8. The Russian Revolution, the crisis of capitalism during the Great Depression and the rise of fascism. 9. New world order, cold war, and the strengthening of the Welfare State. 10. Decolonization. 11. Structural and social change. 12. The world after the fall of the socialist block: political challenges of globalization. 13. Global society and the clash of civilizations.

Students will acquire the knowledge and skills through lectures, the handing of the work assigned by the teachers and its discussion in class. Skills and attitudes will be enhanced by the individual and teamwork performed by the students and their discussion in class. The course is designed in two tiers: one will provide the basic understanding of the main historical events that have shaped the modern world and the second will analyse specific topics. The first part will be based on lectures which summarize and extend basic readings. In the second tier, students shall present briefings and discuss on specific historical problems based on in-depth readings. Students will form groups of three to work during these weekly seminars. Before each session, each group will read and discuss jointly the readings, answer the questions and, at least in one occasion, prepare an oral presentation of 20 minutes. Furthermore, in the midterm, students will individually write a 2,000-word essay on a controversial historical topic. A solid command of written and oral English is essential. The ability to read and process up to sixty pages of academic literature per week is taken for granted. In the last week, there will be at least one tutorial of the course in which the student will have the chance to clarify doubts about the main concepts and key historical events discussed in the lectures, as well as doubts about assessment and the schedule of the course.