HIS 328 Britain & the World

This course engages with Britain as a global state in a non-traditional fashion. Departing from the conventional approach often used by historians - which requires 'compartmentalizing' the problem into discrete areas such as Britain as imperial and post- imperial power, Britain as a Cold War actor and Britain as a (reluctant) European partner - this course synthesizes these themes, allowing them to be evaluated comparatively and holistically. It also identifies less familiar themes, such as the way in which popular culture has played a role in recasting Britain?s global image. Finally, the course plays due attention to the impact of the wider world on Britain. In sum, it offers a comprehensive and critical appraisal of how a declining Great Power's position in the world altered against a backdrop of intense and rapid global and domestic change.