The Road to the “Arab Spring”: The Changing Arab World and American Reactions

https://youtu.be/LAPdv2s1wRc

Watch videos from the class “The Road to the “The Arab Spring”: The Changing Arab World and American Reactions,” taught by William S. Longwell, senior lecturer in history, Vanderbilt University, retired; and Thomas A. Schwartz, professor of history, political science, and European studies, Vanderbilt University.

In the last year, we witnessed unprecedented political unrest in Iran and the Arab world, in some cases toppling regimes that had been in power for over 20 years. This cataclysm is taking place when the United States is more involved in the region than at any time in our history. To better understand what is happening today, the first four sessions of this course look at the external and internal dynamics of the Arab World and Iran from World War I to the present. The last two sessions will focus on U. S. foreign policy and the factors that have led to our increasing involvement in the Middle East.

The class is part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt. The non-credit classes are intended for older adults who want to pursue lifelong learning with the stimulus of lectures and discussions in an informal and relaxed environment.

Watch videos from the class below.