This course tackles some of the major themes of modernity, ultimately aiming at encouraging a better understanding of the world today. We will cover the following topics, in lectures and presentations:

- Concepts like self-determination; nationalism; social revolution; dictatorship; democracy; freedom and totalitarianism. We will look especially at how an ever-increasing number of people became involved in making history, either as subjects or victims of larger forces beyond their control.

- The changes of the Industrial Revolution and how this brought forth our awesome powers of creation - powers, which were ultimately used for the mass destruction of two World Wars, but nevertheless created new societies, which arguably still exist today.

- Power relationships and how they were reshuffled as a result of the Great War, both in Europe and beyond.

- The dismembering of three empires (Germany, Austria-Hungary & the Ottoman Empire) and how this laid the foundation for future conflict as it created new states, but also 'stateless' peoples.

- The role of governments, how these shifted and what influence grand theories like liberalism and communism had on our understanding of society.

The lectures in this series will be followed up by part two, which will tackle the Cold War, decolonisation and the advent of neoliberalism, globalisation and our modern world.