Maricopa Community Colleges  GCU245   20092-99999 
Official Course Description: MCCCD Approval: 06/24/08
GCU245 20092-99999 LEC 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s)
Geostrategy in History and Future
Interconnection between geographical features and political/cultural events in world history. Covers events from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern world.
Prerequisites: HIS100 or HIS101, or HIS102, or equivalent, or permission of Instructor.
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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
 
GCU245   20092-99999 Geostrategy in History and Future
1. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of Mesopotamia and the history of conflict and development of law in the Middle East. (I)
2. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of ancient Egypt and its political and economic growth and cultural development. (I)
3. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of the Persian Empire and its development as a superpower. (I)
4. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of ancient Greece and the development of the city state. (II)
5. Describe the geographic impact on the economic, political, agricultural, and cultural developments of the Hellenic era in ancient Greece. (II)
6. Describe the major events in the career of Alexander the Great. (II)
7. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of ancient Rome and the emergence of imperialism. (III)
8. Describe the cultural achievements of the Roman Empire. (III)
9. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of Arabia and the spiritual and military advances of Islam. (V)
10. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of Portugal and Spain and the development of Iberian colonialism. (V)
11. Describe the relation between the geographical aspects of the British Empire and the development of its imperialism. (V)
12. Describe the relation between geographic features and location of natural resources and the emergence of the United States as a superpower. (V)
13. Compare the geographic aspects of East and West and their contributions to the cold war. (V)
14. Describe the importance of global awareness in understanding ideology as a dynamic force in the contemporary world. (V)
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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
 
GCU245   20092-99999 Geostrategy in History and Future
    I. The Middle East
        A. Mesopotamia
          1. Geographical aspects
            a. Physical features
            b. Natural resources
          2. Resulting historical evolution
            a. Dawn of civilization
            b. Sources of conflict
            c. Patterns of invasion
          3. Cultural achievements: development of the law
        B. Egypt
          1. Geographical aspects
            a. Physical features
            b. Natural resources
          2. Resulting historical evolution
            a. Political and economic growth as result of isolation
            b. Politics of expansion
          3. Cultural achievements
            a. Development of bureaucracy
            b. The Nile as a feature of civilization
        C. Persian Empire
          1. Geographical aspects
            a. Physical features
            b. Natural resources
          2. Resulting historical evolution
            a. Formation of a superpower
            b. Conflicts as result of expansion
          3. Cultural achievements
            a. Development of communication systems
            b. Emergence of despotism
      II. Greece A. The Hellenic era
            1. Geographical aspects
              a. Physical features
              b. Natural resources
            2. Resulting historical evolution
              a. Development of the city state
              b. Athens: commerce resulting in democracy
              c. Sparta: agriculture resulting in antidemocratic isolationism
            3. Cultural achievements
              a. Evolution of thought
              b. Development of democracy
              c. Art as a geographical function
          B. The Hellenistic era
            1. Resulting historical evolution: career of Alexander the Great
            2. Cultural achievements: the "world" becomes one
        III. Rome: as the geographical center of the earth
            A. Geographical aspects
              1. Physical features
              2. Natural resources
            B. Resulting historical evolution
              1. Emergence of a world state: imperialism
              2. Decline of geographical importance
              3. Eventual collapse into geographic particularism
            C. Cultural achievements
              1. Development of statecraft
              2. Highlight of administration
              3. Adaptation of all previous cultural achievements
          IV. Arabia: Islam as a new dynamic force
              A. Geographical aspects
                1. Physical features
                2. Natural resources
              B. Resulting historical evolution
                1. Spiritual advances of Islam
                2. Military advances of Islam
              C. Cultural achievements: cross-fertilization of cultures
            V. Towards modern imperialism
                A. Portuguese/Spanish imperialism
                  1. Geographical aspects
                    a. Physical features
                    b. Natural resources
                  2. Resulting historical evolution
                    a. New economic climate
                    b. Demand for external resources and markets
                    c. Iberian colonialism
                  3. Cultural achievements: elimination of cultures
                B. Anglo-Saxon imperialism
                  1. Geographical aspects
                    a. Physical features
                    b. Natural resources
                  2. Historical evolution
                    a. The British Empire
                    b. The United States as a superpower
                  3. Cultural achievements
                    a. Industrial revolution
                    b. Primacy of commerce
                C. Ideology as the new dynamic force
                  1. Geographical aspects of East versus West
                    a. Physical features
                    b. Natural resources
                  2. Resulting historical evolution
                    a. Cold war
                    b. Ideological expansion
                    c. Decline of ideological aspect
                  3. Cultural achievement
                    a. Cultural diversity as an asset
                    b. Need for global awareness
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