Twentieth Century America: Building a Global Hegemon

How did the United States of America become one of the most powerful nations in the world? What political, economic, military, and cultural processes transformed it from a continental power in the 1900 to a global hegemon by the century’s end? This course traces the rise of the United States as a dominant force in the international order across the twentieth century. Through trade, wars, diplomacy, technological revolutions, ideological contests, popular culture and consumer capitalism, the course examines how American influence contributed to shape institutions, economies, and societies worldwide. Students will explore the domestic foundations of global power (including democratic ideals, racial hierarchies, and industrial capacity) as well as the external projection of that power through imperialism, war, and soft power. Areas of study of the course will include the World Wars, the Cold War, nuclear strategy, the spread of consumer capitalism, civil rights and anti-colonial movements, covert interventions, and the cultural politics of Americanisation. The course draws on transnational and comparative histories to assess both the triumphs and contradictions of American hegemony, inviting students to consider how that legacy continues to define the global landscape today.