Asian History and Institutions

The unit A will focus on the contemporary history of China, from the decline of the Qing Empire in the XIX century to the present. The Chinese "short XX century" and the challenges that the Country faces today will be presented in the wider context of East Asia and South Asia. In particular, the course will consider the diplomatic and economic relations with Japan. The aim of the course is to provide insights into the political, economic and cultural dimensions of the Chinese path to modernity.

The unit B will examine political, diplomatic, economic and cultural aspects of contemporary history of Japan, from the late nineteenth-century expansionism, the Empire defeat in 1945, the reconstruction and economic boom years, until the recent quest for a new Japanese identity. This unit will consider the changing role of Japan in East Asia, with attention to China and the Korean peninsula in a comparative perspective.

Unit A:
1) Introduction; the fall of the Qing Empire and the parable of the republican system.
2) Nationalist government and warlords during the Great Depression.
3) Growth and victory of the communist alternative.
4) Post-World War II, between civil war and reconstruction.
5) Economic policies and diplomacy in the Mao era.
6) Cultural revolution and coming out of diplomatic isolation.
7) The reform era.
8) Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
9) China in the 21st century.
10) Conclusions.

Unit B:
1) Introduction; the Meiji Restoration.
2) The formation of the colonial empire. The colonial administration in Korea.
3) Japanese politics and diplomacy at the time of the Great War.
4) Economy and social changes in a developing country.
5) Politics and economics at the time of the authoritarian drift.
6) World War II and the collapse of the Empire.
7) The Korean Peninsula in the post-war period.
8) The economic boom and Japanese diplomacy in the Cold War era.
9) The 'lost twenty years' crisis in Japan and the Korean peninsula in the new millennium.
10) Conclusions.