'Making of the Modern World' is the first-year core module for all full-time History single honours and joint degree students. It may also be taken as an option by part-time students, visiting students, and students from other departments. In addition to the standard timetable, the module is also offered every few years as an evening option for part-time Historical Studies students. The module is normally only available as a 30 CAT version. Liana Valerio is the convenor of the course.

The content is delivered in weekly lectures (on Mondays, 1-2pm, L3 in the spring term) and weekly seminars. This module also offers students a year-long series of weekly video lectures and occasional workshops. These are designed to alert students to key skills necessary to master in order to get the best out of their degree.

All information for HI153 students is on the HI153 Moodle SpaceLink opens in a new window (NB students have access only once registered for HI153 on eVision)

The module contextualises later modern history by providing a framework in which major historical processes of the later modern era are studied on a world-wide scale. The module moves away from a Eurocentric and narrative focus and provides more scope for historical approaches based on, among other things, culture, identity, and power. Topics we will explore correspond also with the particular research strengths of Warwick historians, whether this is sexuality, nationalism, the Holocaust, slavery, decolonization, or most recently, the Russian attack on Ukraine. MMW will allow you to understand and engage with the increasingly difficult world we live in.

In 2024-25, the module is taught through the following structure:

1. Liana Valerio, What is modern history?

2. Ricardo Aguilar, Colonialism

3. Liana Valerio, Slavery and construction of race in the Americas

4. Charles Walton, Enlightenment

5. Charles Walton, French and Haitian Revolution

6. reading week

7. Tom Simpson, Capitalism

8. Guido van Meersbergen, Travel

9. Tim Lockley, Making of Modern Warfare

10. Elise Smith, Epidemics

11. Liana Valerio, Gender and Feminism

12. Liana Valerio, Sexuality

13. Anca Cretu, Fascism

14. Will Jones, Holocaust

15. Christoph Mick, Nationalism

16. reading week

17. Ben Smith, The Global Drug Trade

18. Simon Peplow, Welfare state

19. Daniel Branch, Decolonization

20. Christoph Mick, The Russian attack on Ukraine
21. Revisions (one lecture but two seminars)

Module Convenor: Dr Liana Valerio