An examination of some major theses in the history of the Arab Middle East since the breakup of the Ottoman Empire following World War I. The course examines the role played by issues of identity in the development of national structures in the Arab East (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States). Themes include: the nature of the Islamic community, the structure and legacy of the Ottoman rule, postOttoman settlement and the impact of colonial rule, the emergence of nationalist politics and the growth of contemporary Arab state system, oil and the politics of family rule in the Gulf States, and the relationship between religion and politics.