Sydney Units
HY History

HY3005 Age of Empire and Revolution: Europe 1789-1989
This unit looks at major developments in European history from the French revolution in 1789 to the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989. The unit develops both chronologically and thematically, looking at the impact of ideas (democracy, empire, communism) and events (Russian Revolution, World War etc) on Europe as a whole. In doing so the unit seeks to determine what hope there is of a genuinely 'new' and 'united' Europe, free from the divisions of the past, emerging in the 21st century.

HY3006 Continuity & Change in Southeast Asia
This unit serves as an introduction to the diverse and dynamic history of modern South East Asia. While the various peoples of South East Asia have rich and varied cultural origins, this unit begins with the period of European colonisation and dominance over the region. We examine the emergence of local movements for national independence in the 20th century and South East Asia's attempt to grapple with ethnic tensions, under-development, and its place in the modern world. The civil wars in Vietnam and Cambodia, regional politics, the impact of communism and Islam, and the struggle for democracy in Indonesia are all examined in some detail.

HY1000 History of Western Civilization (No prerequisite. Essential for Major)
This unit introduces students to the discipline of History, and to the foundations of Western Society. Tracing the development of the first urban societies in Egypt and Mesopotamia, to the development of ancient Greece and the relentless advance of the Roman Empire, we examine the connections between these societies, why they rose to such magnificent heights and why they collapsed amid civil war, social decay and political disintegration. We also examine the darker side of our civilization's origins - looking at the coming of 'the barbarians', the bloodlust of the 'Holy Crusades', and the contributions of the medieval period. The unit ends by looking at the importance of Columbus' arrival in America in 1492 and the expansion of the 'civilized west' over the globe. What does it mean to be 'western' and 'civilized' in the year 2000? This unit seeks to examine the assumptions, which underpin our perception of ourselves as members of 'western civilisation'. This unit is an appropriate foundation course for all students in History.

HY266 USA Foriegn Policy since 1945 (Prerequisite: Completion of First Year)
This unit briefly looks at major developments in the foreign policy of the United States since 1945. Following the emergence of the USA as a global superpower in the aftermath of World War Two, this unit examines the United States’ engagement with the rest of the world. The particular, and in the context of the Cold War, the United States’ decades long global struggle against Communism is examined in considerable detail. We will also look at the ‘New World Order’ proclaimed by President Bush in 1991 during the Gulf War. 9/11 and US Foreign policy in relation to the ‘War on Terror’ are also analysed.

HY3003 Modern America: From Slave Nation to Superpower (Prerequisite: Completion of First Year)
This unit looks at major developments in modern American history from the declaration of independence in 1776, to its emergence as a global superpower in the aftermath of World War Two. T he unit develops chronologically and thematically, looking at the ideas and events which have shaped modern America. In this context, Puritanism, slavery, the 'wild west', civil rights, and anti-communism are examined in relation to their impact on American society. A series of 'American portraits' also provide an insight into the social history of the men and women who have made America. Beyond the glitz of the White House and the horror of the civil war, we also look at the other side of the 'American dream', examining how issues of race, poverty and ethnicity have affected the great 'melting pot' of the USA.

HY3004 Parliament, Power and People: British Social & Political History (Prerequisite: Completion of First Year)
Over the last 400 years, Britain has emerged as the world's paradigmatic parliamentary democracy. It has provided the philosophical and practical inspiration for the governmental systems of such countries as the United Sates and Australia, and has been strongly influential in relation to most other nation states. This unit traces the evolution of the British state from the Act of Union in 1800, to the beginning of 'devolution' in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the 1990s. A particular focus is the great burgeoning of British parliamentary democracy in the nineteenth century, the effects of empire and war on the British polity, and the dynamic social history of the four diverse countries that together make up the 'United Kingdom'.

HY3005 Age of Empire & Revolution: Europe 1789-1989 (Prerequisite: Completion of First Year)
This unit briefly looks at major developments in European history from the French revolution in 1789 to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The unit will develop chronologically and thematically, looking at the impact of ideas (democracy, empire, communism) and events (Russian Revolution, World War etc.) on Europe as a whole.

HY3006 Continuity & Change in Southeast Asia (Prerequisite: Completion of First Year)
This unit serves as an introduction to the diverse and dynamic history of modern South East Asia. While the various peoples of South East Asia have rich and varied cultural origins, this unit begins with the period of European colonisation and dominance over the region. We examine the emergence of local movements for national independence in the 20th century and South East Asia’s attempt to grapple with ethnic tensions, under-development, and its place in the modern world. The civil wars in Vietnam and Cambodia, regional politics, the impact of communism and Islam, and the struggle for democracy in Indonesia are all examined in some detail.

HY 3014 Terrorism and War: Causes & Consequences (Prerequisite: Completion of First Year)
This unit is a response to the claimed ‘global crisis’ of terrorism. We will examine this most pressing of political/historical/sociological problems and provide students with the analytical tools to make assessments of the complex situations that we all face. This unit will focus on Terrorism and will analyse the variety of forms it has taken especially in the post WWII era and the post-Cold War era.

HY3018 Australians & War (Prerequisite: Completion of First Year)
War has indelibly shaped the face of Australia. Indeed, since 1915, Anzac has become the closest thing to sacred in our otherwise secular culture. This unit studies the way that war (and peace) has contributed to our identity as a nation, our relationship with the world, domestic politics, ethnicity, citizenship and gender relations. It embraces history, politics, film and literature. It covers conflicts from the colonial period to the second Gulf War. More than anything it is about the mythology of a nation and national myth-making. Students of ‘Australians and War’ will employ research skills and make strategic use of both primary and secondary sources, including literature, film, letters, diaries and oral histories.

HY1001 The Antipodean Experiment (No prerequisite. Essential for Major)
In a little over two centuries since the arrival of the first European settlers, Australians have transformed the face of their continent. This unit begins by looking at the social, environmental and military consequences of the 18th century decision to build a British convict society on aboriginal land. To what extent were the colonists successful in recreating the political world and social inequalities of British society in the 'Great Southern Land'? This unit turns the tedious history most of us were taught at high school on its head, revealing that colonial Australia was a dynamic and dangerous place where convicts, aborigines, settlers, soldiers and the 'dregs of England and Ireland' all struggled to create an 'antipodean paradise' in their own image.