The existence and resistance of Ukraine demonstrate the complex nature of nationhood and historical controversies.
European empires' exploitative practices in Africa and Ukraine shaped global events and perceptions in the 20th century.
Deep dives
Impact of European Empires on Global Interconnections
The lecture delves into how events post-1500 have accelerated global interactions. The emergence of European empires in the 16th and 17th centuries fueled connectivity and interdependence. For instance, the British quest for a trade route to China led to unexpected discoveries and trade connections with Muscovy, later Russia, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Transition from Slavery to Territorial Exploitation
The class transitioned from the era of slavery to territorial control for trade purposes, changing from exploitative slave trade to territorial dominance for resources. The race for Africa in the late 19th century symbolizes this shift, linking the end of the slave trade to territorial expansions for resource exploitation, impacting how nations traded and controlled territories.
Linking Nationalism and Imperialism in the 19th Century
In the 19th century, nationalism and imperialism were intertwined, exemplified by Napoleon's rule and wars presented as acts of national liberation despite establishing an empire. The lecture highlights how Marx's notion of worker unity clashed with workers supporting imperialism, showing how national and imperial interests overlapped during the period.
European Empires' Influence on 20th Century Events
The legacy of African colonization by European empires influenced 20th-century events, shaping perceptions of territories like Ukraine. The plan of European powers in the First World War to exploit Ukraine as a grain source mirrored colonial practices in Africa, echoed later by Hitler's colonial mindset in viewing Ukraine as merely a breadbasket, highlighting the enduring impact of European empire on subsequent events.
Class 10 examines how several global empires shaped the development of Ukraine.
Timothy Snyder is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He speaks five and reads ten European languages.
Ukraine must have existed as a society and polity on 23 February 2022, else Ukrainians would not have collectively resisted Russian invasion the next day. What does it mean for a nation to exist? Is this a matter of structures, actions, or both? Why has the existence of Ukraine occasioned such controversy? In what ways are Polish, Russian, and Jewish self-understanding dependent upon experiences in Ukraine? Just how and when did a modern Ukrainian nation emerge? For that matter, how does any modern nation emerge? Why some and not others? Can nations be chosen, and can choices be decisive? If so, whose, and how? Ukraine was the country most touched by Soviet and Nazi terror: what can we learn about those systems, then, from Ukraine? Is the post-colonial, multilingual Ukrainian nation a holdover from the past, or does it hold some promise for the future?
Course reading list
Video version of this course available on YouTube.
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