This course is a term-contained introduction to major themes and trends from early Chinese history as they relate to the events of the late 19th and 20th centuries. The course of study includes the origin and development of Chinese philosophy, the legacy of authoritarian rule in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the impact of foreign domination, the origin and development of the civil war between Chiang Kai-Shek and Mao Tse Tung, Japan’s ruthless occupation in WWII, Mao’s cultural revolution and Great Leap Forward, and China’s evolution into a world economic power.

Prerequisite: Open to students in fifth and sixth form with departmental approval