Courses

This course examines the debate over Britain’s decline in the twentieth century. When Britain lost its manufacturing power, its imperial holdings, and its Anglo-Christian values, who cared, what or who did they blame, and how did these shifts affect Britain’s place in Europe and the world? We will explore how the narrative of decline became a catch-all term to describe issues as various as industrial discontent, postcolonial politics, and the permissive society. There are no prerequisites for this course, but basic knowledge and/or interest in modern British and European history would be advantageous.