History of Asia Kristof

This episode is about the later stages of the Ottoman period, with the focus on Syria and especially Iraq.



Most important sources for the episode (for more specific info you can e-mail me):

Yitzhak Nakash - The Shi'is of Iraq

TRIPP C. Irak: een geschiedenis

ANSCOMBE F.F. State, faith, and nation in Ottoman and Post-Ottoman Lands

BAYLY C.A. The Birth of the modern world 1780-1914.


DALE S. The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals

MCDOWAN D. A modern history of the Kurds

MCHUGO J. Syria a recent history.

SIMONS G., BENN T. Iraq: from Sumer to Saddam.

We discuss the history of Iraq and Syria in the first half of the 20th century.

A long overdue explanation why this podcast narrates history backwards.

We discuss the 50s and 60s. What explains the turbulence of this period, as opposed to the longevity of the Assad- and Saddam-regimes?



Sorry if the audio is leaky sometimes: there is something wrong with my microphone. I'll have it fixed.

If we say the Iraq war was a mistake, we must consider the alternatives. What would Iraq be like with Saddam or his son still in power? We now discuss the rule of Hafez al-Assad and Saddam Hussayn. We compare their strategies and ask whether Machiavelli would have approved of them.

We talk about the Iraq war, its immediate consequences, and its effect on Syria.