While I had been fairly aware of the various actors in the Near East and much of their history, this course helped me put into perspective just how many volatile factors there are in this region. All of the nations in the Near East have very strong vested interests, and several conflicts already going on. On top of that, there are a lot of pending changes that can change dynamics in an instant. While there have been many, many conflicts over the course of the last 18 months – whether it’s the Armenian defeat at the hands of Azerbaijan (backed by Turkey), the Israel-Hamas war that continues to this day, or the more recent fall of the Assad regime – it was interesting to hear the background of tensions in the Near East and some of the influencing favors that have now come into play after the lectures were recorded. This course has helped me understand more about the modern aspects of the conflicts and wars going on today in the region, along with an appreciation for how much deeper each topic touched on in this course could be explored.
