Latin America was arguably one of the most "revolutionary" regions of the world in the twentieth century. It registered four "great revolutions": Mexico 1910, Bolivia 1952, Cuba 1959, and Nicaragua 1979. These social revolutions entailed a substantial, violent, and voluntarist struggle for political power and the overthrow of the established political, economic, social, and cultural orders. In the wake of these successful revolutions, new revolutionary institutions of governance were founded, radical structural changes were implemented, and a new revolutionary ethos was adopted. With the exception perhaps of the Bolivian Revolution, these revolutions had a profound impact on Latin American and world politics. The primary aim of this course is to analyze and compare the causes, processes, and outcomes of the Mexican, Cuban, and Nicaraguan revolutions. The course also analyzes late 20th century guerrilla movements in El Salvador and Peru.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS LCD; AS SSC; AS SD I; FA SSC; AR SSC; AS SC