This course covers the evolution of leading civilizations and the interaction among different peoples and societies around the globe. It examines the rise of the west as a dominant influence on the world; global change in Afria and Asia; industrilization and imperialism throughout the 19th century; major developments in the history of Latin America from its colonial period; the crises in the west during the 20th century; the rise and fall of the Soviet Union; decolonization; and the major developments in Asia, especially Japan, during the 20th century.