Empires, Modernity, and Mass Violence
Course, Bachelor's level, 5HG102
Expand the information below to show details on how to apply and entry requirements.
Autumn 2026 Autumn 2026, Uppsala, 100%, On-campus, English
- Location
- Uppsala
- Pace of study
- 100%
- Teaching form
- On-campus
- Instructional time
- Daytime
- Study period
- 4 November 2026–6 December 2026
- Language of instruction
- English
- Entry requirements
-
General entry requirements and English level 2, or English 6
- Selection
-
Final school grades (60%) - Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (40%)
- Fees
- If you are not a citizen of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees.
- First tuition fee instalment: SEK 12,375
- Total tuition fee: SEK 12,375
- Application deadline
- 15 April 2026
- Application code
- UU-51201
Admitted or on the waiting list?
Autumn 2026 Autumn 2026, Uppsala, 100%, On-campus, English For exchange students
- Location
- Uppsala
- Pace of study
- 100%
- Teaching form
- On-campus
- Instructional time
- Daytime
- Study period
- 4 November 2026–6 December 2026
- Language of instruction
- English
- Entry requirements
-
General entry requirements and English level 2, or English 6
Admitted or on the waiting list?
About the course
This course examines the political, economic, and cultural forces that shaped Europe and the world from the French Revolution to the First World War. By studying the rise and decline of imperial systems, it explores how imperialism, nationalism, socialism, and democracy interacted and contributed to new ideas about class, citizenship, and human rights. The course places particular emphasis on modernisation processes and the structural, technological, and ideological conditions that made genocide and other forms of mass crimes possible.
The empirical focus includes different types of colonial mass killing and the Armenian genocide, used to illustrate how 19th-century transformations created frameworks for later mass atrocities. By gaining a foundational understanding of modernisation and its consequences, students develop insight into how political, economic, and ideological change contributed to genocides and other massive human rights violations in the 20th century. The course encourages reflection on the ethical and societal implications of studying these historical processes and their relevance today.