The divergent political and economic paths of North and South Korea have been pivotal to the geo-politics of the Asia-Pacific region since 1945. From the end of World War Two, the geo-strategic interests of the major Pacific powers (the US, China, Japan and Russia) have converged/intersected on the Korean peninsula. This course provides a history of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to the present. It examines the repercussions of the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910-45; the division of the Korean peninsula by the US and Soviet Union in 1945; the creation of North and South Korea in 1948; the Korean War, 1950-53; South Koreas political and economic evolution from the 1960s to the present; North Koreas acquisition of a nuclear capability and confrontation with the US since the 1990s. The course also shows that the Korean peninsula has been crucial to Australias strategic and security interests since 1945, especially in relation to the evolution of the Australian-American relationship.
Dr Daniel Fazio PhD, MA, BA (Hons) has been teaching at WEA since 2018.
Daniel is a Lecturer in History and Politics at the University of South Australia. His areas of expertise include the history of American and Australian foreign policy and politics, the history of the US-Australian relationship, US-Korean-Australian relations, and modern Korean history and politics. He teaches World and US History, and international and Australian politics.
Daniel has taught the history of American foreign policy, the American Civil War, America at War, Twentieth Century America, Nazi Germany, Russia/USSR 1917-53, History's Turning Points and Killing Fields, War and Society, and World History.
Daniel is also an experienced political activist, having worked on a number of federal, state and local government election campaigns.