HIST 1002B: Europe in the 20th Century

Course Overview

This course explores the political, social, cultural and economic history of Europe in the twentieth century. We will look at what some historians refer to as the “long twentieth century,” by beginning our examination with the key developments and trends in Europe during the last decades of the 1800’s. From here, the course will discuss the years preceding the First World War and the dominant ideologies present in Europe at the time. Some of the major themes and developments to be discussed include the origins of authoritarian ideologies and the rise of mass politics, the Russian Revolution, the interwar period, anti-Semitism and the changing face of nationalism.

In the second half of the course, we will explore post-World War II reconstruction, Cold War hostilities, popular uprisings in Eastern bloc states, including the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Prague Spring in 1968, as well as everyday life in a divided Europe. In our discussion of socio-political changes during the 1960’s, we will look at the Second Vatican Council, the student protests of May 1968 and the role of popular culture in social transformation, as well as the factors behind decolonization. As we approach the end of the year, the course will discuss regime change in 1989/1990 and the efforts at reuniting and reconciling the disparate states and regions of Europe. We will also discuss conflict, political reform and social change in Eastern Europe following the collapse of one-party systems, the “return” of ethnic nationalism in the former Yugoslavia and we will end the course by examining European integration and the European Union’s place in the wider world.

This course will aim to explore both Western and Eastern Europe. The course lectures, as well as your readings, will reflect this focus.

Course Structure

This course is built around a weekly lecture and regular contact with the instructor and teaching assistants. I strongly encourage discussion and active participation during the lectures and we will spend time during each class delving in to the ideas and debates that arise from the assigned readings, lecture slides and the audio-video material that form an important component of this course.

The written course assignments will include two shorter essays in the fall term (in which you will be asked to examine specific primary and secondary source documents), a December exam and two essays in the winter term. This course also includes a final exam in April 2012. More details on each assignment will be included in the course syllabus, to be distributed during the first class.