HIST 1004A: Europe in War; Cold War
Summer 2024
Instructor: Dr. Sean Eedy
Course Description:
The general aim of this course is to examine the history of what we think of as the European twentieth century. As something of a continuation of HIST 1003, this course picks up in 1939 with the Nazi invasion of Poland and the start of the Second World War and ends with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. As such, this course seeks to explore war, totalitarianism, rebellion and revolution, and the East-West relationship across the Iron Curtain.
As the dividing line between Communism and Capitalism (I do not use Communism and Democracy here as democracy is an elastic term and even the socialist states of the Soviet Bloc made claims to the democratic nature of those states), the discussion of Germany and its division throughout the postwar period (and even this has a degree of fluidity as there was no peace treaty signed to officially end WWII until 1990) will play a central role throughout the course. Moreover, as Central Europe, states like Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland were influenced by the West while simultaneously controlled by the Soviet Union, much of our attention will focus on these Central European states and their negotiation between the political and cultural influences of their neighbours on either side of the Curtain.
As much of the latter twentieth century is equally affected and defined by the Soviet Union and its opposition to the West during the Cold War, we will also spend time dealing with Russia as an idea and ideological opponent. We will pay particular attention to the relationship between the USSR and Germany as they acted alternately as opponent and ally and how each was greatly motivated by its marginalization in continental affairs, politics, and trade. True peace in Europe could only be attained through Germany’s inclusion in Europe, though this was not equally true of the Soviet Union.
This course examines Europe from both a “top down” and a “bottom up” approach, not only thinking about and discussing the politics and policies that shaped European society, but also the culture and the people living within that society. More than this, we will explore the notion of revolution and cultural influence as the shaping forces of Europe. In looking at society from the “bottom up,” it is important to consider how the culture and the people affected the leadership’s ability to govern unimpeded.
Learning Objectives:
Students should complete HIST 1004 with a greater understanding and ability to explain historical events, people, institutions, movements, and ideas over several periods of the latter half of the European twentieth century. Students should be able to evaluate historical arguments and scholarship. Finally, students should be able to clearly express in writing the results of historical thinking and research. Students are encouraged to develop their analytical and interpretational skills through the critical examination of a wide array of historical scholarship, communicating their ideas clearly, effectively, and logically.