The course provides an overview of European history from 1914 to the present. It examines the major economic, social, and political developments in Europe, including the world wars, totalitarian regimes, postwar economic growth, the welfare state, the fall of communism, the rise of neoliberalism, European integration, and the rise of nationalism and populism. The course will combine lectures and discussions. Students are expected to attend class sessions and contribute to classroom discussions.
On the completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Analytically distinguish the general tendencies of historical development from the specific forms they have taken in different European countries.
- Understand the main factors (ranging from economic development to ideologies) that influence the historical process; critically discuss the reasons for specific historical events.
- Understand the specificity of the historical approach to social and cultural phenomena and the distinction between historical analysis and value judgment.
- Critically use key historical concepts (such as capitalism, communism, modernity, revolution, totalitarianism, and democracy).
- Understand the difference between primary and secondary historical sources and critically analyze them.
- Analyze the main economic, social, political, and cultural phenomena of twentieth-century European history.
There will be no textbook. PowerPoint slides will be available to students after lectures.
- Attendance and participation: 20%
- Co-teaching (presentation): 20%
- Midterm essay: 20%
- Final essay: 40%
Students are expected to attend class sessions. Three unexcused absences are allowed. For each unexcused absence after the third, a student will lose half a letter grade in participation. Students are also responsible for arriving to class on time.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.