HS211 – Fall 2023 - 20th century Europe and the world
Instructor: Dario Biocca ([email protected])
The 20th century has shaped our society and our view of the past. Unspeakable tragedies and remarkable achievements characterized changes which redefined the notions of social progress, national identity and political ideology. The course explores the causes of the outbreak of two world wars, the development of totalitarian utopias and studies the events which occurred during “the short twentieth century”. It also discusses values, principles and beliefs that in the post WWII years led to the building of multinational structures of governance, the advancements made in the realm of science and technology and the deepening of generational gaps. Finally, the course analyzes the transformations which most recently redefined the relations between Europe, the West and the rest of the world.
Class schedule:
Week 1 (Sep.5-7)
Introduction to the course - The First World War (1)
Week 2 (Sep.12-14-15)
The First Word War (2) - The Russian revolution
Week 3 (Sep. 19-21)
Postwar Europe - The rise of Italian fascism
Week 4 (Sep. 26-28)
Nazi Germany – The Ethiopian war – The Spanish civil war
Week 5 (Oct. 3-5)
The Second world war (1)
Midterm exam questions posted on Moodle
Week 6 (Oct. 10-12)
The Holocaust – The Eichmann trial
Week 7 (Oct. 17-19)
The Second World War (2)
Week 8 (Oct. 24-26)
Post WWII Europe - The Berlin crisis
Week 9 (Oct. 31-Nov. 2)
The fall of European empires – The cold war
Paper abstract deadline: Nov. 5
Week 10 (Nov. 7-9)
Europe and the Middle East – May 68
Week 11 (Nov. 14-16)
The Vietnam years - The Cyprus crisis
Week 12 (Nov. 21)
The USSR from Breznev to Gorbačëv
Week 13 (Nov. 28-30)
The European Economic Community – From German reunification to Brexit
Final exam questions posted on Moodle
Week 14 (Dec. 5-7)
The EU and America – Terrorism and war
Review session -