HIST 117: 20th Century Europe—The Cold War

Spring 2015—Course Syllabus

Professor:Aeleah SoineEmail:

Meeting time:Office: Galileo Hall 311

Office Hours:Classroom:

Course Description—

This course covers the history of Europe from the end of World War II to the end of the
Cold War in 1991. Specifically, we will be looking at how the Cold War, decolonization, the rise of the European Union, and globalization significantly changed European economics, politics, societies, and cultures in a period of time that falls within living memory. Such a dynamic and relatively brief era of history lends itself well to deeper engagement with historical debates and regional issues. We will have an opportunity to spend a significant amount of time studying popular culture as well. Although the course will progress chronologically, there will be several reoccurring themes throughout the semester: Legacy of World War II and the Holocaust, Effects of Cold War polarization, Foundations of political legitimacy, Migration, Europeanization, and Nationalism, Identity politics and social (or regional) movements.

Course Objectives—

  • Analyze primary and scholarly sources in order to understand European experiences of the Postwar Era within their appropriate historical and historiographic contexts.
  • Appreciate the particular opportunities and challenges that historians face when tracing and constructing historical narratives that are still within living memory.
  • Think critically about politicized concepts and theories, such as socialism, communism, capitalism, totalitarianism, decolonization,terrorism, and Europe.

Required Books—

  • William I. Hitchcock, The Struggle for Europe: The Turbulent History of a Divided Continent, 1945-Present (Anchor, 2004).ISBN: 978-0385497992
  • Slavenka Drakulic, How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed (Harper, 1993).

Course Expectations—

  • Preparation. Read all assigned texts carefully and bring them with to class.Note words/sentences/sections or ideas/concepts/events that are you find unclear, difficult to understand, or that you suspect there may be more meaning to than what you can glean.
  • Engagement. Class attendance is more than just showing up. Students are expected to actively participate in lectures, discussions, and activities by asking questions when something is not clear, promoting critical thinking and discussion by drawing upon course materials, lectures, and contributions from classmates. Individual contributions and responsibility for the quality of group activities will be considered
  • Respect. Students should be open to and respectful of other students’ views. Discussions should be kept relevant to the course material and issues at hand; they should NOT include personally directed comments or attacks, use of negative stereotypes, or broad generalizations about groups of people. Inappropriate use of language, including but not limited to cursing, name-calling, racial/ethnic/sexual/ religious prejudice, and offensive use of slang or body language will not be tolerated!

Expectations for Writing:

  • Quality. Papers should demonstrate an original, focused, and thesis-driven engagement withthe questions, themes, and texts specified by the assignment.
  • Format. Assignments are expected to meet all specifications upon submission, including but not limited to a uniquely descriptive title, 1 inch margins, 12pt standard Times New Roman font, standard double-spacing without extra spaces between paragraphs, and a header of no more than 4 single spaced lines. Failure to meet length requirements or use of formatting techniques to lengthen or shorten papers, inappropriate use of quotations, and/or not addressing all objectives of a question will result in significant grading penalties. Websites such as Wikipedia, online study guides, personal webpages, and commercial sites advertising products are almost never appropriate! When in doubt, ask.
  • Integrity.All written and oral assignments are expected to be the sole product of the person(s) whose name is attached with complete and accurate attribution of credit for any references to the ideas, quotations, or contributions of others.Academic dishonesty (including but not limited to plagiarism, turning in someone else’s work, and lack of proper citation) is a violation of the Saint Mary’s College Academic Honor Code and will be referred to the Academic Honor Council. For more information on plagiarism or academic dishonesty, see the Academic Policies section of the Student Handbook.

Disabilities Services—

Student Disability Services extends reasonable and appropriate accommodations that take into account the context of the course and its essential elements for individuals with qualifying disabilities. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services Office at (925) 631-4358 to set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines and available services. Additional information regarding the services available may be found at the following address on the Saint Mary’s website:

Grading—

15%--Class Attendance, Participation, Preparation, and Activities:

Participation is a major component of the overall course grade. It represents your overall level of engagement in the course, in-class activities, and the quality as well as quantity of discussion contributionsand respectfully attentive behavior.

20%--Quizzes:

Rather than having a midterm exam, there will be two longer quizzes that are scheduled throughout the semester. Each quiz will last approximately 30 minutes and will include a combination of identifications, short answer questions, and a map or picture exercise.

30%--Papers:

Three 4-5 page papers at 10% each, including a primary source analysis and a historiographic review of scholarly sources.These papers are meant as expose students to skills specific to the discipline of history, as well as to provide an opportunity for general analytic thought and expression.Late papers will be reduced by 10% per day up to one week.

15%--Small Group Presentation:

Groups will prepare and present a multimedia overview of the 1968 movements from the point of view of a single European country in order to more fully understand the tensions among local, national, European, and global movements and identities.

20%--Final Exam:

The final is a cumulative take-home exam that will draw on your understanding of change over time, course themes, and knowledge of major and/or reoccurring concepts. It is also required that you turn in your weekly responses in a typed document format with your exam answers.

Semester Schedule

Readings from the booklist are listed with the author’s last name in bold. All other readings will be posted to the Moodle site.

Part I: The Aftermath of War

Week 1:

MIntroductions

  • Fill out individual information and interest inventory sheet (handout in class).
  • Hitchcock, “Introduction,” pp. 1-11.

WThe Zero Hour

  • Hitchcock,“Ch. 1: German Midnight: The Division of Europe, 1945” pp. 13-38.
  • Grass, 1945-1947 (pp. 113-121).
  • Christian Fleck, “Explaining Austria,” Society, Jan/Feb2001, Vol. 38 Issue 2, pp. 61-67.

FDenazification

  • Benjamin Frommer, “Introduction,” National Cleansing: Retribution against Nazi Collaborators in Postwar Czechoslovakia (2005), pp. 1-32.

Week 2:

MThe End of Empires? The End of Europe?

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 2: Building Jerusalem: The Labour Government in Great Britain,” and “Ch. 3: Democracy Embattled: France, Italy, and West Germany, 1944-1949,” pp. 40-97.

WThe Iron Curtain

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 4: Behind the Iron Curtain: Communism in Power, 1945-1953” pp. 98-129.
  • Primary Documents:
  • Winston Churchill, Iron Curtain Speech
  • Joseph Stalin, Response to Iron Curtain Speech
  • Cominform Comminuqué: Resolution of the Information Bureau Concerning the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, June 28, 1948.

FThe Marshall Plan

Paper #1:Write a 4-5 page response essay synthesizing the following scholarly analyses on the historical significance of the Marshall Plan for Europe. What do these essays tell you about the key debates in the historiography, why do they matter, and what is most or least convincing to you?

  • Scholarly Debate on the Marshall Plan from Journal of Cold War Studies, Winter2005, Vol. 7 Issue 1.
  • [In-class] Marshall Plan Propaganda—films and posters.

Part II: The Boom

Week 3:

M1950s: The Miracle Years

  • Hitchcock,“The Miraculous Fifties,” pp. 131-161.

W1950s: Welfare and Containment

  • Byron Nordstrom,“The Nordic ‘Welfare States,’” in Chapter 14: The Contemporary Era: Norden since 1945, Scandinavia since 1500 (2000); pp. 330-334.
  • Eric D. Weitz, The Ever-Present Other: Communism in the Making of West Germany (pp. 219-232).

FOn the 17th of June and the Death of Stalin

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 7a: Hope Betrayed: The Khrushchev Years, 1953-1964,” pp. 193-220.
  • Nikita S. Khrushchev: The Secret Speech - On the Cult of Personality, 1956

Week 4

M Hungarian Revolution (1956)

  • Primary Documents:
  • Hungarian Students: Sixteen Political, Economic, and Ideological Points, Budapest, October 22, 1956
  • Hungary 1956
  • Soviet Statement: Friendship and Co-operation Between the Soviet Union and Other Socialist States, October 30, 1956
  • Statement of the Soviet Government, October 30, 1956 and Imry Nagy: Last Message (November 4, 1956)

WAmericanization and Mass Culture

*QUIZ #1

FThe Kitchen Debates

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 7a: Hope Betrayed: The Khrushchev Years, 1953-1964,” pp. 193-220.
  • Primary Document: Transcript of the Nixon-Khrushchev Kitchen Debate (1959)

Week 5

MDecolonization

  • Hitchcock, “Winds of Change: The End of the European Empires,” 162-191.
  • Primary Documents:
  • MacMillan, Winds of Change speech
  • Verwoeld’s Response (1960)
  • Charles de Gaulle, French Premier: Speech at Constantine, Algeria, October 3, 1958
  • United Nations: Declaration on Granting Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 1960

*Paper #2a: Compare and contrast the major positions in France on the Algerian Conflict. What was at stake for postwar France? How did the conflict transform French identity, citizenship, and culture? Was France typical or a typical of the process of European decolonization more broadly?

WPostwarWomen’s Movements

  • Simone de Beauvoir, excerpt from The Second Sex (1949)
  • Interview with Simone de Beauvoir
  • Excerpt from “When Cinderella went to Market”

FCold War Culture

  • Christoph Lindner, “Chapter 4:” The James Bond Phenomenon

Week 6

MEuropean Integration—The Treaty of Rome (1957)

*Paper #2b Due.Compare and contrast the decisions of two European countries regarding the Treaty of Rome. Why would a country choose to join the European Economic Community or not? How did these decisions hinge upon both history and its outlook on the future?

WThe French Superpower

  • Hitchcock, “The Gaullist Temptation: Western Europe in the 1960s,” pp. 221-241.
  • Primary Document: Excerpt from Charles De Gaulle in Pioneers of European Integration and Peace, 1945-1963: A Brief History with Documents, edited by Sherrill Brown Wells (2007).
  • Charles de Gaulle, President of France: Europe and Its Role In World Affairs, July 23, 1964
  • President Charles de Gaulle: Le Grand "Non": Britain's Proposed Entry Into The Common Market, May 16, 1967

FDebates about Nuclear Armament

  • Michael Geyer, Cold War Angst: The Case of West-German Opposition to Rearmament and Nuclear Weapons (pp. 376-408).

PART 3: REBELS

Week 7

MNo Class—Small Group Work Day

  • Kurlansky, appropriateexcerpt from 1968: The Year that Rocked the World.

W1968: The Prague Spring and the Youth Revolt

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 9: Europe and its Discontents: 1968 and After,” pp. 243-268.
  • The Brezhnev Doctrine, November, 1968, excerpts.

FGroup Presentations on 1968

Week 8

MThe European South

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 10: Southern Renaissance: The Transition to Democracy,” pp. 269-287.

WTerrorism and the West

QUIZ #2

FReal-Existing Socialism

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 11a: Cracks in the Wall: Eastern Europe, 1968-1981,” pp. 288-309.
  • Drakulic, excerpts, Part 1

Week 9

MDétente

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 11b: Cracks in the Wall: Eastern Europe, 1968-1981,” pp. 288-309.
  • John M. Kramer, “The Vatican's "Ostpolitik"”The Review of Politics, Vol. 42, No. 3. (Jul., 1980), pp. 283-308.
  • The Second Vatican Council

WPolish Solidarity

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 11c: Cracks in the Wall: Eastern Europe, 1968-1981,” pp. 288-309.

*Paper #3a Due: Use newspaper archives to find at least three distinct European responses to the Polish Solidarity Movement. How did outsiders interpret the significance of the historical event? Was it seen as leading toward the end of the Cold War, or something else?

FLife in Real-Existing Socialism

  • The Lives of Others (film)
  • Drakulic, excerpts, Part 2

Week 10

*Spring Break—No Classes

Week 11

MNo Class—Easter Break

WThatcher

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 12: Rule, Britannia: The Thatcher Era,” pp. 311-345.
  • Bobby Sands (d.1981): The Diary of BobbySands, March 1981

FThe Olympic Boycott, 1980

*Paper #3b Due: Use newspaper archives to find at least three distinct European responses to the announcement that the Americans will boycott the Moscow Olympics. Compare and contrast the rationales given for either joining the boycott or going to Moscow.

Part 4: Unity?

Week 12

MOpening the Wall?

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 13a: The European Revolutions, 1989-1991,” pp. 347-379.

WDancing on the Wall

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 13c: The European Revolutions, 1989-1991,” pp. 347-379.

FThe End of the Iron Curtain

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 13b: The European Revolutions, 1989-1991,” pp. 347-379.

Week 13

MCollapse of the Soviet Union

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 13c: The European Revolutions, 1989-1991,” pp. 347-379.

WLearning to Live without the Wall

  • Good-bye Lenin (film)
  • Drakulic,excerpts, Part 3: “Chapters 8-11,” pp. xi-10, 76-112.

FBalkan War

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 14: The Bones of Bosnia,” pp. 380-409.

*Paper #3c Due: Use newspaper archives to find at least three distinct European responses to the crisis in the Balkans. What are the primary reasons for European intervention or lack thereof? How did people perceive the potential consequences of the intervention?

Week 14

MContinued Divisions

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 15: Who is European? Race, Immigration, and the Politics of Division,” pp. 410-433.

WThe EU

  • Hitchcock, “Ch. 16: The Elusive European Union,” pp. 435-463.

FCold War Legacies

  • Hitchcock, “Afterword: Europe and America after September 11,” pp. 465-473.
  • Bring contemporary news article or popular culture reference to class that illuminates the ongoing resonance of a Cold War theme or trope into the 21st century.

Week 15 –Final Exam

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