23440 - International History

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will learn:methodologies of analysis and interpretation of the processes of change in international politics; to apply these to some of the main topics of international history of the last 140 years; learn basic knowledge on the different sources for research on international history; learn basic knowledge of the historiographical debates on the topics covered by the course; learn to introduce a research case-study on international history

Course contents

The Course aims at providing an overview on the main processes of change in international relations and politics in contemporary history. Particular attention will be devoted to the systemic changes occurred on the pattens of social and political development in the different areas of the world.

The course will take place along the Blended model: 5 weeks, 30 hours in class and simultaneously connected online (Microsoft Teams); 5 weeks, 30 hours online (Microsoft Teams). 

Section A (in class): 30 hours.

After an introduction to the history of the disciplines, its different approaches and historiographical trends, the course will focus on the relations between state institutions and capitalist development in Europe and its projection abroad during colonial times. Then, it will review imperial and hegemonic trends between the end of the XIX century and WWII.

Section B (online): 30 hours

Section B will focus on some topics of post-WWI international history: the connections between Cold War, decolonization and postcolonial politics; the process of European integration; the development of globalization and the US "unipolar moment" and the end of the XX century; elements of a "multipolar" world in XXI century.

Indicative sub-division of the topics:

Section A

Introduction to international history: origins, approaches and historiographical trends

Relations between state and imperial institutions and capitalist development

Hegemony, Power Politics and Imperialism between late XIX century and WWI

Versailles, the League of Nations and the search for world order

Revisionism in Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and Japan, and WWII

Section B

Post-WWII world order: the construction of the Cold War

Decolonization, Bipolar Competition and "Modern Development" in Postcolonial countries

Origins and Development of the European Integration Process

The "Long 1970s" between crisis, Détente and post-colonial politics

The demise of the Cold War and globalization

From "Unipolar" to "Multipolar" international relations

 

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory Texts (for all students): 1+2+3

1. G. Formigoni, Storia della politica internazionale nell' eta'contemporanea, Il Mulino, 2006 e successive edizioni, capitoli da 1 a 5

2. E. Di Nolfo, Storia delle relazioni internazionali. Gli anni della guerra fredda 1946-1990, Roma-Bari: Laterza, 2015.

3. One Text at Choice:

Ennio Di Nolfo, Dalla fine della guerra fredda a oggi, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016

Ronald Findlay, Kevin O’Rourke, Power and Plenty: Trade, War and the World Economy in the Second Millennium, Princeton University Press, 2007

Jürgen Osterhammel, The transformation of the world: a Global History of the Nineteenth Century, Princeton University Press, Princeton N.J. 2014. Chapters, 8-18

Odd Arne Westad, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2005

Akira Iriye, Global community: the Role of International Organizations in the Contemporary World, University of Caifornia Press, 2002

Vijay Prashad, The Darker Nations, A People's History of the Third World, New York, 2007

Giovanni Arrighi, Beverly Silver, eds. Caos e governo del mondo. Come cambiano le egemonie e gli equilibri planetari, Milano, 2006

Mauro Campus, eds. Sviluppo, crisi, integrazione. Temi di Storia delle relazioni internazionali per il XXI secolo, Torino-Milano, 2012

Giuliano Garavini, Dopo gli imperi: integrazione europea nello scontro Nord-Sud, Firenze, 2009

Giuliano Garavini, The Rise and Fall of OPEC in the Twentieth Century,Oxford, 2019

Duccio Basosi, Finanza e petrolio. Gli Stati Uniti, l'oro nero e l'economia politica internazionale, Venezia, 2012

Duccio Basosi, Giuliano Garavini, Massimiliano Trentin, eds. Counter-shockThe Oil Counter-Revolution of the 1980s, London, 2018

James Gelvin, The Modern Middle East. A History, Oxford, 2015

Antonio Fiori, Stefano Bianchini, Russia e Cina nel mondo globale, Roma, 2018

Teaching methods

The Course is base on Frontal Lectures. 

Guest Lecturers will be invited on the specific topics.

During classes all students must follow the Covid-19 prevention protocols of the University of Bologna with utmost precision and discipline for the sake of everyone's safety.

Assessment methods

Attending student can take two exams, one for each Sections. Exam will focus on the topics covered during the related Section.

Non-attending students can take one unique exam on all compulsory texts.

All exams will take place online, using both Microsoft Teams and the platform Esami On Line (EOL-Unibo)

Teaching tools

Power-points and audio-visuals will support the Frontal Lectures

Office hours

See the website of Massimiliano Trentin