00932 - Contemporary History

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide a critical knowledge of the historical evolution of Europe and the main non-European countries in the period from the Congress of Vienna (1815) to the fall of the Berlin wall (1989). At the end of the course the student is able to know and understand the main historical events and the development of the economic, social, cultural and political phenomena that have characterized the last two centuries, in order to have a reference grid for his studies. , in particular in the field of conservation, protection and enhancement of cultural heritage.

Course contents

The course provides an overview of the main issues in contemporary history, organised into thematic itineraries that take into account the profound changes in historiographical paradigms in the 20th century. From the revolutions of the 19th century to the birth of nation states, from the Italian Risorgimento to colonialism and imperialism, from the history of women to the great fractures of the 20th century, marked by world wars, fascism and totalitarianism. Each theme will be introduced by lectures given by the teacher and explored in depth through the analysis of a variety of sources – written, oral, visual and material – to stimulate a dynamic and participatory understanding of historical processes.

In line with the European Jean Monnet Erasmus Plus project “Arts” and Politics. European cultural heritage policies between old and new values (HEURITAGE 2025–2027), coordinated by the lecturer and launched last year, the course will include meetings and thematic workshops dedicated to the “construction” of European cultural heritage. These activities will provide an opportunity to reflect on cultural policies, museum practices and the tensions between tradition and new values in the definition of European cultural heritage.


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Readings/Bibliography

 

For attending students :

1) It requires the preparation of a manual to choose from those indicated in Part A (Manuals), to be integrated with the study of materials distributed by the teacher during the lessons.

2) The study of a monograph on a great theme of contemporary history to choose from those listed in the B (monographs).

3) An report on the specific part of the course.

For non-attending students

you are required to study:

1) One history textbook of your choice from those recommended under A);

2) One book of your choice from group B (monographs);

3) Two books of your choice from group C (texts specific to the part of the course).

 

A) Manuals :

1) S. Lupo, A. Ventrone, L'età contemporanea, Milano, Mondadori education, 2018.

2) A.M. Banti, L'età contemporanea. Dalle rivoluzioni settecentesche all'imperialismo, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009; A.M. Banti, L'età contemporanea. Dalla grande guerra a oggi, Roma, Laterza, 2010.

 

B) Monographs:

S. Lupo, Il passato del nostro presente. Il lungo Ottocento 1776-1913, Bari, Laterza, 2010.

H. Hobsbawn, Il secolo breve. 1914-1991: l’era dei grandi cataclisimi, Milano, Rizzoli, 1994.

F. Engels, La situazione della classe operaia in Inghilterra, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2021.

S. Ciriacono, La rivoluzione industriale: dalla protoindustrializzazione alla produzione flessibile, Milano, Mondadori, 2000.

J. Kocka, Borghesie europee dell’Ottocento, Venezia, Marsilio, 1989.

E.J. Hobsbawn, Nazioni e nazionalismi dal 1870. Programma, mito, realtà, Torino, Einaudi, 1990.

G. L. Mosse, La nazionalizzazione delle masse, Simbolismo politico e movimenti di massa in Germania (1815-1933), Bologna, Il Mulino.

A.M. Banti, Il Risorgimento italiano, Bari, Laterza, 2009.

C. Pinto, La guerra per il Mezzogiorno: italiani borbonici e briganti 1860-1870, Bari-Roma, Laterza 2019.

N. Labanca, Oltremare: storia dell'espansione coloniale italiana, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007.

E. Leed, Terra di nessuno. Esperienza bellica e identità personale nella prima guerra mondiale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1985.

A. Gibelli, L'officina della guerra: la grande guerra e le trasformazioni del mondo mentale, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 1991.

E. Collotti, Fascismo, fascismi, Firenze, Sansoni, 1989.

E. Gentile, Il culto del littorio. La sacralizzazione della politica nell’Italia fascista, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009 (ed. or. 1993).

J. Bourke, La seconda guerra mondiale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005.

G. L. Mosse, Le guerre mondiali. Dalla tragedia al mito dei caduti, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2014 (5a ed.)

C. Pavone, Una guerra civile. Saggio storico sulla moralità nella Resistenza, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri, 2006.

S. Peli, Storia della resistenza in Italia, Torino, Einaudi, 2014.

P. Ginsborg, Storia d'Italia dal dopoguerra ad oggi. Società e politica, Torino, Einaudi, 1989.

Federico Romero, Storia della guerra Fredda. L'ultimo conflitto per l'Europa, Torino, Einaudi, 2009.

D. Sassoon, La cultura degli Europei. Dal 1800 a oggi, Milano, Rizzoli, 2011 (3 chapter by choise).

C) Specific texts for the monographic part of the course:

O. Calligaro, Negotiating Europe: EU Promotion of Europeanness since the 1950s, Palgrave, 2018.

V. Deplano (a cura di), Passati Presenti: Luoghi di memoria, cultural heritage e costruzione delle identità in Europa, Resoconti/11, 2024 (scaricabile open acces a questo link https://unicapress.unica.it/index.php/unicapress/catalog/book/978-88-3312-034-8 )

F. Focardi, B. Groppo, L’Europa e le sue memorie. Politiche e culture del ricordo dopo il 1989, Roma, Viella, 2013.

Giuliana Laschi, Storia dell’integrazione europea, Firenze, Le Monnier, Università, 2021.

C. Malandrino, S. Qurico, L'idea di Europa. Storia e prospettive, Roma, Carocci, 2020.

L. Pavan Woolfe (a cura di), Difendere insieme il patrimonio culturale dell'Europa. La convenzione di Faro, Linea Edizioni, 2023.

M. Sassatelli, Identità, cultura, Europa. Le «Città europee della cultura», Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2007.

 

 

 

 

Teaching methods

From a methodological point of view, we will proceed with the reading of historiographic, literary texts and the analysis of first-hand documents, the projection of documentary materials, films, images. 

Assessment methods

For attending students : in addition to forms of participation throughout the course, there will be an oral exercise in seminar form (to be held during the second part of the course) on a volume (to be agreed with the teacher) on the specific part of the course.
The final examination will cover the knowledge acquired during the first part of the course, related to the institutional part, to be prepared on one of the recommended manuals. The exam will consist of an oral exam consisting of at least three questions on some episodes events and phenomena of contemporary history whose knowledge was acquired during the course.
The score of the exam is given by the average of the scores obtained in the oral exercise during the course and by the final examination.
For non-attending students: the knowledge of contemporary history for the manual part provides the ability to correctly frame in their historical context the events, remember the protagonists and the most important moments, know how to place them in a correct diachronic scale. For the part relating to monographic works it is necessary to highlight the essential issues addressed in the volumes and the main historiographical issues that emerge from reading.

 

 

 

Teaching tools

Basic equipment will be used for the presentation of slides, illustrations and short films to support teaching.

Office hours

See the website of Anna Pellegrino