94372 - Violence, Genocide And Intervention Instruments

Learning outcomes

During the XX century, violence and genocides have affected millions of innocent civilians, sometimes with the aim of eliminating, totally or partially, groups of populations. The course aims to provide the knowledge to analyze these forms of violence and to interpret the various methods of intervention prepared to provide official recognition to the victims as well as to reach the reconciliation of the parties in conflict. At the end of the course, the student has critical and multidimensional analysis skills of multiple historical contexts related to situations of violence and genocide.

Course contents

The course is divided into two main parts:

• In the first part, the concepts of genocide and political violence will be analysed, reconstructing their genealogy and the related historical, political and legal debates.
• In the second part, the course will focus on two issues: the Shoah and the attempts made during the 20th century to find a legal, political, social and moral way out of genocidal situations and widespread political violence. The aim of the second part of the course is to illustrate the modes of analysis developed by historiography in the study of the Shoah and to critically compare the forms of intervention adopted by political societies to close accounts with situations characterised by a high rate of violence and/or physical extermination of population groups.

Readings/Bibliography

INSTITUTIONAL PART

Attending students prepare the following texts:

• Norman M. Naimark, Fires of hatred. Ethnic cleansing in twentieth-century Europe, Cambridge (MA), Harvard University Press
• Pier Paolo Portinaro, L’imperativo di uccidere. Genocidio e democidio nella storia, Laterza, 2017 (Introduction: from page 3 to page 49)

Non-attending students prepare the following texts:

• Norman M. Naimark, Fires of hatred. Ethnic cleansing in twentieth-century Europe, Cambridge (MA), HarvardUniversity Press + Pier Paolo Portinaro, L’imperativo di uccidere. Genocidio e democidio nella storia, Laterza, 2017 (Introduction: from page 3 to page 49)
• OR
• Marcello Flores, Il genocidio, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021 + Pier Paolo Portinaro, L’imperativo di uccidere. Genocidio e democidio nella storia, Laterza, 2017 (Introduzione: da pagina 3 a pagina 49)

MONOGRAPHIC PART:

Attending students prepare some chapters, which will be indicated during the lectures, from the following text:

• David Forgacs, Messaggi di sangue. La violenza nella storia d’Italia, Laterza, 2021
  

Non-attending students must prepare one pair of texts from the following:

 

• David Forgacs, Messaggi di sangue. La violenza nella storia d’Italia, Laterza, 2021 + F. Triola, La questione delle epurazioni all’interno del ministero degli Esteri. Il caso dei rappresentanti italiani in Germania occidentale durante la prima legislatura (1948-1953), in «Italia contemporanea», 281, agosto 2016, pp. 107-132.
• OR
• Christopher R. Browning, Uomini comuni. Polizia tedesca e «soluzione finale» in Polonia, Einaudi, 2004 + F. Triola, La questione delle epurazioni all’interno del ministero degli Esteri. Il caso dei rappresentanti italiani in Germania occidentale durante la prima legislatura (1948-1953), in «Italia contemporanea», 281, agosto 2016, pp. 107-132.
• OR
• Valentine Lomellini (a cura di), Il mondo della guerra fredda e l'Italia degli anni di piombo. Una regia internazionale per il terrorismo?, Le Monnier, 2017 + F. Triola, La questione delle epurazioni all’interno del ministero degli Esteri. Il caso dei rappresentanti italiani in Germania occidentale durante la prima legislatura (1948-1953), in «Italia contemporanea», 281, agosto 2016, pp. 107-132.
• OR
• Daniel J. Goldhagen, I volenterosi carnefici di Hitler. I tedeschi comuni e l'Olocausto, Mondadori, qualsiasi edizione + + F. Triola, La questione delle epurazioni all’interno del ministero degli Esteri. Il caso dei rappresentanti italiani in Germania occidentale durante la prima legislatura (1948-1953), in «Italia contemporanea», 281, agosto 2016, pp. 107-132.
• OR
• Santo Peli, Storie di Gap. Terrorismo urbano e Resistenza, Einaudi, 2014 + F. Triola, La questione delle epurazioni all’interno del ministero degli Esteri. Il caso dei rappresentanti italiani in Germania occidentale durante la prima legislatura (1948-1953), in «Italia contemporanea», 281, agosto 2016, pp. 107-132.
• OR
• Michele Cento, L'ideologia atlantica. La delegittimazione politica dalla guerra fredda culturale al neoconservatorismo (1936-1967), Le Monnier, 2023 + F. Triola, La questione delle epurazioni all’interno del ministero degli Esteri. Il caso dei rappresentanti italiani in Germania occidentale durante la prima legislatura (1948-1953), in «Italia contemporanea», 281, agosto 2016, pp. 107-132.

Teaching methods

The first part of the course consists of frontal lessons to introduce the basic conceptual categories. The second part of the course will alternate between face-to-face lessons and a participative approach on the part of the students, aimed at the application of knowledge and its deepening through the presentation of a case study.

Assessment methods

The examination aims to check the achievement of the objectives outlined in the contents section. There are two different examination methods for attending and non-attending students.

Attending students:

• A written intermediate test on the institutional part and on the contents of the lessons. An oral test at the end of the course during the exam, based on the chapters of the texts indicated in the monographic part during the lessons.

  Non-attending students:

• The verification of learning will be done through a 10-question written test and an interview at the examination call. It will be necessary to demonstrate knowledge and the ability to critically rework the contents of the texts indicated in the institutional part and the monograph part.

The grade in thirtieths will consider the possession of a mastery of expression and specific language, as well as a structural and historical-contextual understanding of the topics addressed. The students' achievement of an organic vision of the topics covered by the course, the demonstration of possession of an adequate mastery of expression and specific language will be evaluated with very good or excellent grades (from 27 to 30). A largely mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, an inadequate ability to summarise and analyse, or language that is correct but not always appropriate, as well as a scholastic command of the programme studied, will lead to fair marks (22 to 26). Formative gaps or inappropriate language, as well as a lack of knowledge and understanding of the syllabus will lead to grades which are on the threshold of sufficiency (from 18 to 21). Inadequate training, inappropriate language, lack of orientation in the bibliography, as well as a lack of knowledge and understanding and an inability to analyse twentieth-century political history can only be assessed negatively.

The professor reserves the right to modify the test methods according to the continuation of the emergency caused by the Covid.

To take the examination, students shall register in the list by AlmaEsami service. Non-enrolled students will be excluded from the test. If students registered decide not to sit the examination, they are required to cancel their name from the exam list. Students are also required to sit the examination with their UniBo credentials and a recognition document.

Students who have included this course in study programs of previous academic years are invited to contact the teacher to agree the test methods. DSA students with special needs are asked to contact the professor, with the dedicated office CCed.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint presentations; audio-visual material, digital resources.

Office hours

See the website of Filippo Triola