25187 - History and Institutions of Eastern Europe

Learning outcomes

The Course offers Students a wide picture of the political, economic and social changes which took place in Central-Eastern Europe and in the Balkans during the XXth century. It  describes  the operation of the authoritarian modernization carried through by the communist regimes and the changes following their collapse. At the end of the Course Students will be able: 1) - to command  the main stages of the political and social processes affecting Europe in the XXth century, in particular its Eastern half; 2) -  to analyse the international dimension of  political, economic and social events: 3) - to enquiry into, and to understand the logic of the history of Eastern Europe; 4) -  to orient himself autonomously in the field; 5) - to sustain a scientific dialogue on these subjects with people of  different education and cultural background.

Course contents

The title of the Course is : "A History of Contemporary Eastern Europe, 1919-1920". It will outline the process of political, institutional and economic change in a wide area, spotted by a great number of  ethnic-national and religious confessions. A particular attention will be devoted to the period of its Sovietizaztion,  its political and military crises (1956, 1968, 1980-81),  the attempts of economic reform and to the social and economic consequences of  its long inclusion in the Soviet "outer empire"

Readings/Bibliography

1) - Stefano Bottoni, L'Europa orientale dal 1919, Roma, Carocci, 2011 (comes out in March-April 2011).

 2) - Choose two books among the followingi:

-         Stefano Bottoni, Transilvania rossa. Il comunismo romeno e la questione nazionale (1944-1965),  
          Roma, Carocci, 2007;

-         Marco Clementi, Cecoslovacchia. Milano, Unicopli, 2007;

-         Guido Franzinetti, I Balcani: 1878-2001. Roma, Carocci, 2001;

-         Francesco Guida, Romania, Milano, Unicopli, 2005

-         Noel Malcolm, Storia della Bosnia. Milano, Bompiani, 2000 (solo parte post-1918);

-         Noel Malcolm, Storia del Kosovo. Milano, Bompiani, 1999 (solo parte post-1918);

-         Francesco Privitera, Jugoslavia. Milano, Unicopli, 2007;

-         Adriano Papo, L'Ungheria contemporanea. Dalla monarchia dualista ai giorni nostri. Roma.    Carocci, 2007;

-        Jerzy Lukowsky, Hubert Zawadski, Polonia. Il paese che rinasce, Trieste, Beit, 2009 (solo parte    post-1918)

-         Stevan K. Pavlowitch, Serbia. La storia al di là del nome, Trieste, Beit, 2010

Teaching methods

Classes supported by  multi-media tools. Typed materials will be distributed by the Instructor, as well

Assessment methods

For Students attending classes: a written dissertation . As an alternative: oral exam. Oral exam for all Students not attending classes.

Teaching tools

Classes supported by  multi-media tools. Typed materials will be distributed, as well

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Benvenuti

See the website of Stefano Bottoni