B8275 - Wars and Justice Profiles in the Contemporary Age (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will have a critical and in-depth knowledge of the evolution of war and the legal and criminal frameworks that shape it in its various meanings and developments during the 19th and 20th centuries: both as an expression of the violent transformation of the balance of power between states in Europe and at the global level, and as an expression of conflict within national frameworks themselves, and in its hybrid forms. They have a critical knowledge of the key concepts of periodization and spatial definition of conflicts, of the tools for identifying processes of change and continuity in the historiographical debate, and of the different methodological approaches to the study of conflict dimension. They know and can evaluate the contribution of different historical perspectives in the fields of political, institutional, legal, economic, social and gender history to the analysis of war contexts. They will know how to collect, catalogue, annotate and make appropriate use of procedural and legal sources related to different types of conflict. They will be able to recognize the relevance and interest of a research problem for the debate and historical knowledge of the war dimension, to identify the sources of information necessary to address it, and to be aware of the consequences of the unavailability of data.

Course contents

Transitions Between War and Peace in the Post-WWII Era
The course focuses on the evolution of warfare and the accompanying judicial and criminal legal frameworks in their various transformations throughout the 20th century. The reconstruction of broader historical contexts will be complemented by a thematic exploration of the transition between World War II and the postwar period as a moment of democratic renewal for nation-states in Europe. Special attention will be given to the relationship between the political and social legacies of the conflict and new constitutional definitions, as well as the purges and Transitional Justice measures implemented in different national contexts. These were aimed not only at punishing former enemies but also at asserting new political principles and establishing shared narrative paradigms about the recently concluded war.

Readings/Bibliography

For attending students, the exam will cover:
-T. Judt, Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945, New York, The Penguin Press, 2005 (ed. it Postwar. La nostra storia 1945-2005, Roma, Laterza 2020), Introduction + Part I
-G. Crainz, L'ombra della guerra. Il 1945, l'Italia, Roma, Donzelli, 2007
+ one text of choice from List A

For non-attending students, the exam will cover:
-T. Judt, Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945, New York, The Penguin Press, 2005 (ed. it Postwar. La nostra storia 1945-2005, Roma, Laterza 2020), Introduction + Part I
-G. Crainz, L'ombra della guerra. Il 1945, l'Italia, Roma, Donzelli, 2007
+ two texts of choice from List A

 

List A

E. Acciai, G. Panvini, C. Poesio, T. Rovatti (eds), Oltre il 1945. Violenza, conflitto sociale e ordine pubblico nel dopoguerra europeo, Viella, Roma, 2017

István Deák, Europa a processo: collaborazionismo, Resistenza e giustizia fra guerra e dopoguerra [introduzione di G. Schwarz], Bologna, il Mulino, 2019

Keith Lowe, Savage continent. Europe in the Aftermath of World War II, London, Viking, 2012 (tr. It. Il continente selvaggio: l'Europa alla fine della Seconda guerra mondiale, Laterza, 2015)

L’epurazione mancata. La magistratura tra fascismo e Repubblica, a cura di A. Meniconi, G. Neppi Modona (eds), il Mulino, Bologna, 2022

Giustizia straordinaria fra fascismo e democrazia. I processi presso le Corti d’assise e nei tribunali militari, a cura di C. Nubola, P. Pezzino, T. Rovatti, il Mulino, Bologna, 2019

P.P. Portinaro, I conti con il passato: vendetta, amnistia, giustizia, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2011

Transizioni: società e istituzioni tra guerra e dopoguerra, a cura di G. Nemec e A.M. Vinci, numero monografico di «Qualestoria», 2 (2019), https://eut.units.it/it/fascicolo/qualestoria-rivista-di-storia-contemporanea-xlvii-n-ro-2-dicembre-2019-trans/310

Additional bibliographic references will be provided during the course

Teaching methods

Lectures and discussions of normative texts and judicial sources

Assessment methods

A student will be considered attending if they participate in at least 75% of the lectures.

For both attending and non-attending students, the oral examination of the Integrated Course (12 ECTS) will consist of a discussion of the texts and verification of the topics covered during lectures.

A passing grade will be awarded if the student demonstrates the ability to develop a chronological and critical argument regarding the main phases of the discipline, presented with appropriate academic rigor.
An intermediate grade will be awarded to students who, in addition to solid chronological and critical preparation, demonstrate adequate competence in working with sources.
To achieve an excellent grade, the student must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered in lectures and in the assigned texts, combined with expressive mastery and discipline-specific language.
Knowledge gaps and/or inappropriate language, even within a context of minimal understanding of the examination material, will result in grades not exceeding the passing threshold.


The course " War and Practices of Justice in the Contemporary Age" (6 ECTS) is part of the Integrated Course "Formation and Trasformation of Nation States" (12 ECTS).
If the student has included the Integrated Course (12 ECTS) in their study plan, the final grade will result from the arithmetic average of the grades obtained in the two module examinations, taken during the same examination session.
If the student has included only the course "War and Practices of Justice in the Contemporary Age" (6 ECTS) in their study plan, the final grade will be determined by the evaluation of the single module examination.

In both cases, there will be six examination sessions:
- December, early/late January, May, June, September

Teaching tools

The course will employ PowerPoint presentations during lectures, occasionally supplemented with audiovisual materials and documentary sources.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Toni Rovatti