Introductory description

This module will explore the history of Europe since 1945.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

This residential module will introduce students to key themes and issues in the history of Europe since 1945. It will consider the transformations of European societies, politics, and culture during the period. It will also analyse the regional and global dynamics that account for the contested process of integration of this diverse and often fragmented continent.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• To gain a broad understanding of the course of European history since 1945
• To be able to identify a range of related conceptual approaches and historiographical debates, including the nature, value, and limitations of transnational and comparative approaches
• To be able to identify and engage with a range of relevant primary sources
• To gain interpersonal and communication skills through the delivery of a presentation

Indicative reading list

Tom Buchanan, Europe’s Troubled Peace, 1945-2000 (London, 2012).
Mary Fulbrook (ed.), Europe since 1945 (Oxford, 2001)
Konrad Jarausch, Out of Ashes: A New History of Europe in the Twentieth Century (Princeton, 2015)
Tony Judt, Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 (New York, 2005)
Mark Gilbert, European Integration: A Concise History. Revised, Updated edition (Lanham, 2011)
Mark Mazower, Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century (London, 2000)
Mark Pittaway, Eastern Europe 1939-2000. London: Bloomsbury, 2004
Michael Richards and Paul Waibel, Twentieth Century Europe: A Brief History, 1900 to the
Present (Abingdon, 2014).
James J. Sheehan, Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?: The Transformation of Modern Europe (Boston, 2009).
Dan Stone, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Postwar European History. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2012
Philip Ther, Europe Since 1989. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2016
Rosemary Wakeman (ed.), Themes in Modern European History since 1945 (London, 2003)

Research element

Students will be invited to consider museum collection and urban heritage as sources for the history of modern and contemporary Europe.

Interdisciplinary

Students will be invited to engaged with concepts and debates elaborated by political scientists, sociologists and other social scientists. The module is designed to provide the students with an understanding of relationships between the different disciplinary areas within the Humanities and Social Sciences, particularly History, Politics and Sociology. It also invites to the students to make connections with other disciplinary areas covered in their main study programme. It provides the students with a critical understanding of dominant traditions and methodologies associated with the main phenomena covered in the module and enables the students to transcend disciplinary boundaries. The interdisciplinary course cohort provides contact opportunities and learning to see from different perspectives is a core aspect of the learning experience.

International

The residential module in Brussels will be delivered in a cosmopolitan city and with the support of both non-UK and transnational institutions. Students will engage with comparative and transnational methodologies and will do so in an intercultural context.
The module draws on cases from different contexts and different European countries and regions. The assessment involves students working in groups which will allow for a global and local outlook to be built into the module’s work. The international and diverse course cohort provides contact opportunities and learning to see from different perspectives is a core aspect of the learning experience.

Subject specific skills

see learning outcomes

Transferable skills

Work effectively with others in group tasks and in teams; Plan and manage time in projects; Develop strong analytical skills; Find, evaluate and use previous research at a level appropriate for a second year module. Use a range of tools and resources effectively in the preparation of course work. Use appropriate analytic methods to analyse research data on modern and contemporary Europe. Read academic papers effectively in the context of an intensive programme; Communicate clearly and effectively in discussions; Communicate ideas effectively in writing.