Brandeis University

    HIST 125B: Europe in the Global Cold War

    Instructor: Mate Rigo
    Prerequisites: None
    Course Description: “Europe in the Global Cold War” offers a thematic overview of the history of the post-1945 period in Europe’s East and West, and situates these histories in their global contexts, such as decolonization, environmental change (Chornobyl catastrophe) the struggle of the USSR and the US, the Vietnam War, and debates on the “end of history” around 1989. We will study how events that started in Eastern and East-Central Europe, such as the Russian Revolution, World War II, as well as the collapse of the Soviet Union triggered political and social changes in China, Southeast Asia, and other parts of the world. Through reading diplomatic correspondence, pamphlets, memoirs and literature written by dissidents, party members, and politicians, as well as by watching and reflecting on media footage, we will examine how the Cold War and 1989 ushered in a new world order that is here with us up to the present. The course also focuses on how European states East and West rebuilt ties with the “Global South” through socialist solidarity, development aid and investments, and how the Cold War shapes the institutions and politics of the European Union up to the present.
    Session: Session I
    Day: T, W, Th
    Time: 9:00am - 11:30am
    Credit Hours: 4 Credits
    Course Format: Remote Learning Course for Summer 2023
    Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: DEIS-US, SS
    Enrollment Limit:
    Course Classification: Undergraduate Level Course
    Course Tuition: $3,490
    Course Fees: None
    Open to High School Students: No