Contemporary Political Thought: Europe in the 20th Century

Course overview and objectives
This course aims to introduce students to case studies of historical importance to European contemporary political thought.
In doing so, the course aims at providing an overview of some of the main political events and on the factors and ideas that led, on the one hand, to Europe’s two great wars and, on the other, to European reunification after 1945 and 1989.
The students will be able to discuss with proper care and familiarity the main political events and conflicts in Europe – and the US – in the 20th Century.

Course Content: 
Chapter I
1870-1914/18: The Growth of a Global Economy, the Rise of Nationalism and the First World War.
Chapter II 
1919-1939/45: Democracy on Trial, the Great Depression and the Second World War.
Chapter III 
1919-1945: ‘Bloodlands’: Europe between Communism and Nazism. 
Chapter IV 
After 1945: The Cold War.
Chapter V 
1946-1957: Europe from Zurich to Rome, through The Hague.
Chapter VI 
1974-1989: The Third Wave of World Democratization and the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
Chapter VII 
After 1989: The Reunification of Europe. Civil Society. Theories of Justice
Chapter VIII 
The Strange Rise of Unfortunate Dichotomies within the West.

Grading
• Two (closed book) written tests (each counts 50%). Passing grade at 10 out of 20.
• The students with an overall grade between 8 and 9 (out of 20) are eligible for a final written exam.