The module will allow you to study the Cold War in Europe, from its emergence in the immediate post-war period to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. You will be encouraged to question the rapid breakdown of the alliance between the victorious powers of the Second World War and how this could lead to the division of Europe into two blocs; to understand and put the role of the superpowers into perspective by studying also the role of medium and small European powers, and thereby show the room for manoeuvre that existed within the blocs; to analyse how the nuclearisation of the Cold War eventually led to a ‘long peace’ in Europe; and to assess how the East-West struggle was eventually overcome.
During the lectures and seminars, you will have the opportunity to engage with the vast and diverse historiography of the Cold War in Europe; study the conflict at the political, diplomatic, military, economic, and cultural levels; and focus on themes ranging from the origins of the East-West struggle in Europe to the challenges to authority in the Eastern bloc and the end of the Cold War.
What our students say:
‘The lecturer was an engaging interesting lecturer who managed to condense the Cold War into ten weeks. He was also incredibly helpful when it came to the essay, suggesting books to read and even lending me one of his when I found that it was out of print. He would often also go on tangents which ended up being a good thing as they were always high informative and often helped add a bit of depth to the subject.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘Focusing on the European aspect of cold war history as too often there is a focus on solely the US, and adding different countries definitely diversified this topic and made it more enjoyable.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)