HIST293-13S1 (C) Semester One 2013

Europe of the Dictators, 1918-1953

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 18 February 2013
End Date: Sunday, 23 June 2013
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 1 March 2013
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 17 May 2013

Description

This course examines and compares the authoritarian, communist and fascist dictatorships that emerged in Europe after the First World War. While the histories of the totalitarian regimes that developed in Germany, Russia and Italy are considered in detail, the course also offers insight into the authoritarian dictatorships that flourished in Spain, Portugal, Central and Eastern Europe. Beyond tracing the political impact of these dictatorships, the course will also consider the social, cultural and humanitarian consequences of the age of the dictators.

In 1920, as the peace treaties that concluded the First World War redrew the Continent’s borders and new states were born which gave substance to President Wilson’s dream of national self-determination, an observer could have been forgiven for thinking that the age of democracy in Europe had dawned. Of the twenty-nine states that emerged from the chaos of the trenches, all but three were democracies. A mere eighteen years later, however, sixteen of these states had become dictatorships and within two more years, these nations had contributed to the destruction of seven of the remaining twelve European democracies. Although the vast majority of the dictatorships that appeared during the inter-war years did not survive the end of the Second World War, several continued to operate well into the second half of the twentieth century; the Portuguese and Spanish dictatorships lasting until 1974 and 1975 respectively and that of the Soviet Union continuing until 1991. Clearly, these dictatorships, which ranged from authoritarian to fascist and from fascist to communist, played a pivotal role in Europe’s twentieth century.
This course will introduce students to this important aspect of modern European history and familiarise them with both historical and theoretical understandings of dictatorship. Beyond the well-known histories of the regimes in Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union, the course will also consider the dictatorships that emerged in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia and Greece. Students will discuss the differences between authoritarian dictatorships and totalitarian ones, make comparisons between various incarnations of fascism and decide whether fascist and communist states can be usefully compared. By the end of the course, students will not only be well-versed in the history of the European dictatorships, but also be able to form their own opinions about the utility of controversial concepts such as totalitarianism and fascism.

Learning Outcomes

  • By the time you have completed this course, you will be expected to demonstrate:
  • A broad knowledge of the sixteen dictatorships that emerged in Europe during the twentieth century.
  • A broad knowledge of the historiographical debates that have emerged about these dictatorships.
  • An ability to understand, critically assess and apply theories of dictatorship.
  • An ability to answer broader questions about how these dictatorships shaped political, social and cultural life in Europe during the twentieth century.

Prerequisites

15 points in HIST with a B grade or better or 30 points HIST or Ancient History with a passing grade. Alternatively, a B grade in 60 points.

Course Coordinator

Heather Wolffram

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Essay - 2,000 words 25%
Essay - 2,000 words 25%
Final exam - 2 hours 40%
Tutorial participation 10%

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $644.00

International fee $2,800.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 20 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Humanities .

All HIST293 Occurrences

  • HIST293-13S1 (C) Semester One 2013