HIST329-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023

The Rise and Fall of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe, 1944 - 1991

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2023
End Date: Sunday, 12 November 2023
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 30 July 2023
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 1 October 2023

Description

The end of the Cold War and of Eastern European communism in 1989-1991 did not mean the loss of global interest in developments in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. On the contrary, the recent history of these countries, the period of their post-communist transition to political democracy and a market economy, has been marked with new instabilities, crises and wars which have had serious implications for global trends. This course is designed to provide a broad background to an understanding of the political, socio-economic, and cultural developments in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe as an essential prerequisite to understanding the modern world.

The end of the Cold War and of Eastern European communism in 1989-1991 did not mean the loss of Eastern Europe’s global importance. On the contrary, the recent history of Eastern European countries, the period of their post-communist transition to political democracy and a market economy, has been marked with new instabilities, crises and wars, which have had serious implications for global trends as well.

In addition to the primary focus on the internal evolution of the countries of former communist Eastern Europe from the end of the Second World War to the early 1990s, significant attention will be paid to the most important events and themes of the pre-war history of this part of the world.

Learning Outcomes

  • This course will enable students to become familiar with the major issues of the history of communism in East-Central and Eastern Europe as well as the reasons for both the Soviet conquest of the related countries and for the collapse of Soviet domination and communist rule in these countries. The course also examines the reasons for success or failure in post-communist political and economic transitions in particular groups of post-communist states and encourages students to make an original and independent investigation on related topics. In particular, through their work in this course, students are expected to be able to:

  • understand and describe the geopolitical conditions in which the countries of East-Central and Eastern Europe fell under Soviet domination and communist rule after the Second World War,
  • understand, describe and critically analyse  the nature and main characteristics of communist rule in the countries of East-Central and Eastern Europe during the period 1945-1989/91
  • develop an awareness of theoretical debates relating to the themes and topics examined,
  • define and analyse the main socio-economic and political causes of the collapse of communist rule in East-Central and Eastern Europe during the period 1989-1991
  • design and carry out an original independent investigation of the specific conditions which led to the overthrow of communist rule and  the beginnings of post-communist political and economic transition in one or more countries of former Eastern Europe
  • critically analyse and present the results of their original investigation in writing and orally in student-led seminars.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Any 30 points at 200 level from EURA or HIST, or
any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

Restrictions

EURA226, EURO226, EURA326, EURO326, HIST269

Equivalent Courses

EURO326, EURA326

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Milenko Petrovic

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Mid-course test 15% Held week 6
Essay 20% Due week 10
Seminar presentation and assignment 30% Held in weeks 11 and 12
Exam 35% Held during University examination period

Textbooks / Resources

Additional required readings:
Bideleux, R. and Jeffries, I. A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change, Routledge, London and New York, Sec. Ed., 2007 (Chapters 34-35 are required; Chapters 23-33 and 36-37 are recommended) - available in the Restricted Loans Department at the Central Library.

Batt, Judy, “Introduction: Defining Central and Eastern Europe” in Batt, Judy, and Paul G. Lewis (Eds.), Developments in Central and Eastern European Politics 4, Duke University Press, Durham 2007, Chapter 1.


Additional and optional readings are listed in the Course Outline (available for enrolled students on LEARN).

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,641.00

International fee $7,500.00

* 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 10 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All HIST329 Occurrences

  • HIST329-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023