Central and East European Politics

Course NameCentral and East European Politics
Course CodePOS252
DescriptionThis course covers the history and politics of East Central Europe. This includes Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. While we will focus on the core states of this geographic area, lectures and readings will also analyze other areas of the broader East European land mass that have influenced the history of East Central Europe. This includes Germany, Russia and the Balkans. Topics to be covered in the readings and lectures include: demographic and imperial history; the interwar period; the communist takeovers; the nature of the communist system and communist regimes; Stalinism and de- Stalinization; the performance and decline of communist regimes; the revolutions of 1989; transitions to democracy and the market; European integration; and current revents.
Learning OutcomesUpon completion of this course, students will be able to:
– Understand the historical, geographical, and value based concepts of East Central Europe, both individually and inter-relationally;
– From this basis, be better able to appreciate and understand the current political reality, policies, and relations of the individual countries of the region, as well as of the region as a whole;
– Present and defend their ideas through oral presentations of their research topics;
– Present and defend their ideas through a well structured research paper.
SchoolSchool of International Relations and Diplomacy (IRD)
LevelBachelor
Number of credits (US / ECTS)3 US / 6 ECTS