HIST 235 - The Rise and Fall of Communism

Campus: Chicago

Description:

History of state socialism in east central and southeastern Europe from the establishment of communist regimes in 1945 to their collapse in 1989 and early years of transition. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): ENGL 161.

Special Instructions:

What was it like to live under communism in Eastern Europe- Was the party-state all powerful or did individuals and groups find places to assert autonomy and exercise agency- This course traces the history of state socialism in the former Eastern bloc and Yugoslavia from the establishment of communist regimes after World War II to their collapse in 1989 and the first years of transition. It explores the impact of World War II; the development of stalinism, which dominated the politics and society of the region from 1948 to 1956; the Soviet-Yugoslav split; the post-stalinist -national roads- to socialism; the reform movement, such as the Prague Spring of 1968; the role of consumption and popular culture; dissident movements, and Solidarity in Poland; the revolutions of 1989; the violent disintegration of the Yugoslav state in the 1990s; and the challenges of the transition to liberal democracy. In the process, we will explore diverse experiences of eastern Europeans with special att

Option 1

Course Level: Undergraduate

Credit: 3

Term(s): Summer