HIST 481

Eastern Europe from 1939 to the Present

Chad Bryant

This course will provides an in-depth look at Eastern European history from the beginning of World War II to the present, concentrating on the lands that now constitute Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzogovina, and Serbia and Montenegro. In our survey of these the “lands in between,” we will ask how outside states and institutions – Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and finally NATO and the European Union – have molded societies, altered or destroyed state structures, and influenced economic development in the region. Additionally, how did the people of Eastern Europe react to and think about events around them, and what did “resistance,” “opposition,” “dissent,” and “collaboration” mean in the East European context? Can one speak of a common “East European” experience, or set of experiences, and is it still being lived?

Daily assignments will focus on the interpretation of primary sources, which will include film, fiction, personal reflections, and political commentaries. The work of historians, both past and present, will be included as well. Our in-class discussions will focus on these sources, which you should read with an historian’s eye for critical assessment and synthesis. I expect you to be active; the class will only succeed if everyone participates and approaches the topic and assignments with a seriousness of purpose. Students will be expected to give an oral presentation once during the semester and to complete two long papers, a midterm, a final exam, and a group project.