PUDŁOCKI Tomasz - Central and Eastern Europe in the 20th Century (1914-1945) (20h)

This course seeks to deepen students' understanding of Central and Eastern European history in 20th Century through the presentation and discussing the most important chosen political and cultural issues typical for the topic since 1914 till 1945. The course provides a broad-brush outline of the history of the region, and is particularly aimed at those students who have not previously studied the ‘History of Europe’ in depth or systematically.  The course will concentrate on processes, changes and continuities, especially in politics and culture, and will keep names and dates to the necessary minimum. Among the key themes will be: myths and symbols connected with the region, the outcome of the Fall of German, Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires for the region and the consequences of the creating the national states like Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the Baltic States as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, economic and political struggles in the region with special focus on the nationalization of the public discourses in chosen countries as well as the crisis of democracy, the role of the culture, national minorities and the Churches in interwar region, Central and Eastern Europe torn by Nazism and Communism (1939-1945), as well as the importance of these events for the national myths of today. Finally, the course probes the cultural impact of the trauma of World War I and World War II for the mentality of Central and Eastern Europeans. // ECTS Card

Professor: Tomasz PUDŁOCKI