Garret McDonald

Through lectures and discussions, this course introduces the student to early modern Europe, with special attention to Austria, Britain, France, Prussia and Russia. It treats such topics as the Reformation, the emergence of the French challenge to the European equilibrium, Britain's eccentric constitutional course, the pattern of European contacts with the non-European world, the character of daily life in premodern Europe, the Enlightenment, the appearance of Russia on the European scene, and the origins of German dualism, as well as the impact of the French Revolution on Europe. This counts toward the premodern and Europe/Americas requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.

This course examines the history of the empires and nations of Eastern Europe from the 19th century until the present. Eastern Europe encompasses the Balkan Peninsula and East-Central Europe, including the territories of contemporary Greece, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav republics, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland (as well as East Germany between 1945 and 1989). The course will focus on several themes, including war, diplomacy, reform, nationalism, minorities, migrations, ethnic cleansing, gender, and everyday life. First, we explore the various ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups that inhabited the Ottoman and Habsburg empires ruling in the region until the end of World War I, mapping the emergence of ideologies and political movements for national emancipation among their inhabitants. Then, we examine World War I and its immediate aftermath, paying special attention to the minority problems and political crises faced by the newly established nation-states. Next, we explore World War II and its importance for redrawing the map of Europe, unleashing the most comprehensive ethnic cleansing in the history of the continent, and paving the way for the communist takeovers of Eastern European states. We then turn to the socialist experience behind the Iron Curtain through the study of the party-state and party officialdom (“nomenklatura”), the show trials and the gulag, dissident voices and reform movements, as well as everyday life in socialist society. We conclude the course with contemporary problems of transition to democracy and market economy after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, scrutinizing the challenges of European Union integration that the new democracies experience today. Students learn about the political institutions, social relations, cultural trends, and patterns of economic development in the area, and pay special attention to marginalized groups within Eastern European societies, such as Jews, Muslims, and Roma. This course counts for the modern and Europe/America requirements and the European field, and for the major. No prerequisites. Offered every two to three years.

This survey of the history of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union in the modern era introduces students to the region, familiarizes them with the major periods of modern Russian history and helps them to understand some of the important historical issues and debates. Students should develop an appreciation for the ethnic, social and cultural diversity of both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union as well as for the ways in which political events shaped the personal lives of the country's population. Though focusing on 20th-century history, this course begins with an introduction to the social structures, ethnic composition and political problems of the late Russian Empire. We cover the Russian Revolution and early Soviet history, then turn our attention to Stalinism, collectivization, terror and the Second World War. In the postwar era, we examine the failure of the Khrushchev reforms and the period of stagnation under Brezhnev, before turning to Gorbachev and the reforms of perestroika. At the end of the semester, we approach the end of the Soviet Union and its legacy for the many successor states (not only Russia). Although organized along the lines of political periodization, the class emphasizes the perspectives of social and ethnic diversity as well as culture and gender. We look at art, literature and music, and we attend film screenings outside class. Historical background in modern European history is recommended. Russian and other regional language skills are welcomed. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirement and the colonial/imperial field for the major. No prerequisite.

This course looks at the history of the Soviet Union and the post-1945 German and East European socialist states with a concentration on films made in these countries, as well as films made elsewhere or later about life under state socialism. We focus on a few key eras and topics, such as World War II films, Stalinism/socialist realism, the Thaw, the position of women in socialist society and generational conflict. Students are required to attend a weekly film screening and participate in class discussion. During the semester, each student may pick a topic for an in-depth research project. Previous coursework in European history recommended. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing.