Center: 
Madrid
Discipline(s): 
Political Science
Course code: 
PO 366
Terms offered: 
Spring
Credits: 
3
Language of instruction: 
Spanish
Instructor: 
IES Abroad Madrid Faculty
Description: 

In-depth survey of twentieth century European politics and historical analysis of ideologies and important social movements which have had a profound impact on Europe. Examination of the ideological and political processes underlying the creation of the European Union and their impact on Spain.

Prerequisites: 

None

Method of presentation: 

Lecture and discussion

Required work and form of assessment: 

Regular attendance and active class participation (15%); research paper of 10-15 pages (25%); mid-term (30%); final exam (30%).

content: 

INTRODUCTION
I.       Origins of major political ideologies in twentieth century Europe: Part 1
Liberalism / Conservatism / Nationalism / Liberal states

II.      Twentieth century political ideologies: Part 2
Types of socialism / Anarchism / The worker’s movement and socialist Internationals

EUROPE DURING THE TWO WORLD WARS: DEMOCRACY, AUTHORITARIANISM AND TOTALITARIANISM (1900-1945)
III.     The golden age of liberal democracy (1900-1914)
Liberalism and democracy: Ambiguous relationship / The birth of liberal democracy and conditions for its emergence

IV.      The crisis of liberal democracy (1914-1939)
The impact of WWI on ideologies and mindsets / Increased interest in the “masses” during the war / The failure of liberal democracy

V.       Authoritarian and totalitarian states: Part 1
Soviet Communism / Lenin’s response to the problems of the masses / Socialism in the Soviet Union and Stalinism

VI.      Authoritarian and totalitarian states: Part 2
Types of fascism / Italian fascism / German Nazism / Other fascist states / Germany and Italy

VII     The Second World War : Fascism versus democracy (1939-1945)
The fascist plan for world domination / A war about democratic principles

A DIVIDED EUROPE: COMMUNISM VERSUS DEMOCRACY (1945-1989)
VIII.   A politically and ideologically divided Europe: Two opposing paradigms
The postwar situation / Totalitarianism in Eastern Europe versus democracy in Western Europe / The division of Europe and the Cold War / The superpowers

IX.      Stalinism and communism
The triumph of Stalinism in the USSR / The creation of “people’s democracies” / The Stalinist model and diversification of the communist model

X.       Liberal democracy in Western Europe : Part 1
Democracy renewed / Rightist social democratic states / other movements: democratic communism, conservatism, etc. / Social movements and opposing systems: the new left

XI.      Liberal democracy in Western Europe: Part 2
Toward  a  unified  Europe:  Nationalism  and  beyond  national  boundaries  /  Constructing  Europe  / Europeanist ideology: Functionalism and federalism

EUROPE AT A CROSSROADS: THE DECLINE OF COMMUNISM, ONGOING CHALLENGES AND FUTURE ISSUES
XII. Communism in crisis
Political and ideological crisis: the failure of “real socialism” / Perestroika and communism’s self-critique / Social movements in Eastern Europe and the fall of communism

XIII. New social movements and political ideologies in Western Europe
Bureaucratic societies in Europe and changing values / Crisis in welfare states / Old and new responses: feminism, pacifism, environmentalism, integration, etc. / Traditional ideologies: fragmentation of the left, economic neo-liberalism, rising nationalism , the resurgence of fascism.

Required readings: 
  • Artola, M. y Pérez Ledesma, M. Contemporánea. La Historia desde 1776. Alianza, Madrid, 2005.
  • Hobsbawn, E. Historia del siglo XX. Crítica, Barcelona, 1998.
  • Mellón, J. A. (ed.). Ideologías y movimientos políticos contemporáneos. Tecnos, Madrid, 1998.
  • Tortella, G. La revolución del siglo XX. Capitalismo, comunismo y democracia. Taurus, Mardid, 2000.
  • Tortella, G. Los orígenes del siglo XXI. Un ensayo de Historia social y económica contemporánea. Gadir, Madrid, 2005 (edición revisada del título anterior).
  • Villares, R. y Bahamonde, J. El mundo contemporáneo, siglos XIX y XX. Taurus, Madrid, 2006 (última edición).
Other Resources: 

Dossieres La Vanguardia. “Qué quiere ser Europa” (junio, 2003) “Rusia, democracia y autocracia” (marzo, 2004); “La otra Europa” (junio, 2004).

La Aventura de la Historia.