PO/HS 300 - Security in Europe: Actors and Challenges

This course examines the security problems Europe is facing in the 21^st century and their historical backdrop in the 20^th century. Many of the actors are the same, but their roles, constellations, and challenges are changing: Germany and France (former arch foes, now united in the European Union), Great Britain (which left the European Union), the United States, and of course Russia. But that is not all: China is not only a global player of increasing importance, but is also massively aiming for influence in Europe. The course starts with the security constellation arising from two world wars, when Europe lost its world dominance and when the political map of the continent (much of which was left devastated) was redrawn. World War 2 resulted in a divided Europe and a Cold War front running through Germany and Berlin. The course shows the continuous impact of these historic constellations on today’s political situation. It aims to explain how the European integration process started as an endeavor of Western European countries, supported by the US, to contain the security threat posed by Germany. Students will understand the changing role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was founded to contain communism and the Eastern Bloc after World War 2, but which started to incorporate Eastern European member states after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Finally, we will analyze the security challenges Europe is facing in the 21^st century, with a particular focus on the role of Russia and China in this regard. The course will combine the critical discussion of assigned readings, group work, excursions, and a film analysis. Students will develop an understanding of the complex security constellation of and within Europe, most notably the structure of the European Union and the role of NATO, of recent security challenges such as the war in Ukraine, and of the relevance of transatlantic relations for security in Europe.