By the end of this course students will be able to: Identify key individuals, events, and turning points in European, international, and global history since World War I Identify and use some of the key perspectives on, and theories about democracy, totalitarianism, and revolution Analyze a variety of arguments about the causes of the rise, consolidation, and crisis of democracies in and outside Europe after World War I Develop and present their own arguments about the causes and consequences of key political processes in twentieth century European, international, and global history Connect historical events and processes to current debate on the state and prospect of democracy

This course examines the historical development of democracy, authoritarianism, and revolution in and outside Europe from World War I to the present day. It uses a series of historical events and processes as a foundation upon which to build a broader understanding of how political orders and systems emerge, function, and are consolidated over time. We will first consider concepts and theories on democratization, totalitarianism, and revolution. We will then deal with a series of empirical cases, including the totalitarian regimes in interwar Europe (Italian Fascism, German Nazism, and Soviet Bolshevism), the political transformation of Europe in the wake of Word War II (with a specific focus of Italy and Germany), the revolutionary experience of China in the 1940s, the changing face of France from the Fourth to the Fifth Republic (late 1950s), the transition to democracy in Southern and Eastern Europe (respectively in the 1970s and in late 1980s), the Iranian Revolution of 1979, and the hopes for democratic change that swept across the Middle East and North Africa at the time of the Arab Spring (2011). Along the way, we will explore crucial issues that intersect with the question of the political, such as religion, memory, gender, political identity, class, and race. By the end of the course, students will be able to problematize democracy as a historical and political concept in the twentieth century, as well as the processes by which democracy has come to be known as the ‘norm’ on the political stage. Students will also develop their ability to think historically and place geographically diverse developments into a singular, global analytical plane. They will, finally, learn to craft and defend historical arguments, to put contemporary concepts in historical perspective, and to read primary sources analytically.

See the (provisional) weekly reading list below A full and more detailed list of readings (including books, articles, documentaries, films, and other sources) will be distributed on the first day of class All readings will be accessible on Moodle

This course works as a discussion seminar, and as an active workshop. Its success depends on you. Please come to class having done the readings and ready to engage with your peers. Don’t be shy and speak your mind. There is no ‘class point of view’ nor are there ‘preferred answers’. I believe the most interesting and engaging classes are those where people present a diversity of opinions. I actively strive to make classes open spaces of encounters and exchanges of ideas, critiques, and experiences.

Class participation (discussion, response to discussion questions, case studies, teamwork) (Short) written assignments Book review Final research paper/creative work (the topic must be original (no re-hash of class discussion!)

Active participation in class discussion The topic must be original

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