Course Catalogue

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This is a Social Science Level 3 course taught by Central and East European Studies (CEES). It can be taken as an option for CEES or Politics and as an outside option for programmes. This course examines the place Central and Eastern European security interests within the context of wider Cold War (American, Soviet and West European) interests with a focus on NATO and the Warsaw pact, the nuclear question, political crisis, human rights and détente.

One 2 hour class per week

This course may not be running this year. For further information please check the CEES Moodle page or contact the subject directly.

Mandatory Entry Requirements

Grade D3 in CEES 2A and CEES 2B.

Perspectives on Security in Cold War Central and Eastern Europe (1945-1989) - Level 4

None

■ 3000 word essay (75%)

■ Individual Coursework Presentation (10%)

■ Individually written 1000 word written paper associated with presentation (15%)

This course examines the place Central and Eastern European security interests within the context of wider Cold War (American, Soviet and West European) interests. Taking the end of the Second World War as a starting point, the course aims to:

■ introduce students to over forty years of complex and overlooked concerns and demands of CEE states caught in the middle of an ideological war;

■ focus specific attention on key security related events and developments including the Paris Peace negotiations; the place of CEE scientists in the development of nuclear weapons programmes of the USA and USSR; the creation of the Warsaw Pact; political crisis in the German Democratic Republic (1953), Poland (1956), Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968) and Poland (1981); the Conference for Security Cooperation in Europe and development of the Helsinki Accords, as well as the final days of communism;

■  Offer students an opportunity to develop their transferable skills in communication and analysis (including self-reflection and ethical considerations) which will be relevant to further education and future employment.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Demonstrate a critical understanding of the differing political interests of CEE states throughout the Cold War period;

■ Apply knowledge to evaluate the decisions and actions taken by key political elites in CEE in response to wider Cold War events;

■ Analyse the role security has played on the development of major events and periods of crisis in Central and Eastern Europe since 1945 and 1989;

■ Compare and contrast the position of the USA/Western Europe and USSR towards CEE between 1945 and 1989;

■ Engage with, use and evaluate a variety of visual, audio and written primary and secondary sources;

■ Convey knowledge acquired during the course in a formal written and verbal manner to a range of audiences

■ Use appropriate IT applications to support and enhance work;

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.