Course Catalogue

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Although remembered mainly as an interlude between the First and Second World Wars, inter-war Europe saw the birth of core ideas that were to shape the modern world. This course looks at a number of key themes, including the rise of modern design via the Bauhaus movement, the first attempt at 'global government' (The League of Nations), the emergence of the modern world's first secular, modernising Muslim state (Kemalist Turkey), and the most radical political alternatives to free market liberal capitalism (Communism and Fascism) that emerged in Italy, Spain, the Soviet Union, Romania and Germany during this period.

12x1h lectures and 8x1hr seminars over 10 weeks. This is one of the Honours options in History and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into History, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes.

None.

None.

2-hour exam 60%

2500-word essay 25%

10 min seminar presentation 10%

Seminar contribution 5%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ Analyse the significance of the core political and philosophical ideas of radical movements in Europe during a period of tremendous national and global change.

■ Consider the utility of studying non-German variants of fascist thought in comparative perspective.

■ Assess competing explanations for the breakdown of the European order in the interwar period in essays and seminars

■ Better understand differing political and cultural contexts and the interstices and personal and political connections between art, feminism, fascism, and communism

■ Analyse and assess the role of the League of Nations

■ Develop skills in source analysis and historical evaluation through seminar discussion and written work.

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

■ analyse and explain the linkages between philosophical ideas and politics in the interwar period.

■ demonstrate in written and oral work an understanding of key conceptual debates in the literature.

■ articulate the relevance of the period and issues covered to later historical developments

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