University of Florida



685800-63944600Political and Cultural Wars in Cold War Europe:Art, Literature, Public Media (Film and Radio)and intellectual debates as Expressions ofCold War Rivalry, 1946-1989. Spring Term, 2015 T/R, 5-6,6 University of Florida Dr. George Esenwein204 Flint HallOffice hours: T: 9:30-11:30, R: 10:00-11:00Telephone: 352-273-3369e-mail: gesenwei@ufl.edu ?website: clas.ufl.edu/users/gesenweiThis course assumes that, though it is not possible to measure precisely the influence of political and cultural activities, the study of the relationship between artistic, literary, and media (film and radio) to actual historical events can yield useful insights into the broader political, social, and economic rivalry which divided Europe for over four decades. The course will be concerned with questions such as: “How did art and literature (both popular and formal) reflect the underlying values and beliefs of the systems competing against one another for cultural supremacy? What impact did Cold War events – the Berlin Airlift and the Hungarian Revolution, for example – have on cultural developments on both sides of the “Iron Curtain”? How accurately did films like the popular “James Bond” series reflect Cold War “realities”? To what extent were the printed word (literature, propaganda, and academic scholarship) and the media (both film and radio) employed by the rival systems as tools of persuasion?The focus of the course throughout the term will be on Europe, though, whenever an understanding of European-centered events demands a wider perspective, the global dimensions of this conflict will be discussed. We shall begin by studying the origins of the Cold War. Here we shall review diplomatic, political, and military developments during the last stages of the Second World War which set the stage for the post-war division of Europe into mutually hostile camps. Next, we shall survey the political landscape of Europe in the immediate aftermath of the war, paying close attention to the impact of events like the Greek Civil War, the rise of Tito in Yugoslavia, and the resurrection of democratic regimes in Western Europe . The ways in which the ideological rivalry between the forces of liberalism (capitalism) on the one side and Stalinism (communism) on the other was intensified by the implementation of the Marshall Plan and the Truman doctrine, and the formation of pro-Soviet regimes in the east will also be examined. Parallel to these developments we will be examining the defining features of the cultural dimensions of the Cold War. This will be achieved by assessing the ways in which intellectual discourse, music, art, and the visual media were used as instruments of Cold War propaganda on both sides of the so-called “Iron Curtain.”Next we shall turn to a discussion of the political and cultural dimensions of episodes that have long been associated with this conflict, including the Hungarian uprising of 1956, the erection of the Berlin Wall (1961), the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), and the Prague Spring of 1968.? Finally, we will survey the political and cultural transformations that formed the backdrop to the last stages of the Cold War. We shall also discuss the significance of the end of the Cold War in Europe.Note on prerequisites: As this is an advanced course on Europe, it is assumed that the student has a strong background in history/politics and particularly in European history. Students who are expecting a course on the Cold War from an American perspective should enroll in the appropriate AMH course. Required Texts: (Paperback editions available through UF Bookstore.) Tom Buchanan, Europe’s Troubled Peace, 1945-2000 (2006).The Cold War. Edited by J.M. Hanhim?ki and A. Westad, (2004).Cold War Cultures. Marcus M. Payk (ed.); Thomas Lindenberger (ed.); Annette Vowinckel (ed.), (2012).Martin McCauley, The Origins of the Cold War, 1941-1949,(1995).COURSE STRUCTURE/FORMAT: The weekly lectures serve two fundamental purposes: (1) to provide a forum for discussing the assigned readings and (2) to give students the opportunity to hone their oral skills through argument and class presentations. For these reasons attendance is mandatory. This course is designed to allow the student to play an “interactive” role in teaching the class.? At least once during the term you will be expected to present a brief overview of the weekly topic and lead weekly discussions by presenting a panel presentation. The presentation itself can be in the form of a brief lecture, visual presentation (between 15 and 20 minutes) and/or an outline of questions that can be used as the basis of focused class discussion.? In the latter case you will be expected to lead the discussion and ask follow-up questions etc. for a 15-20 minute period. (Please note that this presentation can be used as the foundation for your term essay.)Oral assignments: Class participation, including your role as a moderator, will account for roughly 25% of your grade. Writing assignments/exams: (1) At regular intervals during the semester you will be asked to write a “reaction” paper covering the themes that are discussed in the lectures and in your assigned readings. Your performance on these essay exams/quizzes will count for approximately 25% of your final grade. (2) The only major writing assignment will be a term paper, 15-20 (double-spaced) pages in length, which will count for 50% of your grade. Weekly topics/themes listed below are not suitable subjects for an extended term paper. You must define a specific theme that will lend itself to a paper 15-20 pages in length. As the bibliography on the Cold War era is extensive, the term paper should reflect an in-depth examination of the books and articles available on the subject covered. (This translates into around 20 or more books and articles.) Students are urged to use caution in consulting websites and general reference works. In the former case, you are expected to cite all information/material gathered from that source. Papers which rely more heavily on computer-based information than on published sources will most likely receive a low grade ( C or lower.) EXAMS AND GRADING: Your grade will be computed using the following formula: Reaction papers/exams = 30% Panel Presentation = 20% Term paper = 50% Quizzes and Exams will be taken in class. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Four unexcused absences will automatically lower your grade by two letters. You can take up to two absences during the term without penalty. Student Code of Conduct: See Addendum at end of syllabus.? Course Calendar: Part I. The Seeds of Conflict Week of: 6 January– Introduction to the course: the Cold War as an historical event.13 January–War-time realities, 1944-1945: (1)Soviet presence in Europe, (2) the Grand Alliance, (3) Planning for the future (Yalta, Potsdam and beyond).20 January – Post-war Europe: the victors and the vanquished; Building a divided continent: the Marshall Plan/Truman doctrine; Cominform/Comecon. 27 January –? Spheres of influence: Promoting liberalism in Western Europe/Communists come to power in East Central Europe, 1945-1955. Cultural confrontations: art for art’s sake and the “people’s art.” Radio wars. Congress for Cultural Freedom vs. Academy of Arts (USSR).3 February – Early artistic and literary expressions of the Cold War: George Orwell (“totalitarian”) vs. M. Gorky/ Zhdanovism (“socialist realism”); the politics of Poster Art under communism.3 February/Panel Presentations10 February – Road to cultural recovery: the re-birth of the cinema (Neo-realism in Italy and Soviet Cinema under Stalin.) Political theatre in W. Europe (Camus vs. Sartre) and the East (B. Brecht). Armed camps: The impact of NATO, the Atomic weapons option, the Soviet military threat; Propaganda wars. Impact of De-colonization (Algeria, Southeast Asia).17 24 February/Panel PresentationReadings:- The Origins of the Cold War (entire book); The Cold War, Chapters 1-4, 8, 10-11, 13; T. Buchanan, Chapters1-4., 6; Cold War Cultures, Chapters 1-2, 6.Part II: Cold War Crises 17 February – 24 February –- Cultural reactions to the communist-centered crises of the Post-Stalinist era: Thaw or Freeze?; 1956: Suez/Hungarian uprising (Radio Free Europe, the fate of Polycentrism); 1961: Berlin War (Icons of freedom and anti-capitalism); Cuban Missile 1962 Crisis. Part I. Depicting the Cold War in film: James Bond, Dr. Strangelove and Solaris.24 February/ First ExamSPRING BREAK: 28 February - 7 MARCH10 March- 17March – Post-Stalinist era: Thaw or Freeze?; 1956: Suez/Hungarian uprising; 1961: Berlin War; Cuban Missile 1962 Crisis. Part II. 17 March/Panel presentations/ Outline for Term paper due (graded assignment/no late outlines accepted.)24 March – Cold War at a stalemate, 1963-1968 . Youth culture in East and West: Pioneers vs. Sex, drugs and rock and roll.26 March/Panel presentations 31 March -- 9 April : A Year of Protests: 1968; Counter-cultural expressions and youth revolts in the West and the emergence of a generation of dissidents in Western Europe (CND, Feminism, the New Left); Cultural protests in communist Europe (All that Jazz and Plastic People of the Universe); preserving socialism in Czechoslovakia (Prague Spring). 7 April/Panel presentations 14 April -- The Brezhnev doctrine and the coming of a Second Cold War. Moving towards peaceful coexistence? Détente and the persistence of the old regimes. Terrorism and violence as reactions to capitalism and imperialism in the west; Dissident voices and internal criticism under communist rule. 14 April/Panel PresentationsReadings::- T. Buchanan, Chapters 5-7; The Cold War, Chapters 6, 7, 9, 15; Cold War Cultures, Chapters, 4-5.Part III.: The End of History?16 April -- Economic realities: From EEC to EU; the decline of socialist economics. The end of a divided cultural world? Winds of change: democracy returns to Western Europe (Portugal, Spain, and Greece); Eurocommunism:Marxism with a human face? Post-Cold War Europe: the promise of a democratic Europe and the road to liberal capitalism.Term papers due/No late papers accepted.21 April/Second Exam.Readings :- T. Buchanan, Chapters 8-12; The Cold War, Chapters, 16-19; Cold War Cultures, Chapters, 7-8.? ADDENDUM TO SYLLABUSCode of Conduct/Make-up exam policies for EUH4282UF faculty is now being asked to provide written guidelines relating to (1) student conduct in the classroom and (2) make-up examinations. Most of these can be deduced by exercising common sense. But to avoid any misunderstandings, students enrolled in the courses listed above should take note of the following:Code of Conduct:(1) Cell phones must be turned off throughout the class period.(2) Students are asked not to talk, read papers, surf the internet, and otherwise distract the class from the lectures/class discussion.(3) Students coming in after the lecture has begun should not interrupt the professor and/or students by walking in front of classroom, re-arranging desks to gain access to seating, etc. Latecomers should therefore take a seat at the back or wherever it is possible without disturbing others.(4) Anyone who arrives more than ten minutes after class has begun will be counted absent unless he/she has the prior approval of the instructor.(5) Intellectual honesty: any student caught plagiarizing the written work of others and/or cheating on an exam will automatically fail the course. Make-up exams/Late Papers:(1) Apart from documented illness, family emergencies (immediate family only), and exceptional circumstances (to be determined by the instructor), exams will have to be taken on the assigned day. The scheduling of permitted make-up exams will be at the discretion of the instructor.(2) All written assignments – term papers and the like – are due on the day assigned in the syllabus and/or as announced by the instructor during class. Papers must be handed into the instructor on the due date in a hard-copy format. (That is, do not send your paper as an e-mail attachment etc.) No late papers will be accepted for any reason(s). ................
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