Theme HIS116

Theme: The Cold War, Then and Now 

Course coordinator: Elena Kochetkova

The Cold War is a widely circulated historical term often used to describe the present-day situation in the world. However, how well do we know the historical Cold War? This course will demonstrate that the Cold War is not a merely chronological context, but an epistemological framework essential for interpreting post-1945 history. We will depart from researching competing historiographical accounts of the Cold War. This is to introduce students to the basics of the Cold War while allowing them to keep a critical distance from stereotypes and myths about the past. In its core, this course examines the Cold War as a period of both tensions and cooperation across the Iron Curtain from 1946 to 1991 and discusses a vast array of historical episodes. At the end, it extends the legacy of the Cold War to the present-day global and regional crises.   

While considering traditional and novel approaches, we will treat the Cold War as a global phenomenon which defined political (broadly interpreted), economic, environmental, and cultural histories in the East and West. Uncovering versatile dimensions of the Cold War, we will trace unique biographies of various actors from institutions to individuals, from officials to civilians, from politicians to tourists.    

Also, overcoming dominant understanding of the Cold War as exclusively a political rivalry, we will discuss such themes as technological and cultural modernity; economic competition; decolonization and technological aid to what was then called the Third World; technology transfers and encounters of small actors; and imagining the Other. Such research perspectives will enable us to examine trajectories of communism and capitalism in different parts of the globe while revealing international tensions and cooperation.    

Upon completion of the course, the students will have a firm knowledge of the period and a full-fledged understanding of manifold historical approaches. Additionally, they will gain a set of skills to reflect on the past when critically discussing episodes of the current development.    

Ultimately, students will master skills of critical reading, in-class discussions, and small project research. The course does not require any prerequisite except your own interest.