Class Description
Why is Eastern Europe still different from Western Europe, more than a quarter-century after the collapse of Communism? The roots of this difference are based in experience of the twentieth century: weakness vis-à-vis Germany and Soviet Russia. The region was the main killing-field of the Second World War before their “liberation” by the Soviets in 1945. The imposition of dictatorships only deepened Eastern Europe's “backwardness.” Even in the post-Communist period, its problems made it a fertile breeding-ground for nationalism and political extremism. We will explore the comparative “backwardness” of Eastern Europe and how this has driven strategies of modernization; how the region served as a testing ground for political experimentation; and, in particular, the enduring strength of nationalism, which since 1989 has re-emerged more virulent than ever.
John J. Kulczycki received his PhD with distinction from Columbia University in East European History, which he taught for over twenty years at UIC. He has published four books and over fifteen scholarly articles based on his research.
What to Expect
Format: In Person
Class Capacity: 24
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Ian D. Armour, A History of Eastern Europe: 1918 to the Present, Modernization, Ideology and Nationalism. Bloomsbury Academic, 2021. ISBN: 9781472508614
First Reading
- Read Part I of A History of Eastern Europe 1918 to the Present: Modernization, Ideology and Nationality, pp. 1-62.
A Brief Syllabus
- The Prehistory of Twentieth-Century Eastern Europe
- Interwar Eastern Europe
- War and Revolution
- De-Stalinization
- The Fall of Communism and Its Aftermath
Cost and Registration
5 Sessions, $200 ($180 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($200), Community Supported ($185), and Sponsor ($215). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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