COLD WAR HISTORY

The teaching of Cold War History is a defining feature of the Master's degree in History from the Middle Ages to the Contemporary Age. The objective of the course is to provide knowledge of the history of the Cold War from 1945 to 1991, with particular emphasis on transnational exchanges between the Western bloc, the Soviet bloc, and the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement. The course will combine Cold War history with women's and gender history, the history of political movements, cultural history, social history, and microhistory.

Knowledge and Understanding:
- Understanding of the main historical, political, economic, and social aspects of the Cold War period.
- Familiarity with the key historiographical debates surrounding the Cold War.
- Understanding of the history of women and gender during the Cold War.

Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding:
- Ability to analyze and contextualize archival sources and autobiographical sources.
- Ability to relate historical-political phenomena to individual and collective experiences.

General knowledge of the historical events of the 20th century and a good command of the English language.

The course will cover some key phases and events of the Cold War period both in the European scenario (e.g., the Trieste crisis, the rift between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, the Marshall Plan, the construction of the Berlin Wall, the Hungarian uprising, the Prague Spring) and internationally (e.g., the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, the Bandung Conference, the Cuban Revolution, the Vietnam War, the coup in Chile, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan). These events will be revisited through the experiences and testimonies of direct and indirect protagonists, using documentary, archival, and autobiographical sources. Special attention will be paid to women's organizations of the socialist and communist left and feminist organizations in the so-called First, Second, and Third Worlds.

For the oral exam, a textbook on the history of the Cold War and a monograph of choice will be assigned. On average, two academic articles relevant to the context will be assigned for each lesson. The complete bibliography will be provided before the start of the course.

Manuals (to be confirmed):
Odd Arne Westad, La guerra fredda globale. Gli Stati Uniti, L'Unione Sovietica e il mondo. Le relazioni internazionali del XX secolo (il Saggiatore 2022)

Monographs (others will be added later):
Miriam Mafai, Il lungo freddo. Storia di Bruno Pontecorvo, lo scienziato che scelse l'URSS (BUR, 2012)
Rossana Rossanda, La ragazza del secolo scorso (Einaudi, 2005)
Eva Grlic, Memorie da un paese perduto, (Scheiwiller 2005).
Kristen Ghodsee, Second World, Second Sex: Socialist Women's Activism and Global Solidarity during the Cold War (Duke University Press 2019)
Angela Davis, Autobiografia di una rivoluzionaria (Minimum Fax 2022)
Monika Krause, Queen of Condoms: Memoir of a Sex Educator in Revolutionary Cuba (Iliada editions 2022)
Sheila Fitzpatrick, A Spy in the Archives: A Memoir of Cold War Russia (I.B. Tauris 2015)
Patrick Karlsen, Vittorio Vidali. Vita di uno stalinista (1916-1956), (Il Mulino 2019)

The exam will be conducted orally.

For the oral exam, a textbook on the history of the Cold War and a monograph on a case study of choice will be assigned.

On average, two academic articles relevant to the context will be assigned for each lesson. Non-attending students are expected to have read the articles assigned during the course.

Non-attending students are kindly requested to attend office hours/contact the instructor.

The course follows a seminar structure, with 50% of frontal lectures and 50% of participant discussion. Attendance at the lectures is strongly recommended.

Italian

The programme is provisional and can still be modified.

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development