HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ADVANCED COURSE

This is a "characterizing" course of the Master's Degree in Comparative International Relations (RIC), for the Americas, East Asia and Eastern Europe curricula. It contributes to RIC's interdisciplinary training by providing students with advanced knowledge and analytical skills in History of International Relations, with an emphasis on the international history of energy and oil the 20th century. The use of computer tools for bibliographic research and for the analysis of some relevant primary sources, the writing of an original paper and the discussion of the paper at the oral exam (as well as the possible presentation of the paper in class) contribute to the acquisition of important cross-disciplinary skills, in line with the educational objectives of RIC. The course is also an elective for the MA in Historical Studies, in which it contributes to the training in historical, social and geographic disciplines.

The expected learning outcomes are:
(a) the consolidation of the students’ knowledge of some of the major international political processes of the second half of the 20th century, read through the lenses of "energy history" and "the history of energy sources."
(b) the acquisition of a secure knowledge regarding the intertwining of international politics and energy issues during the 20th century, with emphasis on oil and the second half of the century;
(c) the development of the ability to create a bibliography in international history, as well as to read it critically, also in the light of relevant primary sources;
(d) the development of the ability to formulate original and grounded interpretations of the interactions between specific state actors and changes in the international context, based on a close analysis of the events of the 1973 "oil crisis";
(e) the development of the ability to deepen one's knowledge in the field of international history in an autonomous manner, including through the conscious use of information technology and "artificial intelligence" tools;
(f) the development of the ability to communicate one's knowledge with coherence, clarity and precision, in both oral and written form, and to participate in informed debates on international affairs, even beyond the specific subject matter of the course.

This course requires a basic knowledge of modern and contemporary history, as covered in high school curricula and in accordance with the admission requirements to RIC and to Historical Studies. A good level of English (at least B2) is also required. A keen interest in the subject and a serious approach to the subject are not formal requirements but are usually helpful.

This year's course is primarily dedicated to understanding the origins, developments, and legacy of the “1973 oil crisis” as a global fact, as well as reflecting on the “mythology” surrounding this important episode in international politics after some fifty years. The course is divided into three interconnected parts: in the first, we will quickly examine what are normally considered the fundamental coordinates of international history in the 20th and early 21st centuries and familiarize ourselves with international energy politics (and in particular oil politics) between the beginning of the 20th century and the 1970s, in order to provide the necessary context for our main investigation; in the second, we will focus on the ‘1973 oil crisis’ as a global event (its origins, dynamics, and legacy) and we will learn how to use secondary and primary sources (also with the help of artificial intelligence) to distinguish plausible reconstructions of the past from ‘mythological’ ones; in the final part of the course, which will also be based on the presentation of research papers prepared by the students, we will investigate the local aspects of a global phenomenon, looking at how, in the current state of historiographical debate, specific states reacted to the “1973 oil crisis” in the short to medium term.

In general, the course study material consists of:
(a) the recommended readings indicated in the list below;
(b) the lecture slides available in Moodle (including any hyperlinked materials therein);
(c) the primary documents uploaded on Moodle for specific lectures;
(d) the guidelines for papers available in Moodle;
(e) the sources necessary for writing the final papers, to be tracked down independently, as per the guidelines for the final papers.

NB: A detailed syllabus with a schedule of lectures and relevant readings is available in the course's Moodle space. Those who wish may use notes taken in class to substitute readings from the list marked with three asterisks (***). Lecture slides, primary papers and paper guidelines are for all intents and purposes part of the course study material: not knowing their contents is equivalent to not having done part of the syllabus.

Recommended readings:
F. Romero, Storia internazionale dell’età contemporanea, Roma, Carocci, 2012, capp. 4-6 + Cronologia; oppure F. Romero, Storia globale dell’età contemporanea, Roma, Carocci, 2025, capp. 6-12 + Cronologia; oppure G. Formigoni, Storia della politica internazionale in età contemporanea, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018, cap. 6-7 (o altri testi comparabili, previa discussione con il docente)
D. Basosi, Finanza e petrolio, Venezia, Studio LT2, 2012, pp. 101-137
D. Basosi, “La crisi petrolifera del 1973: un inquadramento globale”, in M. Ruzzenenti, P. Zanotti, La svolta ecologica mancata, Milano, Jaca Book, 2025, pp. 13-22***
D. Basosi, G. Garavini, “La rivoluzione del petrolio: miti e realtà dello «shock petrolifero» del 1973”, in M. Bucarelli, D. De Luca, S. Labbate (a cura di), Gli shock petroliferi degli anni Settanta, Milano, Angeli, 2025, pp. 55-72
G. Bianchi, “L’Unione Sovietica, lo shock petrolifero del 1973 e l’Europa occidentale”, in M. Bucarelli, D. De Luca, S. Labbate (a cura di), Gli shock petroliferi degli anni Settanta, Milano, Angeli, 2025, pp. 145-162
M. Bucarelli, “Gli shock petroliferi degli anni Settanta”, in M. Bucarelli, D. De Luca, S. Labbate (a cura di), Gli shock petroliferi degli anni Settanta, Milano, Angeli, 2025, pp. 7-20***
G. Garavini, "Completing Decolonization: The 1973 ‘Oil Shock’ and the Struggle for Economic Rights", The International History Review, vol. 33, n. 3, 2011, pp. 473-487***
R. Graf, "Making Use of the 'Oil Weapon': Western Industrialized Countries and Arab Petropolitics in 1973–1974", Diplomatic History, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2012, pp. 185-208***
R. Graf, "Energy History and Histories of Energy", Docupedia-Zeitgeschichte, 2023, https://docupedia.de/zg/graf_energy_history_v1_en_2023 , pp. 1-29
J. Kreienbaum, “Between Panic and Feelings of Empowerment: Emotional Reactions to the First Oil Crisis and the Debate About a New International Economic Order”, New Global Studies, 2023, pp. 1-24
E. Meierding, The Oil Wars Myth, Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 2020, pp. 1-9***
F. Parra, Oil Politics, London, IB Tauris, 2004, pp. 7-22***, 175-189***
F. Petrini, “La crisi energetica del 1973. Le multinazionali del petrolio e la fine dell’età dell’oro (nero)”, Contemporanea, n. 3, 2012, pp. 445-471
F. Petrini, Imperi del profitto. Multinazionali petrolifere e governi nel XX secolo, Milano, Angeli, 2015, pp. 107-163
O. Sanchez-Sibony, “Energy and Soviet Economic Integration”, in E. Bini, G. Garavini, F. Romero, Oil Shock, London, IB Tauris, 2016, pp. 222-244***
F. Venn, The Oil Crisis, London, Routledge, 2002, pp. 113-136, 145-172, 173-200***

Assessment is through a final examination consisting of an individual paper of about 2000-2500 words (excluding notes and bibliography) and an oral interview of about 20 minutes.
The paper should deal with the reactions of a specific government (of the student's choice) to the "oil crisis" of 1973. The paper should demonstrate the acquisition of the notions and methodological tools presented in the course, the ability to link the chosen topic to the global framework of the "crisis" and other international processes taking place in the 1970s, and the ability to structure a concise critical review of a selection of scholarly works on the chosen topic. Specific guidelines for paper preparation will be made available on Moodle during the semester.
The oral interview will include two main questions, aimed respectively at checking the study of the program and at critically discussing the contents of the paper. The question on the syllabus will deal with one of the topics covered in the recommended readings (some of which, marked with "***," may be replaced with lecture notes) and in the slides available on Moodle. The answer should show theoretical mastery of the topic, accuracy in references (including, if necessary, appropriate references to the primary documents uploaded in Moodle), clarity of exposition and the ability to place the specific topic in the broader context of 20th century international history. It will contribute approximately 40 percent to the final grade. The question on the paper will aim to develop the main insights resulting from the research or to supplement any gaps therein. The answer should indicate mastery of the topic and ability to explore in depth the issues raised in the written paper. The overall evaluation of the paper and the question devoted to it will contribute about 60 percent to the determination of the final grade.
Students who wish to do so may substitute the oral exam question on the program by accepting the grade deriving from a set of optional in-progress tests (multiple-choice quizzes and/or short open-ended questions that will be given via Moodle during class time throughout the semester) and by answering a short "control question" on the tests during the oral exam. Three in-progress tests are scheduled over the course of the semester. The grade for these tests will be the average of the two best scores and will remain valid for all exam sessions during the academic year. In order for the tests to replace the oral question, you must take at least two tests (and adequately answer the short control question in the oral examination).
In addition, those who wish may present in class the preliminary results of their research for the paper in the last weeks of the course, according to a schedule that will be decided at the beginning of the semester. If so, the presentation will receive a bonus grade between 0 and 1, to be added to the final grade.

oral

A grade of 30 corresponds to the demonstration of:
1. a secure grasp of the historical concepts related to the program,
2. a secure grasp of the theoretical concepts of "energy history" and the "history of energy sources," as well as of the historiographical debate on international oil politics in the 20th century and on the 1973 "crisis" in particular,
3. a marked ability to independently create a solid bibliography, including some relevant primary sources, on the case study chosen for the paper,
4. a marked ability to critically process the information contained in the selected bibliography,
5. a marked ability to expound one's critical interpretation of such information in an original and coherent manner and with the appropriate language, both in written and oral form.
Each of the grades between 29 and 19 can obviously correspond to different combinations of the factors above. To simplify, let’s say that 28 implies some room for improvement in the grasp of the program’s notions or language precision; 26 implies room for improvement also in mastery of theoretical concepts and/or the historiographical debate on the 1973 "crisis"; 24 implies room for improvement also in critical interpretation and/or coherence of exposition; 21 implies wide room for improvement in all the dimensions considered.
A grade of 18 (i.e., "passing") corresponds to the demonstration of an evident commitment to the study of the program and to dealing with its conceptual aspects, as well as to the preparation, writing and exposition of the results of the paper according to the guidelines provided by the teacher, even in the absence of an evident maturation of all the expected teaching results.
The examination is considered failed where, in addition to insufficient maturation of the expected teaching outcomes, commitment to study does not appear evident either (e.g., paper drafted without regard to the guidelines provided by the teacher).
The grade 30 cum laude corresponds to 30 plus an outstanding demonstration of critical skills.

The course includes some lectures by the teacher and interactive classes in which students will present their research or will be invited to discuss the course topics in light of secondary literature and relevant primary documents, analyzed also through a guided use of artificial intelligence tools. Class attendance is not mandatory but is highly recommended. The suggestion is that recommended readings and primary documents be read carefully before each lecture, so that you can have a knowledge base on the topics covered in class (the readings and primary documents to be prepared for each lecture are indicated in the detailed version of this syllabus available on Moodle). NB: The recommended readings will often be commented on in class in the light of relevant primary sources, and sometimes compared with other texts, in order to show why certain reconstructions of the past may be considered more plausible than others. In any case, even the recommended readings are "maps" of the past that, though generally accurate, may have interpretive differences between them, record divergent information about the same facts, or require updating. Learning to record certain divergences, to seek appropriate interpretive syntheses, and to correct any errors contained in our sources is an integral part of the teaching objectives of this course. The in-progress activities (non mandatory) will not only serve to determine the final grade (for those who wish to), but are also intended as teaching tools for improving one's study over the course of the semester. A dedicated forum and specific materials, as well as specific assessment activities (if needed and only during the semester), will be made available on Moodle for students with enrollment code "701."

A detailed class schedule containing the indication of lesson topics and pertaining readings will be available in the Moodle space of the class by the beginning of the semester. The teacher is easily available for questions concerning the course at his office hours and by email at duccio.basosi@unive.it. Emails have to be written in a formal style. Please use my e-mail address parsimoniously and do not think of it as an instant messaging app, nor as a customer care service: it is neither. Emails should not ask questions whose answer can be found in the information contained in this syllabus (e.g.: "what are the readings for this course?", etc.). Students interested in carrying out a master's degree thesis in History of international relations can ask the teacher, after passing the exam, for the guidelines for the thesis (by writing directly to duccio.basosi@unive.it).

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