Last update: prof. PhDr. Michal Kubát, Ph.D. (25.09.2013)
Title:
Political Systems of East European Countries in the Twentieth Century
Course description:
This course is an introduction to the modern politics and government of Central and Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century. We will examine some few periods: 1918-1939 (between World War I and World War II), 1939-1945 (the World War II), 1944-1948 (sovietization), 1948-1989 (communist era). All these periods will be studied by comparative approach. Beside the description of the most important historical and contemporary political events we focus on application of some basic theories of political science to Central and East European political practice, or more precisely analyse them by means of these theories.
Requirements:
Participation in the lectures. Reading the required literature. Be prepared to answer the questions and discuss relevant topics. Passing a final exam. Final exam consists of written test. Answers to a questions (cca 5) should be short analysis of some tasked topics related to the problems involved during the lectures.
Grading policy:
Class participation/attendance - 10 %
Paper or other assignment - 20 %
Final exam - 70 %
Course programme:
1) Political systems of Central and Eastern European Countries before 1918
2) Political systems of Central Europe 1918-1939 (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland)
3) Political systems of the Baltic States 1918-1939
4) Political systems of the Balkans 1918-1939 (Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania)
5) Political system of the Soviet Union before the WW2
6) Political systems of Central and Eastern European Countries during the WW2
7) The Sovietization of Central and Eastern Europe 1944-1948
8) Political systems of Central Europe 1948-1989 (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland)
9) Political systems of the Balkans 1948-1989 (Albania, Bulgaria, Romania)
10) Political system of Yugoslavia and Soviet Union
11) The nature of East European communist non-democratic political systems (totalitarianism vs. authoritarianism)
12) Recapitulations, additional explanations, debate on essay topics, choice of essay topics
13) Essay?s evaluations
Literature
Armour I., D. A History of Eastern Europe 1740-1918. Hodder Arnold, London 2006.
Crampton R., J. Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century. Routledge, London and New York 1994.
Hague R., Harrop M., Comparative Government and Politics. An Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan, London and New York 2007.
Linz J., J. Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes. Lynne Reinner, Boulder - London 2000.
Schopflin G., Politics in Eastern Europe 1945-1992. Blackwell, Oxford-Malden 1993.
Tailor A., J., P. The Habsburg Monarchy 1809-1918. A History of the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary. Penguin Books, London 1990.
