Contemporary History
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
None
The students’ knowledge will be assessed through an oral interview: one question about the Italian History and a second one about the International contest. The students are required to argue and critically analyse the historical events and matters.
The final mark is calculated in 30ies. It will take into account the accuracy and quality of the responses (70%), as well as communication skill and the ability to adequately justify statements, analyzes and opinions shown during the interview (30%).
The course aims at investigating historically and historiographically the Cold War years and the Italian historical period known as “Prima Repubblica”.
The course is divided into two modules tightly integrated: in the first module the lecteurs analyses the historical events and matters and the historiographical interpretations; the second module is focused on the Italian history, especially from the partisan war to the birth of the Italian Republic; the Lead Years; the 80ies and the end of the First Republic.
The course aims therefore at making the students able to analyze and evaluate the proposed historical themes.
The expected learning outcomes are:
• Knowledge and understanding of the historical period;
• Ability of arguing the historical and historiographical themes;
• Ability of interpreting the historical and historiographical themes.
- The division of the world and the "Cold War"
- Italy 1945-1948: the birth of the Republic, and the elections of April 18th
- The West under the leadership of the United States: Truman and Eisenhower
- The USSR from Stalin to Khrushchev
- Italy in the years of "centrism"
- The two blocks towards the 'coexistence'
- The United States from Kennedy to Carter
- The Soviet Union from Khrushchev to Brezhnev
- Reagan and Gorbachev
- Italy: the "Pentapartito" Ages
- The end of the Cold War
- The Italian transition: from the “Caf” to “Tangentopoli”
Required texts.
Students are expected to have read and studied the following books:
• G. Gozzini, Il Novecento, Bruno Mondadori editore; or G. Sabbatucci, G. Vidotto, Storia contemporanea. Il Novecento, Laterza.
• Lepre-C. Petraccone, Storia d’Italia dall’Unità a oggi, Bologna, Il Mulino.
• G. Mammarella, L’Italia contemporanea, Bologna, Il Mulino, or A. Lepre, Storia della Prima repubblica, Bologna Il Mulino.
• F. Romero, Storia della guerra fredda, Torino, Einaudi.
Further material
Students are expected to have read and studied material (notes, newspaper articles etc.) will be uploaded on the lecturer’s e-learning webpage (Storia contemporanea > Orecchia).
Frontal lessons the lecturer explains the contents of the course and interacts with the students through discussions and debates.
OFFICE HOURS:
Every Friday, from 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. at the DiSTA Department (Via Mazzini, 5 – Varese).
It is recommended to contact the lecturer via e-mail.