GO 359

GO359ÝÝ Political Ideologies in Europe

Monday-Wednesday 11:00-12:15

Room TBA

Jennifer Yoder,
Associate Professor of Government,
Director International Studies Program

Office Hours Tuesday 1:00-2:30, Thursday 9:00-11:00
Miller 242, x5317, jayoder

This course offers an exploration of some of the major ideological currents and movements in modern Europe. We begin by examining the theoretical underpinnings of liberal, conservative, and socialist varieties of democracy. We then investigate the most significant challenges to liberal democracy in Europe in the twentieth century. In particular, the ideas and political goals of various forms of radicalism on the "right" and "left" of the political spectrum will be examined against the background of important political developments in Europe in the last century, such as the Bolshevik revolution, the rise of fascism and Nazism, the emergence of domestic terrorism, the explosion of nationalisms and fundamentalisms, and the collapse of Soviet-style communism. Wherever relevant, we will a) consider the impacts of political ideologies on European public policy, and b) compare the European and U.S.-American contexts. The course concludes with a consideration of contemporary varieties of liberalism and considers the issues within, and challenges to, European democracies in the late twentieth century.

This course will be run as a seminar. The expectation is that each member of the seminar will come to class having read the assignment indicated on the syllabus, Students are expected to contribute to class discussions on a regular basis and may be asked to begin the class discussion by giving an informal presentation of one of the assigned readings or, perhaps, an additional, related piece with prior approval.

Course Requirements

These required books are available in the Colby Bookstore;

Mark Mazower, Dark Continent
Andrew Heyward, Political Ideologies: An Introduction
Arthur Koestler, Darkness at Noon
Tony Smith, Thinking Like a Communist
Roderick Stackelberg and Sally Winkle, The Nazi Germany Sourcebook

Additional articles may be assigned and found on library reserve.
There will be several short papers for this course. Details about the assignments will be provided in class.
Mid-term and final exams will be given on the dates indicated below. In-class, short answer, identification, and essay format.

Regular participation in class is essential. This means coming to class prepared, having read all assignments, and contributing to class discussions.

Grading Formula:

Participation and attendanceÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 5%

Midterm examÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 25%

PapersÝ (three, each 15%)ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 45%ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

Final examÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ 25%

	Topics and readings:
9/8	Introduction to political ideologies - Heyward Ch. 1
9/13	Liberalism - Heyward Ch. 2
9/15	Democracy's Rise and Fall in Europe - Mazower pp.3-69
9/20	Conservatism - Heyward Ch. 3
9/22	Socialism - Heyward pp. 105-124; 139-154
9/27	Marxism - Heyward pp. 124-130; Smith Introduction and Chs. 1&2
9/29	Leninism - Heyward pp. 130-139; Smith Ch. 3. Discuss first paper assignment
10/4	Other Communisms - Smith Chs. 4&5
10/6	Totalitarianism - Hanah Arendt, Origins of Totalitarianism, Chs 11&12 on reserve; Mazower pp. 104-137
10/11	Stalinism - article on reserve TBA; begin discussing Koestler's Darkness at Noon
10/13	View film '1984' and discuss Darkness at Noon.
10/15	Paper on show trials due by noon
10/18	No class Fall Break
10/20	Postwar communism in Eastern Europe - Mazower pp. 250-285; Czeslaw Milosz, The Captive Mind, chapter 'Ketman' on reserve
10/25	Midterm exam in class
10/27	Nationalism - Heywood Ch.5; Vladimir Tismaneanu, Fantasies of Salvation, Ch.3 'Vindictive and Messianic Mythologies: Post-Communist Nationalism and Populism' on reserve. Discuss second paper assignment
11/1	The Rise of Fascism - Stackelberg and Winkle (hereafter S&W) Chs. 1&2
11/3	Fascism in Power - View ìTriumph of the Willî; Heyward Ch. 7; Mazower pp. 69-75; S&W pp. 121-153.
11/5	Paper on Gleichschaltung or Lebensraum due by noon.
11/8	Racialism in Nazi Germany - Mazower Ch.3; S&W 154-190
11/10	War in Europe - Mazower Ch. 5; S&W Chs. 4&5
11/15	The Final Solution and the Holocaust - S&W Ch. 6
11/17	After Fascism - S&W Ch. 7
11/22	Responses to War - Mazower Chs. 6&7. Discuss third paper assignment
11/24	No class Thanksgiving Break
11/29	The Breakdown of the Postwar Consensus and the Rise of the New Left - Mazower pp. 286-360; Heyward Chs. 8&9Ý
12/1	Domestic Terrorism in Western Europe - selections TBA
12/5	View film, ìGoodbye Leninî - time and location TBA
12/6	After Communism - Smith Ch. 6, Mazower Ch. 11, Fukuyamaís ìThe End of Historyî on reserve. Discuss film ìGoodbye Leninî
12/8	Ideology in Post-Cold War Europe: Multi-level governance? Post-nationalism? - Mazower Epilogue; Heyward Ch.11; other TBA
12/10	Last paper due by noon