Communism in Eastern Europe, 1917-1990

Catalog description

This course examines the emergence, development and demise of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. Conceived as a multi-disciplinary class, the course will look at a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, the creation of the police state, economic and social developments and the position of intellectuals, women and young people in communist societies, the “velvet revolutions” and the collapse of the system in the late 1980s. Special emphasis will be placed on culture, including literature and film as vehicles of protest against oppression. Prerequisite: 50 hours.