Decolonizing Security in the ‘Third World’ during the Global Cold War (2025/2026: Semester 2 – Spring)

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Cursusdoel

After completing the course students are able to:

1. Describe the main developments and processes in the Global Cold War.
2. Evaluate the main scholarly debates concerning the Global Cold War.
3. Interpret and evaluate primary sources related to the Global Cold War.
4. Set up and carry out a research project, involving the design of a research question as well as the selection, critical analysis and evaluation of historical sources, to be used to construct an essay that presents an answer to this question.
5. Develop and give a presentation on a topic related to the Global Cold War based on academic publications.
6. Approach complex historical issues related to the Global Cold War from a wide range of perspectives.



Relationship between tests and course goals:
Description of assignment Assesses which learning goals?
  1. Class participation
  2. Oral presentation
  3. Essay 1
  4. Essay 2
  5. Take-home exam
 1-4, 6
5
1-4, 6
1-4, 6
1-4, 6

Vakinhoudelijk

This course builds on new scholarship to expand the study of the Cold War from a primarily bipolar, Western, superpower perspective to a truly global perspective not only geographically, but also thematically, also giving voice to hitherto underrepresented actors and perspectives. By combining diplomatic, military, economic and cultural history with elements of intelligence studies and International Relations theory, this course will approach the bipolar conflict in the broadest sense possible, by investigating how it impacted actors, processes and movements in all corners of the world.
As such it will also build on skills and knowledge developed during the first year introductory history courses, particularly the one on Modern History, which now also contains an emphatically global and multidimensional perspective. It will also help students further develop their analytical and essay-writing skills as well as the analysis of primary sources from a wide range of perspectives.
This course complements The Transatlantic Cold War, which approaches the bipolar conflict mainly from an East-West perspective. It can be taken in conjunction with that course, since it covers an altogether new set of themes and regions, or by itself, since students will be made familiar with the relevant skills and contents during the course.
Format
Each week, students will take part in two highly interactive seminars, in which they will be expected to participate in class debates and group activities based on relevant readings. Where appropriate, the weekly theme will be illustrated with case studies for an in-depth approach, using a collection of primary sources for analysis (please see attached syllabus).
The mandatory readings will also be complemented by audio-visual material, and especially by movies and documentaries that can develop the cultural dimension of the course.

Planning
One group is scheduled in timeslot C2; with an additional group in timeslot C1 in case of high demand from the UU Security minor.

Werkvormen

UCU hum 2 course

Toetsing

Participation

Verplicht | Weging 10% | ECTS 0,75

Essay 2

Verplicht | Weging 20% | ECTS 1,5

Essay 1

Verplicht | Weging 20% | ECTS 1,5

Oral presentation

Verplicht | Weging 20% | ECTS 1,5

*midterm FEEDBACK*

Niet verplicht

Take-home exam

Verplicht | Weging 30% | ECTS 2,25

Ingangseisen en voorkennis

Ingangseisen

Er moet voldaan zijn aan minimaal één van de cursussen:

Voorkennis

Students who do not satisfy the above requirement need to apply for course admittance. (High school) knowledge of modern history - especially post World War II history - is required for this course.

Voertalen

  • Engels

Competenties

  • Academisch schrijven
  • Internationale en interculturele oriëntatie
  • Interdisciplinariteit
  • Kritisch lezen
  • Presenteren

Cursusmomenten

Gerelateerde studies

Tentamens

Er is geen tentamenrooster beschikbaar voor deze cursus

Verplicht materiaal

  • BOEK
    Odd Arne Westad, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times. Cambridge University Press, 2005. (Available as e-book via WorldCat, UU Library).
  • BOEK
    The Cold War: A World History (Allen Lane, 2017) – available in paperback
  • BOEK
    Melvyn P. Leffler and Odd Arne Westad (eds.), The Cambridge History of the Cold War, vols. I, II & III (2010). (Available as e-books via WorldCat, UU Library).

Aanbevolen materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de aanbevolen literatuur bekend

Opmerkingen

Part of UU Security minor.

Coördinator

C. Mavrodin c.mavrodin@uu.nl

Docenten

C. Mavrodin c.mavrodin@uu.nl

Inschrijving

Let op: deze cursus is niet toegankelijk voor studenten van andere faculteiten, bijvakkers mogen zich dus niet inschrijven.

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