CIEE in Budapest, Hungary

Transcription

1 CIEE in Budapest, Hungary Course name: History of Hungary and Central Europe: From West to East and Back Course number: HIST 3001 BUDP Programs offering course: Business + European Studies Language of instruction: English U.S. Semester Credits: 3 Contact Hours: 45 Term: Spring 2019 Course Description The course aims at providing a concise overview of the history of Hungary from its entering the community of European Christian states to the fall of the Soviet bloc. The lectures focus on political history but attention is given to economic, cultural, intellectual and religious history. The opening lecture serves as a catalog for the most important aspects of Hungary s shifting fortunes the times of the stately independence and of imperial subjection. Resulting from her geopolitical situation, Hungary repeatedly became subject of the interest and domination of great powers. According to the cultural traditions and the political nature of the dominant empires, the country belonged to East and West thus conserving, uniting, and sometimes reconciling the elements of both mentalities. Many times a frontier zone of different empires the Romans and the Catholic church, the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg dynasty, the Warsaw Pact and, maybe, the European Community, Hungary, in her periods of independence, showed equal interest in consolidating her rule over cohabitant non-magyar population. Later World War I, and resulting birth of nation-states put an end to a millennium of multi-ethnic historic Hungary. The wish for revenge and the mistaken political decisions helped make Hungary a theater of war, occupation zone and, once again, the subject of an empire. A course on the story of Hungary, the series offers a balanced treatment of all historic eras and does not consider earlier periods a mere introduction of contemporary events. Historical video documentaries and original historic texts help the better understanding of the developments of medieval and modern history. Although the classes mainly follow the modern and contemporary Hungarian History, due attention will be given to the developments of the entire East and/or Central Europe in order to observe which countries and when took the same path, which and when made shorter or longer detours. In discovering the ways of the countries that belong to the region, questions, ideas and discussion from the students part are cordially welcome. 1

2 Learning Objectives After the completion of the course, participants will be able to Discuss the eventful history of Hungary and her place in Europe (medieval greatness, Turkish occupation, Habsburg domination, unsuccessful struggles for independence, the era of the Dual Monarchy, massive deprivation of territory and population after WWI, alliance with Nazi Germany and the Soviet-imposed communism) Identify major geographical regions of Hungary Discuss the Transylvanian question Reflect on the value of multiethnic coexistence Course Prerequisites The course assumes the completion of basic courses on Western Civilization at home university. Methods of Instruction The course is composed of lectures and discussions. The lectures (projected as PowerPoint presentation) will serve as the outlines of the taught materials indicating the scope of the course which is going to be covered more comprehensively by the compulsory course readings. Besides questions and comments during the lectures, the classes are planned to offer the opportunity for class discussions. Assessment and Final Grade Class Participation: 10% Midterm Exam: 35% Final Exam: 35% An approximately 3500 word (10 page long) paper: 20% 2

3 Both the mid-term and the final exam consist of the combination of test and essay questions. This is a course offered by the Council Study Center at the ISP, therefore, Council's academic rules apply to all students. These rules include mandatory class attendance, automatic assignment of F grade in case of cheating during exams and/or plagiarism, no incompletes, and no make-up exams. Course Requirements Active participation during the classes. A 10 page long home paper and a presentation. Attendance and Class Participation Class attendance is mandatory. Participation in lectures is an important part of the process and understanding of the subject. Three unexcused absences (10 %) will result in a written warning. Six unexcused absences (20%) will result in an F grade for the student. In case of absence related to illness, you are required to provide a doctor s note. Please send it to mpap@ciee.org or bring it to the CIEE office room 140. Arriving at least 15 minutes late to class will count as half of an unexcused absence. Students who in any way disrupt a class (lecture or seminar) will be warned once. If the student s disruptive behavior continues after the first warning, the tutor has the right to send the student out of the room and note that the student has been absent from the given class. Weekly Schedule Detailed class schedule, 1 st 15 th week: Date of class Topics to be discussed, readings required for the class Week 1 A Region between East and West. Discussion. Árpád Hungary (earliest origins to 1301). Cartledge, 3-33 or Sugar,

4 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Western Dynasties in the Hungarian Throne (1301 to 1437). Hungary in Greatness and Decline (1437 to 1526). Cartledge, 34-53, or Sugar, Between Two Pagans : Hungary between Habsburgs and Ottomans. Transylvania : Opportunities and Limits. Cartledge, or Sugar, Enlightenment and Modernity Enlightened Governments, Their Conflicts and Their Critics, An Age of Reforms. Revolution and War of Independence, Cartledge, , or Sugar, The Aftermath of the Revolution: Habsburg Neoabsolutism. The Compromise of Cartledge, or Sugar, Budapest: The Birth of a Metropolis. Nationalism. The Dual Monarchy and the Nationalities. Lukacs recommended, Cartledge, or Sugar, (Midterm exam week, classes will also be held) The Eclipse of Nineteenth-Century Europe, World War I, Republic and Commune in Hungary. Cartledge, or Sugar, Conservative Consolidation. Cartledge, or Sugar, Democracy, Authoritarian State or Fascism? (Interwar East Central Europe). Hungary and World War II. Cartledge, or Sugar, Stalinization in East Central Europe. The weekdays of the Rákosi Dictatorship. Cartledge, , (Rothschild, recommended) or Sugar, Cartledge, Relief and Retaliation: The Khrushchev Period. A New Compromise. Cartledge, Modernizing Socialism?: The Brezhnev Era. Relative wellbeing General decline Cartledge, The Break-up of the Soviet Bloc. Revision.Final exam (if applicable) Final exam Readings Compulsory readings: Cartledge, Bryan: The Will to Survive. A History of Hungary. (London: 2007) 4

5 Sugar, Peter F.: A History of Hungary. (Bloomington:1994) Recommended readings: Crampton, R. J.: Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century and After. Second ed. (Routledge: 1997.) Lukacs, John, Budapest, 1900 (New York: 1988) Rothschild, Joseph, Return to Diversity. A Political History of East Central Europe Since World War II. Third ed. (New York: 1993) 5