HST674: International relations and the early Cold War
15 credits (semester 1)
Module Leader: Dr. Holger Nehring
| Module Summary |
The Cold War significantly changed the parameters of international politics and shifted the balance of power in international relations. As a major international player and an imperial power, Britain was especially affected by these changes. Yet the Cold War was more than a diplomatic conflict. It also had a profound impact on British society and culture.
By encouraging students to bring together diplomatic, social and cultural history, this module examines the ways in which policy-makers and British society slowly adapted to these changes in the key period from the end of the Second World War to the beginning of the Korean War. Special emphasis will be placed on the interaction between international relations and domestic politics in general and on British-American relations in particular. A variety of primary sources, ranging from diplomatic records to audio-visual sources and popular literature will be consulted.
| Teaching |
The module will be taught in five, two-hour classes. Each will focus on a particular theme (Britain and the origins of the Cold War, Britain and the Marshall Plan, The Cold War and British imperialism, The battle for heart and minds: British Cold War intelligence operations, British society and the early Cold War). It will be located around its discussion in the historical literature, considered in broad context. This is a field with a very rich and growing body of primary and secondary literature which relates to wider debates about the nature of historical investigation. Classes will enable students to share knowledge, debate controversial issues and listen and respond to the views of others in a structured environment. Students will, in addition, have an individual tutorial with their own supervisor in which to discuss the work they will write for assessment for this module.
| Assessment |
Students will prepare a paper (not more than 3000 words) which demonstrates an ability to handle bibliographical resources and which explores one of the key themes raised by an in-depth study of a particular topic in modern history.
| Intended Learning Outcomes |
By the end of the unit, a candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- An in-depth understanding of a key period of contemporary British history.
- A practical understanding of the problems and opportunities associated with different approaches towards handling evidence in this period of British history.
- An awareness of the contribution made by other academic disciplines to our understanding of the Cold War in Britain.
- An ability to engage critically and independently in current historiographical debates on these issues.
- An ability to elaborate and defend an intellectual position and to present scholarly arguments and historiographical debates both orally and in writing.