Western Europe after Second World War
Course code
AIG6036.HT
old course code
AIG6036
Course title in Estonian
Lääne-Euroopa Teisest maailmasõjast kuni tänapäevani
Course title in English
Western Europe after Second World War
ECTS credits
3.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2023/2024 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
During the course of the lecture a general survey of the history of Western-Europe since World War II is given. Special attention is being given to the history of Western European integration from the European Coal and Steal Community and the Treaties of Rome to the European Union. The aim of this lecture is to explain the historical background of a community Estonia is a part of since 2004. The lecture interprets different visions of a common Europe that existed in different countries and in different times. Thus the lecture leads to an understanding of the meaning of the Cold War for the history of European integration, but it also demonstrates the different stages of integration reached since the late 1940s up to early 21st century.
Brief description of the course
Idea of “Europe”;Integration initiatives prior 1945;European Movement after 1945;Cold War and European Integration;Early Western European cooperation;European Coal and Steal Community;German rearmament and the failure of an European Defence Community;“Treaties of Rome";Introduction of common policies:agriculture,customs,common market;France and the European Economic Community;United Kingdom and European integration;Hague Summit 1969;First enlargement 1973;European Monetary System;European Parliament and first elections 1979;Western Europe and the World:Foreign policy,oil crisis,CSCE; Further enlargements and the Single European Act;End of the Cold War and unification of Germany;Treaty of the European Union (Maastricht Treaty) 1992;Treaty of Amsterdam 1997;Enlargements 2004–unification of Europe?
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
The student is able to describe the history of the idea of “Europe” and to explain the reasons that led to European initiatives immediately after WW II.
The student analyzes the various stages of European integration in the broader context of the Cold War and is able to explain the different positions of European national states towards integration. The student interprets the structure of European institutions and analyzes their functions. The student is able to give an overview of the transformation processes in the European institutions after the dissolution of the USSR and to discuss the reasons that led to their enlargement into Eastern Europe in 2004.
The student is able to describe the history of the idea of “Europe” and to explain the reasons that led to European initiatives immediately after WW II.
The student analyzes the various stages of European integration in the broader context of the Cold War and is able to explain the different positions of European national states towards integration. The student interprets the structure of European institutions and analyzes their functions. The student is able to give an overview of the transformation processes in the European institutions after the dissolution of the USSR and to discuss the reasons that led to their enlargement into Eastern Europe in 2004.
Teacher
Prof Karsten Brüggemann
Study programmes containing that course