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No results: 1974387,1974388,1974386,1974389
History
Students research an aspect of Cold War history through an analysis of historiography and documents and other sources, and then present in their chosen way.
HIST 321: International History: The Cold War World, 1945-1991
About the course: This course has a primarily chronological focus from 1945 to 1991 but also includes some thematic structure, notably a focus on the Cold War as an 'imaginary war' and the cultural effects of the Cold War in areas such as gender, race, and class. It will compare and contrast the situation of Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Although it will not focus entirely on the United States and the Soviet Union, it will emphasise those two nation states as primary architects of the Cold War order.
Lectures will provide a broad overview, viewings of documentaries will provide additional information and seminars will focus on Cold War historiography or presentations by students of your research into a specific aspect of Cold War history through an analysis of historiography and documents and other available sources, including, where appropriate, media resources such as Proquest Historical Newspapers, virtual archives available on the internet such as Central Intelligence Agency reports, databases such as the National Security Archives and published collections of documents such as those for the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Course coordinator: Dolores Janiewski
Assessment details: Group presentation
Student work
Declassification documents: The presentation was based around finding a unique way of discussing our research essay topics with the class. Our group decided to go for a declassified documents approach to the presentation. Online it is not as good, but it does capture the spirit of what we were trying to accomplish. It was based around the idea of the Cold War being a period of espionage and covert actions. Our group also decided to approach it as a third-party organisation as well.
Dolores Declassification Initiative
We have presented our research in the form of declassified documentation. Common to almost all facets of the Cold War is a layer of state-imposed obscurity. The actions of both global superpowers, and smaller nations entangled in proxy wars were often covert, classified, or misrepresented through official state channels and the media. Thus, the role of the Cold War historian is often to uncover restricted materials, or to untangle the way powerful ideologies and agendas have skewed perceptions of events and trends. This is an ongoing process, as documents continue to be declassified over time.
The removed third party organisation perspective we have drawn on allows a more balanced portrayal of Cold War histories than is available through state-sponsored or politically affiliated sources. As you read the documents, consider the way each topic has been shrouded in the past by the self-interests of Cold War parties. What would be omitted or emphasised if the source of these documents was not the Dolores Declassification Initiative but a national security council, revolutionary party, or other interest group?