Bachelor
2026/2027
Political History: Approaches and Methods
Type:
Compulsory course (History)
Delivered by:
School of History
Where:
Faculty of Humanities
When:
4 year, 2 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Martin Beisswenger
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
28
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course studies the political history of twentieth-century Europe, China, Iran, the United States and others and the political systems they represented, such as democracy, Fascism, National Socialism, and Communism. It examines how political ideas and concepts shaped political decisions and realities and how, in turn, the challenges of reality influenced political ideas. In addition to providing an outline of the political history of particular states, this course aims at developing a comparative perspective, determining similarities and differences between various political projects, their successes and failures in achieving their goals. Although the main focus will be on traditional politics, attention will also be paid to how politics were shaped by cultural and social factors and developments. Lectures will provide a survey of the most important political events and concepts, whereas in seminars we will discuss key primary sources and analyze historiographical controversies and debates.