The price of the peace: the First world war peace settlements (1919-1924.
The aims of the course are twofold: First,it aims to provide an analysis of the transformed political map of Europe after the Great War; Second, it aims to reconstruct the political, ideological, socio-economic premises that shaped the treaties content and their legacy.
Specific skills:
Broad knowledge of early modern history (18th-19th centuries). Students will be expected to raise some questions about the reading, to stimulate discussion, and to sustain the discussion throughout the class period.
Work critically with a broad range of sources and relate them to the historiographical debates; assess the primary sources and the literature in relation to an historical problem.
Present work orally and prepare questions to ask other attending students.
The Russian revolution and the collapse of the tsarist regime (the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk).
The "spring offenseive" (March 1918) and the armistices with the Central Powers.
The Dissolution of the Austrian Monarchy and the German revolution.
The peace talks and their protagonists: from the "Council of Ten" , to the "Big Four" and the "Big Three"
The "War-guilt question".
Political and moral values: the "front-generation" mentality.
The fourteen points of Wilson: dissensions and divisions between the Allies.
Empires, nations and colonies: the principle of self-determination of nations.
Behind the scenes; historians at work (British diplomacy and the new boundaries of Eastern Europe).
Attending students.
E. Goldstein, Gli accordi di pace dopo la Grande Guerra: 1919-1925, Bologna, il Mulino 2005.
Further readings will be given during the course to the attending-students.
Non-attending students are expected to contact the professor in order to choose the texts of the exam.
Final paper and oral presentation
