CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN AND EUROPEAN HISTORY

The course aims to provide students with the necessary knowledge about contemporary Italian history which, together with abilities provided by the Foundation Year program, will prepare students to attend any degree program in Italy.

The course will approach international students to the fundamental historical events and phenomena which affected Italy’s contemporary history. In this way, it will help them to better understand the Italian peninsula today, but also to better integrate into its social and cultural framework. The course will also enhance students’ abilities to discuss, work in groups, and present topics.

Basic knowledge of Italian Modern History (XIX cent.)

The course focuses on contemporary Italian history and considers the time from the end of the Great War to the post-World War II period. Italy proves to be the core of the program; however, the historical events and phenomena which affected the peninsula are better framed within the European scenario. The attention will mainly be paid to Fascist Italy. In this regard, it is intended to trace reasons and events that led to the rise of Fascism in Italy, as well as the peculiar features of the Regime and its domestic and foreign policies and objectives. The course will even discuss Fascist legacies and memories in post-war and nowadays Italy. World War II and its experiences on the Italian soil, as well as the Resistance and the Civil War, will be addressed in detail through the classes. The course will finally, focus on post-fascist and post-war Italy, looking at Italy’s political transition to democracy: the birth of the Republic and its international repositioning.

Students will be asked to work in groups on a final assignment focusing on one of the topics discussed during the course. They will prepare a short PowerPoint presentation (15-20min.) which will be performed during the last lessons. In addition, they will each provide a written paper based on their spoken presentation (2.000 words). The group assignment will be part of the final exam which will also consist of an interview (or a written exam) based on their paper and the materials given to them during the course.

The course will include lectures and workshops