Discovering History: Post-War European History 1945-2023

Programme (may be subject to change)

Week 1: A Civilian War The first session will cover the civilian experience and the human cost of World War Two. It will consider the international organisations such as UNRRA and relief supplied 1945-8 with the Marshall Plan. We will also look at the change in mood and desire for a more equitable society, leading to the Welfare State and social democracy in western European countries.

Week 2: An Iron Curtain In this session we will study the historical context of the post-war era, the Cold War, the Cuban Crisis as well as the Hungarian revolt against Soviet control and the Suez crisis. We will discuss life in the countries behind the Iron Curtain, contrasting with Europe’s growing prosperity most evident in Berlin. Our discussion will include attitudes and underlying conflicts resulting from political divisions exacerbated by the war.

Week 3: Post War Prosperity Following on from the establishment of a post-war prosperity we will discuss its impact on daily life. This will include the post-war ‘baby boom’ and its consequences. We will consider the creative revolution of the 1960s and 70s in art, film and education, as well as women and children’s rights and child welfare.

Week 4: Trouble and Strife This week focuses on areas in crisis: civil unrest and the Red Brigades in Italy, the Cyprus crisis and the military dictatorship of 1967-74 in Greece. We will examine the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland and life in Spain under and after Franco.

Week 5: The End of History? This session will analyse the events leading to the break-up of the USSR including, economic and social pressures, notably the secrecy surrounding pollution and the need for Peristroika and Glasnost instituted by Gorbachev. We will also consider lifein Eastern Europe before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Week 6: The Balkan Wars and the Growth of the European Union This week we will discuss the causes and consequences of Civil war in Yugoslavia and Balkan instability. We will also examine the history and achievements as well as the expansion of the EU.

Week 7: Britain After the War This week we will look at an overview of British post-war history, its leaders and economic and social questions. We will consider the impact of policies instituted under the Thatcher governments such as: monetarism, neo-conservatism and the impact on state welfare commitments, media and academic freedoms.

Week 8: A Global World This session will include questions such as: how have new ways of communicating and the globalisation of information changed our lives? We will discuss Europe’s place on the international scene and its contribution to world stability.

Week 9: History and Memory In this session we will consider the role of memory: how we remember, record memory and commemorate the past. We will examine theories such as interdisciplinary/postmodern understanding of how we behave and see ourselves.

Week 10: Summing-up a Century Our final session will include a debate, summing up the main events we have studied and which we consider to be the most significant. We will also discuss the role of history and the dangers of forgetting the past.

Dr Sheila Lecoeur has specialised in Italian studies and is currently Coordinator of Italian in the Centre for Languages, Communication and Culture.

Sheila is also a social historian of Europe in the 20th century, with a particular interest in the history of fascism and the Second World War. Sheila has engaged in historical research and has produced a documentary film about Greece in World War II for television. Her book on the Italian occupation of Greece, ‘Mussolini’s Greek island’, has also been translated into Greek. She is currently working on a second documentary film on the present crisis in Greece.

Rate Categories and Discounts

Standard Rate

• Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category, respectively.

Internal Rate

• Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
• People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
• Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes
• Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music
• Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School

Associate Rate

• Austrian Cultural Forum staff
• City & Guilds College Association members
• Co-operative College members
• Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
• Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
• Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
• Friends of the Royal College of Music
• Harrods staff
• Historic Royal Palaces staff
• Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
• Members of the Friends of Imperial College
• Members of the Kennel Club
• Members of the London Zoological Society
• Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
• Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• National Health Service (NHS) employees
• Natural History Museum staff
• Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
• Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music tutors and other staff
• Royal Geographical Society staff
• Science Museum staff
• Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
• Students (non-Imperial College)
• Teachers and other staff of UK schools
• Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
• Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
• Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for the  allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Web enrolment opens on 1st March 2023

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

• Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
• If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Sheila Lecoeur, s.lecoeur@imperial.ac.uk

If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk