Politics of Eastern Europe

This course will provide explanations on the evolution of Eastern European countries and the region since World War II in four separate sections. The first two, historical parts of the course will focus on characteristics of Communism, the events in 1989, and the transitions thereafter. These two sections will provide a survey of Eastern European Countries under communist rule and varying reactions from opposition in multiple countries, as well as their social, economic, and political transformations since the fall of Communism. The regional patterns will be evaluated in the third section, including continuous glances before and after the communist period, particularly focusing on Russia, Baltics, Visegrad Four, and the Balkans. The last part will include major issues like Color Revolutions, Dissolution of Yugoslavia, and Energy Politics within Eastern Europe.