Time Schedule:
Vjeran I. Pavlakovic
SISRE 490
Seattle Campus
Topics vary.
Class description
Some of the key themes will include the creation of the first Yugoslavia, the tragedy of the Second World War and its significance for subsequent events, nationalism, the wars in Croatia and Bosnia, the war in Kosovo, and recent events in the region. The goal of this course is not to present the “definitive” version of events, but to approach the complexities of Yugoslav history from several different perspectives.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
“Readings on Yugoslavia: Twice There Was a Country” will examine the creation and destruction of the Yugoslav state in the Twentieth Century through a variety of books, historical monographs, and articles. Although lectures will cover the chronological narrative, the emphasis of the course will be on the discussion of the selected texts, and how historians from the West and from the various Yugoslav peoples have interpreted the turbulent history of this region. Selections from travel literature, novels, and Yugoslav films will also be analyzed to see how the concept of Yugoslavia was legitimated by the regime, challenged by nationalists, and imagined by outsiders.
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
Readings will include John Lampe, Yugoslavia as History; Jasminka Udovicki (ed.), Burn this House; Brian Hall, The Impossible Country; Philip Cohen, Serbia’s Secret War; reading packet
Assignments will include two short book reviews and a research paper.
Attendance and participation, including oral presentations (20%) Two short book reviews (15% each) Research paper (50%)
