HHIA05241U HIS/CEMES History of European economic and political integration (1945-2013)

NOTE:
This course is an integration of the former two courses: "History of the present time of European integration 1950-2013" & "Economic history of Europe after 1945"

History of European economic and political integration (1945-2013)
Contemporary Europe is currently undergoing one of its deepest social and economic crises in recent times. As a result, an increasing crisis of legitimacy is affecting democratic institutions and the European Union (EU). The recent 2014 European elections confirmed that the European project that we have learned to take for granted is under serious contestation. The dominant economic policies and theories in which European economic policies were based have become discredited. Paradoxically, these multi-dimensional crises have brought about an increasing integration of economic governance at the EU level. But it seems unlikely that the same policies could fit all the varieties of capitalist models of development which have been constructed in Europe for nearly a century through the diversity of social and political institutions which have resulted in various Welfare States. It is only by analysing the political and economic integration of Europe in a global perspective it would be possible to understand the way European integration have been evolving between cooperation and competition in the political and economic realms.

This course will depart from the present time of European integration in order to trace back the multiple origins of European integration from its early debates following the crisis of 1929 until nowadays. Since 1945, European economic integration has been central to the reconstruction of the European continent. These processes started as a process of economic integration which had resulted an integrated political system, which managed to curve the decline of European empires by bringing peace, economic development and social stability in the building in the European Welfare State. To understand the multiple roots, successes and limitations of the current EU, this course will discuss European integration in connection with other broad historical developments, such as post-war reconstruction, the Cold War, de-colonization, the emergence of neoliberalism and globalization. This course intends to offer students the historical insight and analytical tools to better understand the crisis of Europe from an historical and theoretical perspective. It will focus in social and economic forces in order to understand its political and institutional perspectives.

Course objectives (clarification of some of the objectives stipulated in the curriculum):
Students after the course will be able to:
• have a fundamental and basic understanding of the history of European integration in order to understand European integration current situation
• evaluate the historical literature and selected primary sources pertaining to European Economic History during this period
• critically analyse and discuss different methodologies, historical interpretations and social science theories dealing with European political and economic integration
• communicate the key themes of the course clearly whether orally or in writings