Yugoslavia History 3770

Fall 2000

The University of Oklahoma

History 3770/sec.001 YUGOSLAVIA

Fall semester 2000	Dr. Petya Nitzova
Class meets: MWF 11:30-12:20	e-mail: pnitzova@ou.edu
DAH 116	office hours: M 9:30-11:20 a.m.
	and by appointment

OVERVIEW

The course examines the intertwining history of the South Slav nations: Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Bosnians, Montenegrins, Macedonians from the middle ages to the end of the 20^th century. Its major goal is to provide insights into the bloody civil wars for Yugoslav succession. Going back to the very roots, we will start with a survey of facts and myths of South Slav medieval statehood and its loss to the multinational Ottoman and Habsburg empires. We will further study the struggle of the South Slavs for national independence and establishing a modern nation-state. As the turbulent 20^th century unrolls, we will examine the history of the "first" and "second" Yugoslavia and the attempt to build a Yugoslav model of socialism under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito. In its last part, the course offers a thorough examination of the causes and course of the disintegration of Yugoslavia into five successor states and the ensuing challenges for the international community.

REQUIRED READINGS

Ivo Andric. The Bridge on the Drina (University of Chicago Press, 1977)
Christopher Bennett. Yugoslavia’s Bloody Collapse: Causes, Course, and Consequences (New York University Press, 1997)
Misha Glenny. The Fall of Yugoslavia: The Third Balkan War (Penguin Books, 1996)
Julie Mertus. Kosovo: How Myths and Truths Started a War (Berkley: University of California Press, 1999)
Fred Singleton. A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples. (Cambridge University Press, 1999

COURSE FORMAT AND REQUIREMENTS

Class meetings will be conducted in a lecture-discussion format with emphasis on discussion when appropriate to the topic and readings for that session. The readings for every meeting should therefore be read before class. All members of the class are expected to participate in class discussions, and from time to time, members of the class will be asked to assist with discussions, either individually or in small groups.

You are required to ATTEND class; frequent absences nearly always result in poor performance in the course. Attendance sheet will be passed at five randomly chosen times during the semester and you will be required to sign it. These five signatures will amount to 10 points of your final grade.

The two EXAMs will be closed-book, based on the required readings and the lecture material, and substantial in volume. The final exam will cover only the subject matter of the second half of the course. Every member of the class is expected to take the same exam at the same time as everyone else. In the interest of fairness, make-up exams will be given only in case of a verified serious illness or the verified death of a spouse, parent, or sibling.

You are required to write two PAPERs. The first one will be a 5-6 page essay based on a critical assessment of a literary masterpiece ( The Bridge on the Drina). The second one will be a short (8 pages) research paper on the course subject matter.

The weight of each of these components in the final grade will be as follows:

first exam 20%
final exam 25%
research paper 20%
essay 20%
participation 15%

The PARTICIPATION grade is based on a combination of regular attendance and informed participation in class discussion.

Final letter grades will be assigned according to a standard ten-point scale (A = 90 to 100; B = 80 to 89, etc.)

To be eligible for course credit, both exams must be taken and the research paper and essay completed and turned in. Failure to take any of the examinations or to turn in a paper will result in failing the course. INCOMPLETES will be given only upon request and for good cause. Incompletes will not be given if the student has missed so much of the course that it is in the practical sense impossible to make up the work. If an incomplete is given, the student will be asked to sign an agreement specifying the work to be completed and the date the work will be due.

Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her potential should contact me personally as soon as possible, so that we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunity. University rules against plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct will be honored and enforced (See the OU Student Code). The general rules about plagiarism refer also to material found on the internet.

LECTURE TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

Week one (Aug. 21,23,25)

INTRODUCTION. THE SOUTH SLAVS AND THEIR LANDS

Readings:

Singleton: 1-23

Bennettt: 16-21

Andric: 1-21

MAP: http://www.srpska-mreza.com/library/facts/map-NatGeogr-1990.html

SLIDE show: http://www.geog.ukans.edu/Geog101/GEOG%20101%20Presentation/sld001.htm

Week two (Aug. 28, 30, Sept.1)

THE EARLY SLAV KINGDOMS: HISTORY AND MYTHS

Readings:

Singleton: 24-34

Andric: 22-112

The Battle of Kosovo: Serbian Epic Poems www.kosovo.com/history/battle_of_kosovo.html

Week three (Sept. 6, 8)

THE OTTOMAN OCCUPATION. THE HABSBURG RULE

Monday, Sept 4, Labor Day

Readings:

Singleton: 35-71

Andric: 112-215

FILM: The Ottoman Empire

Week four (Sept. 11,13,15)

NATIONAL AWAKENING. SERBIAN INDEPENDENCE

Readings:

Singleton: 72-113

Bennett: 21-28

Andric: 215-314

Week five (Sept. 18, 20, 22)

WORLD WAR I. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST COMMON STATE

Readings:

Singleton: 114-130

Bennett: 28-32

FILM: The Great War (episode I: Explosion)

Week six (Sept. 25, 27, 29)

KINGDOM OF SERBS, CROATS, AND SLOVENES

Essay due in class Sept.25

Readings:

Singleton: 131-171

Bennettt: 33-42

Week seven (Oct. 2, 4)

YUGOSLAVIA IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

October 6, Fall Holiday

Readings:

Singleton: 172-206

Bennett: 42-50

Week eight (Oct. 9, 11, 13)

TITO’S YUGOSLAVIA I

Readings:

Singleton: 207-239

Bennett: 51-66

FILM: Emir Kusturica, Underground, to be cont.

Week nine (Oct. 16, 18, 20)

TITO’S YUGOSLAVIA II

First exam, October 16

Readings:

Singleton: 240-270

Bennett: 67-82

FILM: Emir Kusturica, Underground cont.

Week ten (Oct. 23, 25, 27)

YUGOSLAVIA AFTER TITO: THE CRACKS APPEAR

Readings:

Singleton: 271-285

Bennett: 83-144

FILM: Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation, p.1

Week eleven (Oct. 30, Nov.1,3)

DISSINTEGRATION AND WAR: SLOVENIA AND CROATIA

Readings:

Bennett: 145-179

Glenny: 1-136

FILM: Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation, p.2 and 3

Week twelve (Nov.6,8, 10)

THE WAR IN BOSNIA

Readings:

Bennett: 179-193

Glenny: 138-241

FILM: Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation, p.4

Week thirteen (Nov. 13, 15, 17)

THE PEACE IN BOSNIA

Readings:

Bennett: 193-204

Glenny: 243-248, 262-293

FILM: Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation, p.5

Week fourteen (Nov. 20)

THE KOSOVO CONUNDRUM

Research paper due in class Nov. 20

Thanksgiving vacation, Nov. 22-26.

Readings:

Mertus: 1-133

Week fifteen (Nov. 27, 29, Dec. 1)

THE KOSOVO SOLUTION?

Readings:

Mertus: 135-284

Week sixteen (Dec. 4, 6, 8)

THE THIRD YUGOSLAVIA AND HER NEW NEIGHBORS

Readings:

Bennett: 205-235

Glenny: 248-262

Nitzova: “Yugoslavia as the Tower of Babel: The Demise of Serbo-Croatian”

FILM: Milcho Manchevski, Before the Rain

Final exam Friday, Dec. 15, 1:30-3:30

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