The summer of 1914 marked the start of a series of commemorations of the Great War, as it is still called in Belgium, France and Great Britain. And although the last soldiers who had fought in the trenches have passed away, the Great War does not belong to the past. Traces from the tragedy of World War One are still visible in today's major conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Among historians and international relations scholars, discussions about the causes of conflict and the lessons to be learned, continue.In order to understand to what extent our ideas and thinking about war and peace as well as today's international politics are still shaped by the First World War, this course will, first, give you a brief overview of the major events and developments prior to, during and immediately after WWI. You may be familiar with the images of the trenches and the poppy fields, but we will also introduce you to discover some less well-known aspects, including the war in Africa, a gender perspective on societies at war, as well as the (de)construction of national identities in the war. Knowing the past, you will uncover its traces in some of the most persistent conflicts of today, including Somalia, the Great Lake Region, the Middle East and Ukraine. We will use texts from books and academic journals, as well as archival documents and movies to feed our discussions and analysis. The course consists of a mixture of interactive lectures, individual and group assignments

Course leader
Anna van der Vleuten, Associate Professor of European IntegrationBertjan Verbeek, Full Professor of International Relations

Target group
Bachelor students and master students (social sciences and humanities).Entry levelAdvanced Bachelor Master

Course aim
After this course you are able to:Know and reproduce the major national and international events and developments prior to, during and immediately after the Great War; Understand unknown aspects of the Great War (Africa, gender, national identity-building) Show how past events and developments are related to major present conflicts; Understand and explain change and continuity in international politics between 'then' and 'today'.

Credits info
2 ECTS European Credits

Fee info
EUR 550: The course fee includes the registration fee, course materials, access to library and IT facilities, coffee/tea, lunch, and a number of social activities.Possible discounts10% discount for early bird applicants. The early bird deadline is 1 April 2015. 15% discount for students and PhD candidates from Radboud University and partner universities

Radboud University
Address: P.O Box 9102 Nijmegen
Postal code: 6500 HC
City: Nijmegen
Country: Netherlands
Website: http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/
E-mail: radboudsummerschool@ru.nl
Phone: +31 (0)24 8187706