HR322-6-SP-CO:
Britain’s Cold War
2023/24
Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
15
26 October 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
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Fighting the Cold War involved a variety of activities, which we will examine on the module: how the Cold War was understood as a conflict; diplomatic and political plans to tackles crises; the military need to provide a significant 'deterrent' to future war; and the mass mobilisation of the public opinion in favour of the conflict. We also examine opposition to the Cold War. Each seminar will focus on a key topic using primary sources to deepen our knowledge of these important events.
Britain faced an uncertain world after 1945. Successive governments sought to maintain the nation's global power in the face of economic decline, the end of empire, and the rise of the superpowers. At the same time, it took an active role in 'fighting' the Cold War, aiming to limit the influence of the Soviet Union and global communism.
The aims of this module are:
- To provide students with an in-depth understanding of the history of Britain’s Cold War.
- To help students gain a deeper understanding of the different perspectives needed to account for political, social, and cultural change in a historical context.
- To enhance students’ skills in sophisticated primary source analysis.
- To enhance students’ skills in blending primary and secondary sources together to develop high quality analytical explanations.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Gain in-depth knowledge of the emerging history of Britain’s Cold War though engagement with primary sources.
- Understand and compare how historians have written about Britain’s Cold War.
- Develop links between different topics on the module.
- Learn to communicate historical ideas to different audience.
Syllabus
- Module themes and introduction.
- The Origins of the Cold War, 1945-48.
- Crisis Year, 1948.
- The War Against Peace: resisting the Soviet Union, 1948-53.
- Britain and the Bomb.
- Civil Defence and Nuclear War.
- National Service and the everyday Cold War.
- The Secret War: Espionage and counter-surveillance.
- Anti-Communism.
- Communists: For Peace and Socialism.
This module will be delivered via:
- Introductory lectures.
- In-depth, source-based seminars.
All resources will be provided at the very beginning of the module to ensure that students who acquire adjustments can be accommodated.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Secondary source analysis (1500 words) |
|
50% |
| Coursework |
Primary source blog post and commentary (1500 words) |
|
50% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Matthew Grant, email: m.grant@essex.ac.uk.
History UG Administrators: hrugadmin@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Miriam Dobson
University of Sheffield
Reader
Available via Moodle
Of 30 hours, 30 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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