Contemporary Balkans, 1918-2000

HTY 2025

This course examines the development of the Balkans from the end of WWI until roughly 2000 based on a combination of chronological and thematic approaches to the history of the region. Students will be acquainted with the aftermath and impact of WWI, the Balkans in the interwar period; WWII; the Cold War period – Communism and its various forms; Mustafa Kemal Ataturk; Tsar Boris III; Josip Broz Tito; Enver Hoxha; the fate of Jews in the Balkans during WWII; Muslim communities in the Balkans during the 20th century: Bosnia, Bulgarian policies (the “Revival Process,” Bulgarian Muslims); the Yugoslavian wars in the 1990s; Turkey as a regional economic and political factor.