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INTRODUCTION TO EUROPEAN STUDIES2008-2009
Part IThe Idea of Europe
 1. Europe and Antiquity.The myth of Zeus and Europa. The boundaries between the three continents. Persian wars and theunderstanding of Europe. Hippocrates: climate, politics and a definition of the continent. Role of the Hellenic period.2. Europe and Biblical Commentary.The continents and the sons of Noah: the views of Flavius Josephus and of St. Augustine. Therepresentation of early views on a map.3. Europe and the Early Middle Ages.The rare non-
geographic uses of the term “Europe”.
 4. Europe and Christendom.
Pope Urban II’s view. Identification of Europe with Christendom. Pope Pius II: the fall of Constantinople; the European “Respublica Christiana” vs
. the external threat.5. Europe and Humanism.
The European “Respublica Litteraria”. Protestantism and the change in the concept of Europe.
 6. Europe and the Balance of Power.Machiavelli and the rise of a secular concept of Europe: the European vs. the Asian manner of rule;importance of the balance of power between sovereign European states. The balance of power inthe 16th, 17th and 18th century
 – 
an outline. The importance of the Peace of Westphalia (1648) inestablishing a new political order in Europe. Europe and the law: Abbe de Saint Pierre, JeanJacques Rousseau.7. The Expansion of Europe.The concept of Europe resulting from the conquest of other territories. Pictorial representations of Europe. The delineation of the modern eastern boundary of Europe.8. Europe and the Concepts of Civilization and Culture.Montesquieu: the separation of powers and the difference between Europe and Asia; cultural
distinctions between the two continents. The concept of culture: the Greek roots; Cicero’s
unde
rstanding; personal into collective; Samuel Pufendorf’s and Johann Gottfried Herder’s
understanding. The concept of civilization. The identification of Europe with civilization.9. Ideas of Europe 1789-1848.The French Revolution and the concept of Europe. Europe and the counter-revolution. The
significance of the Napoleonic era in the history of Europe; Napoleon’s vision of Europe. The post
-
revolutionary historicizing and politicizing of Europe: “Europa Christiana”; Europe and the Holy
Alliance
 – 
romantic (Europa Christiana) and realist (balance of power) justifications; Europe andthe liberals; Europe and the democrats.
 
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10. European nationalisms 1848-1914.Outline of the historical background. Reasons for the growth of nationalism in the period.Nationalism: basic definition; state vs. popular, cultural vs. political nationalism. 19th centurynationalisms and the concepts of culture and civilization. Europe and the Realpolitik of the period.11. Projects for Europe 1914-1945.Perceptions of vs. projects for Europe. Outline of the cultural and historical background(technological and social progress; aggressive nationalism; the war; American intervention inEuropean affairs; Versailles; national reconstruction of Europe; the League of Nations; the rise of 
new ideologies and their conflict). Friedrich Naumann’s “Mitteleuropa”: membership, structure,aims, ambiguity of the project, contemporary criticisms. Tomáš G. Masaryk’s “New Europe”:
theory (transformation of Europe; levels of freedom in democracy); location and reasons for a
“New Europe”; nations and national minorities. Naumann and Masaryk: contrasting visions of 
modernization. Coudenhove-
Kalergi’s “Paneuropa”: the cause of Europe’s decline; the solution tothe problems; membership; Paneuropa’s fun
ctions; nations and nationhood; patriotism. Aristide
Briand’s proposals: the 1929 Geneva speech, the 1930 Memorandum, reasons for failure. Nazism:instrumental use of the concept of Europe and its stages. The Resistance’s idea; the Allies’
response.12. Perceptions of Europe 1914-1945.Theoretical distinctions between culture and civilization and their development over time; HenriBergson: his interpretation of WWI; Max Scheler: German culture vs. British-led civilization;Oswald Spengler: phases of cultures, the contemporary situation and the future of Europe;Franti
ek V
clav Krej
č
i: culture and civilization in the post-WWI, global context. ChristopherDawson: why interested in Europe; dangers of a secular civilization; liberalism; solution to theproblems. Polish, Hungarian and Czech attitudes to Europe in the inter-war period. Russia andEurope: mutual attitudes; the significance of the bolshevik takeover.13. Europe and the Democratic Ideal.Democracy as the basis for a political definition of Europe. Special role of the Council of Europe.Definition of democracy; expressive democracy vs. citizen democracy. Conditions to be met by ademocratic regime. The European political model. European paths to democracy: variablesinvolved; examples.
Part IIEuropean Integration
1. The Creation and Development of the European Community.After WWII: re-emergence of the idea of Europe; anti-romanticism of the early post-war period;change in the status of the great powers; the Cold War; mounting communist pressure; the MarshallPlan and the Committee/Organization for European Economic Co-operation; the Brussels Treatyand the North Atlantic Treaty. Beginnings of the project of European integration: Winston
Churchill’s early pronouncements (esp. the 1946 Zurich speech); first non
-governmentalorganizations supporting the idea; The Hague Congress (date and aim); the birth of the EuropeanMovement. The Council of Europe: origin, aim, procedures; the Council and human rights.Features of intergovernmental and supranational organizations. The European Coal and SteelCommunity: Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman
 – 
their role and vision of Europe; the SchumanPlan (Declaration); the Treaty of Paris
 – 
date; the institutional structure and significance of theECSC; date of expiry. Western European defence: the Pleven Plan; the European DefenceCommunity; the Western European Union. The European Economic Community and the EuropeanAtomic Energy Community
 – 
date of the Treaties of Rome; stages of economic integration; the
 
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institutional structure of the European Communities after 1957. The European Free TradeAssociation: origin, membership, structure. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development: date, purpose. The 1960s and 1970s: de Gaulle’s “Europe of nation
-
states”; the
internal and external setbacks to integration; the first wave of enlargement. The political climate(s)of the 1980s: two waves of enlargement, changes in the Soviet Union. Legal developments: theMerger (Brussels) Treaty; the Single European Act (date, basic provisions).2. From the European Community to the European Union.The origins of the Treaty on European Union: the internal and external pro-integration factors of the late 1980s. The concept of an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC); the signing of the Treaty;problems with ratification; the concept of an opt-out. The EU and its three pillars. The EuropeanCommunities: the Communities; the relationship between the European Economic Community, theEuropean Community, the European Communities and the European Union. The principles of subsidiarity and of the EU citizenship. Basics of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Basicsof the Co-operation in the Spheres of Justice and Home Affairs (later transformed into Police andJudicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters (PJC)).
3. The European Union’s Institutions.The basic “i
nstitutional triangle
”. The judiciary, financial and advisory institutions of the EU.
Agencies
 – 
examples of agencies in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd pillar of the EU.EU institutions in detail:
 A. The Commission
: the two senses in which the name is used; seat; the name of the currentPresident;
term of office of the Commission; outline internal structure; the Commission’s four main
roles; the 2004-9 Polish Commissioner: name, portfolio.
 B. The Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers)
: seat; composition; main role;
combination of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism; “councils”; the Council’s six main
responsibilities; COREPER; qualified majority voting (QMV)
under the Treaty of Nice; Poland’s
number of votes. Special role of the Secretary-General of the Council in foreign policy; name of 
the current Secretary. The Council’s Presidency
 
 – 
rationale behind involving three countries; thecountry now holding the Presidency.
C. The European Council
: composition, beginnings; functions; the combined Presidency.
 D. The European Parliament 
: the first application of direct elections (date) and its significance.The three seats of the EP; elections (how often, type of representation); overall number of MEPsunder the Treaty of Nice now (2004-9) and following the 2009 election; the respective numbers of 
Polish MEPs vis a vis other countries’
delegations; the political groups and the transnationalpolitical parties in the EP (definitions, examples
 – 
esp. of the most numerous ones). Libertas
 – 
thebig unknown; proclaimed political goals. The powers of the Parliament: the power to legislate(basics of the legislative procedures
 – 
consultation, codecision, assent), the power of the purse, thepower of democratic supervision. The changing role of the EP.
 E. The Court of Justice of the European Communities
: seat; composition; chambers; four maintypes of proceedings; the principles of direct effect and the supremacy of the EU law. The Court of First Instance: when created; purpose.
F. The Court of Auditors
: seat; composition; main responsibility and powers.
G. The European Central Bank 
: [see 5. Economic and Monetary Union below].
 H. The Economic and Social Committee
, and
The Committee of the Regions
: outline composition,functions and importance.
 I. The European Investment Bank 
: activities; source of financial means for the activities.
 J. European Ombudsman
: function.
K. The European Data Protection Supervisor 
: function.
 M. Problems
: democratic deficit
 – 
definition, attempts to reduce it; subsidiarity
 – 
concept,problems surrounding the application it.
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