Living the Revolution: Intimate Histories of International Communism, 1919-1943

Overview

This module offers a thematic exploration of the ‘lived experience’ of activists working within the international communist movement during the Comintern era (1919-1943). Students engage weekly with a variety of sources, including material held in QUB Special Collections, and secondary literature. The module emphasises primary sources use. A mix of love letters, police surveillance reports, oral histories and interrogation protocols will introduce students to key concepts in source criticism and within the wider history of global radicalism. The module is arranged thematically, allowing for a global focus. For example, in the week titled ‘Fighting’ students will examine and compare communist experiences of fighting within the Spanish and Chinese civil wars. Similarly, in the week on family histories of communism, students will explore romantic relationships between western radicals and anti-colonial activists from Africa and south-east Asia.

Learning Objectives

This module offers a thematic exploration of the ‘lived experience’ of activists working within the international communist movement during the Comintern era (1919-1943). Students engage weekly with a variety of sources, including material held in QUB Special Collections, and secondary literature. The module emphasises primary sources use. A mix of love letters, police surveillance reports, oral histories and interrogation protocols will introduce students to key concepts in source criticism and within the wider history of global radicalism. The module is arranged thematically, allowing for a global focus. For example, in the week titled ‘Fighting’ students will examine and compare communist experiences of fighting within the Spanish and Chinese civil wars. Similarly, in the week on family histories of communism, students will explore romantic relationships between western radicals and anti-colonial activists from Africa and south-east Asia.

Skills

Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence.

Greater confidence in the use of archives both online and physical.

Further develop written communication skills, both written and oral. The ability to use and evaluate primary and secondary source material available in electronic format.

Assessment