Module manager: To be confirmed
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Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as an Elective
The real Cold War was hot. In Latin America, it was a period of unprecedented violence, mass mobilisation, and foreign interventions. This module delves into new research and debates on the Cold War in a Latin American context. It explores how the Cold War intersected with local, national, and regional struggles for social justice and national liberation. It discusses how and with what consequences Latin Americans challenged Western hegemony and explored the possibility of South-South collaborations. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
By centring Latin America rather than the superpowers, this module offers a fresh perspective on the Cold War. It asks how the Cold War started and ended in Latin America, who its main protagonists were, and the conflict’s impact on different scales, varying from local activists to international organisations. You are encouraged to analyse the Cold War in Latin America from transnational, international, and global perspectives. The module zooms in on various case studies, which may include the Guatemalan Spring (1944-1954) the 1959 Cuban Revolution, Allende’s Chile (1970-1973), Southern Cone Dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Central American civil wars. Seminars will involve intensive reading and discussion of secondary sources, combined with reflections on newly released online archival materials, oral histories, artwork, and memoirs.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Identify and explain key trends and defining moments in the Cold War in Latin America.
2. Critically evaluate, compare, and contrast different historiographical approaches to the Cold War in Latin America.
3. Assess the impact of international politics and global events on Latin America’s Cold War, and vice versa.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Weigh up different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories, and ideas.
5. Write in a clear, concise, focused, and structured manner that is supported by relevant evidence.
6. Deliver effective and engaging oral and visual presentations to a variety of audience.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Seminar | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Private study hours | 279.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
You will receive feedback on a plan for the student-led session. The student-led session will help you prepare for the essay by supporting your development critical skills of historiographical analysis. You will also have the opportunity to meet with your tutor for one-to-one meetings to get feedback on your approach to each assignment prior to the deadlines.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Student-led seminar (including presentation) | 50 |
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 28/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team