Module manager: Professor Robert Hornsby
Email: R.Hornsby@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
The module examines the history of communist regimes in Eastern Europe between the end of the Second World War and the revolutions of 1989. Countries discussed include East Germany, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. Lectures will cover concrete events and processes, such as the Hungarian revolution of 1956 and the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland. Seminars centre upon thematic topics, such as 'how important was state violence in maintaining communism across Eastern Europe?' and 'how and why were the 1990s transitions to democracy difficult across the former socialist bloc?'. 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.
This module aims to familiarise you with a range of important events and themes in the history of communist regimes across the former Eastern Europe. Via teaching (lectures and seminars) and assessment, it also seeks to build your skills in research and historical writing.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Critically evaluate the political and social history of communist regimes of the region.
2. Compare and contrast events and themes across different countries and times.
3. Critically assess contrasting interpretations of the causes and consequences of key events and themes in Communist Eastern Europe.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Articulate nuanced and compelling arguments, rooted in historical evidence.
5. Critically assess the intellectual content of scholarly literature.
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 |
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 179.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
For each piece of coursework, students will be invited for a preliminary discussion of their plans.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Primary source essay | 40 |
| Coursework | Research essay | 60 |
| 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: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team