Module manager: Dr Matthew Frank
Email: m.frank@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as a discovery module
The 1990s saw war, mass expulsion and genocide return to Europe. The collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991-92 and the conflicts which followed it provided an unwelcome reminder of how the path to independent statehood over the previous century had invariably been a bitterly contested and violent process throughout the Continent. In this module, we will examine the causes of Yugoslavia’s collapse and the nature of the conflicts which followed it. We will look at the unique role that communist Yugoslavia played in the Cold War and the delicate balancing act between the different republics and nationalities that constituted Tito’s federal Yugoslavia, which proved unsustainable after his death in 1980. In explaining Yugoslavia’s demise and the intensity of inter-ethnic conflict which followed the declarations of independence of Slovenia and Croatia in 1991 and Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992, we will look beyond the lazy and tired notion of ‘ancient hatreds’ and discuss how the destruction of Yugoslavia was a deliberate and pre-meditated act by ethnic nationalists. We will look at the successive attempts by the international community – EC/EU, UN, US, NATO – to manage Yugoslavia’s demise and we will discuss the forms that direct outside intervention took, and the barriers to it. We will discuss how the perceived failures of international intervention in 1992-95 in Bosnia shaped not only NATO action in Kosovo in 1999 but also the subsequent enforcement of international law. It is an opportune time to examine this topic as in addition to the multitude of memoirs, contemporary commentaries and ‘instant histories’ that emerged during the 1990s, and the records generated by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, new archival material from the period is now being released, of which we will make extensive use. 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.
The aim of this module is to allow you to learn about the causes of the break-up of Yugoslavia in the context of the end of the Cold War and how the international community became entangled in the wars of succession which followed the disintegration of this multi-national state. This is a multi-faceted topic that can be viewed from a variety of perspectives and you will benefit from engaging with a wealth of contemporary sources that cast light on these.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Critically assess a major episode in contemporary European and international history with continuing political significance
2. Evaluate the causes and consequences of the disintegration of multi-national states
3. Analyse how the international community has responded historically to ‘ethnic conflict’
4. Identify how ‘history’ has been exploited for specific political purposes as well as how it conditions and justifies responses to contemporary crises
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Analyse conflicting historical interpretations.
6. Identify, utilise and contextualise a range of primary sources for your research.
7. Apply fundamental standards and practices of historical study for research, discussion, and assessed work.
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 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Seminar | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Private study hours | 181.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 18.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
For assessment 1, discussion (group work and open class) of selected primary sources in each of the seminars – summarizing, contextualizing and analysing them. Opportunity to submit a non-assessment practice source commentary. You can discuss ideas and approach to the assessment task in individual meetings with your tutor.
For assessment 2, you identify a topic for the essay and agree question in consultation with tutor. You will have the opportunity to discuss an essay plan and bibliography in an individual meeting with the module tutor.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Source commentary | 25 |
| Coursework | Essay | 75 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 29/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team