MVZn5036 Military transformation in Central Europe

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Thomas-Durell Young, Ph.D. (lecturer), prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, Ph.D. (deputy)
Bc. Klára Hanzlíková (assistant)
Mgr. Martin Chovančík, Ph.D. (assistant)
Ing. Mgr. Adriana Ilavská, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 6. 5. 14:00–15:40 U32, 16:00–17:40 U32, 18:00–19:40 U32, Tue 7. 5. 16:00–17:40 P21a, Wed 8. 5. 10:00–14:40 P22, 12:00–13:40 P22, 14:00–15:40 P22, Thu 9. 5. 10:00–11:40 P21a, 12:00–13:40 P21a, Fri 10. 5. 8:00–9:40 P24a
Prerequisites
To be able to deal with English written literature.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 23/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 8 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
To introduce students to the transformation of military institutions in Central and Eastern Europe in a comparative perspective.
Learning outcomes
Identify key differences in the transformation of military institutions in CEE. Understand the processes that have led to the status quo.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction, background, and challenges to defense reform in central/eastern Europe 2. Understanding the conceptual divide Tuesday (May 9 ): 3. Why defense planning and management continues to fail in central/eastern European defense institutions 4. Explaining the impediments to achieving the illusive goal of ‘linking finances to planning execution’ Wednesday (10 May): 5. False Western concepts that impede rational defense planning and execution: Why long-term defense planning does not work 6. Thinking differently about creating a more effective defense planning and management system Thursday (May 11): 7. Why commanders cannot be ‘grown’ in central/eastern European armed forces 8. Can central/eastern European nations exercise national-level command in crisis and war’? Friday (May 12): 9. Simulation: how to ‘fix’ post-communist defense legacy defense institutions?
Literature
  • Anatomy of European Post-Communist Defense Institutions: Mirage of Modernity (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017)
  • ‘Legacy Concepts: A Sociology of Command in Central and Eastern Europe’ Parameters 47, no. 1 (Spring 2017): 31-42
  • ‘Impediments to Reform in European Post-Communist Defense Institutions: Addressing the Conceptual Divide’ Problems of Post-Communism 65, no. 3 (2018): 161-174.
  • ‘Is PPBS Applicable to European Post-Communist Defense Institutions?’ RUSI Journal 161, No. 5 (October-November 2016): 68-77.
Teaching methods
Lectures, reading, discussions.
Assessment methods
Essay+written test
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
General note: tdyoung@nps.edu.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2024/MVZn5036