MVZn5018 German Foreign and Defence Policy

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jana Urbanovská, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Stanislava Brajerčíková (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
Thu 8:00–9:40 U23
Prerequisites
! MVZ418 German Foreign and Defence Pol && !NOW( MVZ418 German Foreign and Defence Pol )
The knowledge of German language is an advantage, it is however not a precondition for a successful completion of the course.
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: 0/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course focuses on the interpretation and analysis of German foreign and security policy. Emphasis is in particular placed on the German foreign and security policy after the reunification, whereby certain attention is paid to historical themes as well. In the analysis of German foreign and security policy, students will learn to utilize theoretical concepts of “civilian power”, “middle power” and “trading state”. In terms of methodology, they will learn to use the method of historical description and comparative analysis. On successful completion of the course, students will possess a data basis related to the German foreign and security policy and will be able to understand the historical context of Germany's foreign policy as well as to analyze its basic current trends on the basis of the theory of international relations.
Learning outcomes
After successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- identify key sources of German foreign and security policy;
- explain important tendencies of German foreign and security policy since 1949 up to the present;
- evaluate current foreign and security policy events and deduce their wider implications;
- to analyze crucial bilateral and multilateral relations of the FRG.
Syllabus
  • 1) Introduction
  • 2) Main actors and theoretical basis of the German foreign and security policy
  • 3) German foreign and security policy between 1945-1990
  • 4) German unification and German foreign policy in 1990-1998
  • 5) German foreign policy in 1998-2005
  • 6) Reading week
  • 7) German foreign policy in 2005-2009 and 2009-2013
  • 8) Angela Merkel: a foreign policy biography
  • 9) Germany as a leader in the process of European intergration
  • 10) German security and defence policy since unification
  • 11) Bundeswehr reform
  • 12) German bilateral relations
  • 13) Evaluation of German foreign and security policy
Literature
  • HELLMANN, Gunther, Rainer BAUMANN and Wolfgang WAGNER. Deutsche Außenpolitik. 2., überarbeitete Aufl. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 2014, 289 s. ISBN 9783658050214. info
  • KŘÍŽ, Zdeněk and Jana URBANOVSKÁ. Deutschlands Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik nach der Vereinigung. Zivilmacht, Handelsstaat oder Mittelmacht? (German foreign and security policy after unification. Civilian power, trading state or middle power?). 1st ed. Brno: Muni press, 2014, 265 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-7061-5. info
  • FULBROOK, Mary. Dějiny moderního Německa : od roku 1918 po současnost. Translated by Eva Prášková. 1. vyd. Praha: Grada, 2010, 304 s. ISBN 9788024731049. info
  • MISKIMMON, Alister. Germany and the common foreign and security policy of the European union : between europeanisation and national adaptation. 1st pub. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007, xiv, 265. ISBN 9780230506527. info
  • Handbuch zur deutschen Außenpolitik. Edited by Siegmar Schmidt - Gunther Hellmann - Reinhard Wolf. 1. Aufl. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2007, 968 s. ISBN 9783531136523. info
  • Germany's uncertain power : foreign policy of the Berlin Republic. Edited by Hanns W. Maull. First published. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, xvi, 296. ISBN 1403946620. info
  • MANN, Golo. Dějiny Německa, 1919-1945. Praha: Český spisovatel, 1993, 245 s. ISBN 80-202-0441-5. info
Teaching methods
The course is taught as both lectures and seminars, involving class discussions. Essays aim to improve the ability of students to summarize an issue in the field of German foreign and security policy and to evaluate it critically. Readings serve to broaden and deepen the spectrum of knowledge students acquire during lectures. Presentations serve among others to improve presentation skills of students.
Assessment methods
Compulsory-elective course - B, completed by credit. The course is completed by a written test. To pass the course, it is necessary to submit a presentation on a chosen topic, to elaborate an essay on the given topics and to pass a credit written test with the success rate of 60 % points.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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