MVZn5099 Terrorism in Europe after 1945

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Vladimír Černý, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Mgr. Adriana Ilavská (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
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 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The main aim of the course is to introduce students to the development of political terrorism in Europe from the end of the Second World War to the present day. The focus will be on the different groups (ultra-left, ultra-right, nationalist, religious, racist) carrying out terrorist actions, their ideology and goals. We will also look at the fight against terrorism in European countries. Each student will prepare and present a paper on one of the selected topics.
Learning outcomes
Students will gain an overview of the development of terrorism in Europe from the end of World War II to the present. In addition, they will be able to evaluate not only Czech but also foreign literature on the course topic and apply their analytical skills in producing a term paper.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introductory lesson. Definition, essential characteristics and typology of political terrorism.
  • 2. The origins of modern terrorism: Ireland, Russia and the Ottoman Empire.
  • 3. Resistance movements during the Second World War. The thin line between the struggle for freedom and terrorism.
  • 4. Sixty years in action: ETA and Basque separatism.
  • 5. Northern Ireland I: Republican paramilitary organisations (OIRA, PIRA, INLA, CIRA, RIRA).
  • 6. Northern Ireland II: Loyalist paramilitary organisations (UDA, UVF, UFF) and British security forces.
  • 7. the RAF and other left-leaning organisations in the Federal Republic of Germany.
  • 8. The Red Brigades and politically motivated terrorism in Italy.
  • 9. Forgotten conflicts: from South Tyrol to Greece.
  • 10. Chechen terrorism in Russia.
  • 11. Islamist terrorism in Western Europe, its roots and concomitant phenomena.
  • 12. Breivik and others. Contemporary far-right and racist terrorism.
  • 13. Czech Republic - a country without terrorism?
Literature
    required literature
  • A transnational history of right-wing terrorism : political violence and the far right in Eastern and Western Europe since 1900. Edited by Johannes Dafinger - Moritz Florin. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022, xii, 282. ISBN 9780367613365. info
  • Britain's long warBritish strategy in the Northern Ireland conflict, 1969-98. Edited by Peter Neumann. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003, xii, 231 p. ISBN 1403917795. info
  • FILIPEC, Ondřej. Fenomén terorismus : česká perspektiva. 1. vydání. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2017, 256 stran. ISBN 9788024450407. info
  • HIRO, Dilip. War without end : the rise of islamist terrorism and global response. London: Routledge, 2002, xxxiv, 513. ISBN 0415288029. info
  • MAREŠ, Miroslav. Terorismus v ČR (Terrorism in the CR). 1st ed. Brno: Centrum strategických studií, 2005, 476 pp. CSS 1. ISBN 80-903333-8-9. info
  • RICHARDS, Anthony. Conceptualizing terrorism. First edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015, vi, 174. ISBN 9780198746966. info
  • SINCLAIR, Andrew. An anatomy of terror : a history of terrorism. 1st pub. London: Macmillan, 2003, xvi, 400. ISBN 0333989775. info
    recommended literature
  • ENGLISH, Richard. Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA. USA: Oxford Uniersity Press, 2004, 528 pp. ISBN 978-0195177534. info
  • GALLAHER, Carolyn. After the peace : Loyalist paramilitaries in post-accord Northern Ireland. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2007, xvi, 248. ISBN 9780801474262. URL info
  • JACKSON, Richard. Writing the war on terrorism : language, politics and counter-terrorism. First published by Mancheste. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2005, viii, 232. ISBN 9780719071201. info
  • JONES, James William. Blood that cries out from the earth : the psychology of religious terrorism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, xviii, 188. ISBN 9780195335972. info
  • MAKARIUSOVÁ, Radana. Globální terorismus a radikální hnutí. Plzeň: Vydavatelství a nakladatelství Aleš Čeněk, 2019, 215 stran. ISBN 9788073807771. info
  • MCKITTRICK, David and David MCVEA. Making sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict. Penguin Viking, 2012. ISBN 978-0-241-96265-7. info
  • THACKRAH, John Richard. Dictionary of terrorism. Edited by John Richard Thackrah. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2004, xvii, 318. ISBN 0415298210. info
Teaching methods
The course takes the form of a combination of lectures and seminar teaching. During the semester, students will prepare a seminar paper to test their ability to apply analytical skills and work with professional literature in Czech and English.
Assessment methods
Students are asked to prepare a seminar paper of at least 18,000 characters on one of the assigned topics. The final examination consists of a written test consisting of seven open questions. The overall course grade of 60 points includes this final test (maximum 30 points), a mid-term written test on the topics covered so far in the semester (10 points) and the seminar paper (20 points). Students must earn a minimum of 40 points to complete the course successfully.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2024, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/MVZn5099