International Politics and the Economy

Course objectives

The aim of the course is to provide the basic knowledge for the understanding and critical assessment of the political and economic dynamics of international relations. The course will facilitate the understanding of the several transformations of the international system during the 20th century, focusing on the political and economic crucial issues that from time to time caused the breaking of the international equilibrium and lead to the search for a new global order. At the end of the course, the student will be able to analyse and assess the main issues of international politics, through the examination of selected case studies

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Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course adopts a predominantly historical approach, analyzing the interplay between international politics and the economy through key moments of the 20th Century. The aim is to understand how economic dynamics have influenced global political choices and vice versa, focusing on the transformations of the world-system. The course will examine some issues in which the interplay between the political and economic dimensions of international relations is most evident: 1) The "first globalization" (1870-1914): European imperialism; commercial expansion, colonial economy, migrations, and capital flows. 2) The First World War and its economic consequences: the problem of German reparations and the new European balance of power. 3) The "Pax Americana" at the end of the Second World War: political multilateralism (the UN System) and economic multilateralism (Bretton Woods System). 4) The oil market revolution: origins and consequences of the shocks of the 1970s.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of European and World history in the 19th-20th Centuries.
Books
A selection of papers on the main topics of the Workshop will be communicated during the lectures
Frequency
Attendance is not mandatory
Exam mode
Three questions on the main topics of the Workshop.
Lesson mode
Lectures on the course's in-depth modules
  • Lesson codeAAF2520
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseEconomics and Finance
  • CurriculumEconomia e integrazione internazionale
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • CFU3