University of West Bohemia in Pilsen
Study programmes & Course catalogue
for academic year 2025/2026
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Course: Communism and Its Black Book (1917-1989)

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Course title Communism and Its Black Book (1917-1989)
Course code KHI/KOMUN
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 3
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course unspecified
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Holec Jiří, PhDr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. Marx and Engels, Marxism - the only ?scientific? learning, historical materialism. 2. Lenin and his ?complemet? of Marxism, Stalin, Stalinism, ?aggravation of the class struggle?. 3. Forced collectivization, the Great Famine, Gulags. 4. Engineers of human souls, coryphaeus of all the sciences, an art of hunt, Bulb Traktorovna. 5. Attempts to world revolution, the Spanish Civil War in a different way. 6. Socialists together: Pact between Stalin and Hitler. 7. Postwar Communist expansion in Central and Eastern Europe, plans to conquer the West. 8. Czechoslovakia - ?voluntary? victim. 9. The Chinese model of socialism: Mao Tse-Tung rises on the East.. 10. Hot phase of the Cold War: Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan. 11. Cuban nuclear crisis. 12. Communism without embellishment: Genocide in Cambodia.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture supplemented with a discussion, Discussion, Seminar classes, Self-study of literature
  • Contact hours - 22 hours per semester
  • Presentation preparation (report) (1-10) - 6 hours per semester
  • Preparation for comprehensive test (10-40) - 30 hours per semester
  • Undergraduate study programme term essay (20-40) - 20 hours per semester
prerequisite
Knowledge
Basic orientation in the late 19th and 20 century issues of history- namely social, racial and ethnic conflicts.
learning outcomes
After passing these courses student can incorporate origin of Marxism in the historical and philosophical context. Recognizes the different stages of formation and development of communist dictatorship to its collapse. Compares the common features of National Socialism and communism, not only in terms of a terrorist dictatorship of one party, but also in economy and culture. Evaluate the features of Communist terror and crimes of socialism and communism. Compare and identify differences and common core of Soviet, European and Asian ?model? of communism. Guess the motivation of the various sections of the population, especially leading leftist intellectuals to support leftist criminal regimes.
teaching methods
Lecture supplemented with a discussion
Self-study of literature
Discussion
Seminar classes
assessment methods
Seminar work
Individual presentation at a seminar
Recommended literature
  • Aron, R. Opium intelektuálů. 1. vyd. Praha, 2001. ISBN 80-204-0842-8.
  • Courtois, S.; Bartošek, K. Černá kniha komunismu : zločiny, teror, represe. I.. 1. vyd. Praha [etc.] : Paseka, 1999. ISBN 80-7185-194-9.
  • Courtois, S.; Bartošek, K. Černá kniha komunismu: zločiny, teror, represe II..
  • Figes, Orlando. Lidská tragédie. Ruská revoluce 1891 - 1924. Praha - Plzeň, 2000.
  • Johnson, P. Dějiny dvacátého století. Praha, 1991. ISBN 80-85336-07-3.
  • Kaplan, K., Hejl, V. Zpráva o organizovaném násilí. Praha, 1990.
  • Kaplan, K. Největší politický proces. M. Horáková a spol.. 2. vyd. Brno, 1995. ISBN 80-85765-58-6.
  • Kissinger, H. Umění diplomacie. Od Richelieua k pádu Berlínské zdi. Praha, 1999. ISBN 80-7260-025-7.
  • Popper, K. R. Bída historicismu. Vyd. 2. Praha : Oikoymenh, 2000. ISBN 80-86005-80-1.
  • Pryce-Jones, D. Pád komunismu. Liberec, 1996.
  • Rupnik, J. Jiná Evropa. 1. vyd. v čes. překladu. Praha, 1992. ISBN 80-85190-17-6.
  • Sarin, O., Dvorecký, L. Vetřelci, Agrese Sovětského svazu proti světu. 1919.
  • Service, R. Soudruzi. Světové dějiny komunismu.. Praha, 2009. ISBN 978-80-257-0105-8.
  • Soyfer, V. Rudá biologie. Pseudověda v SSSR.. Brno, 2005. ISBN 80-90-3550-5-6.
  • Vágner, P. Smečka. Boj o moc v poststalinském vedení SSSR v širším kontextu. Brno, 2002.
  • Veber, V. Komunistický experiment v Rusku 1917-1991 aneb Malé dějiny SSSR. Praha, 2001. ISBN 80-86277-14-3.
  • Žores, M. Stalin a židovský problém. Nová analýza. Brno, 2005. ISBN 80-903550-3-X.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, date of update: 24.01.2026 23:51. Data created for academic year 2025/2026