Course Syllabus

The Enemy Within: Spies and Espionage in the Cold War

Course Description
Espionage organizations play an important role in modern society. They aim to provide security from terrorism, among many other things. But how did these organizations come into being, and how have they developed over the years? Who are the people staffing them and what do they actually do? This course aims to introduce students to the objectives and effects of intelligence and espionage throughout modern history. 
We look back in history to where it all began, and we assess the rising importance of the intelligence communities and organizations in modern societies. We will focus mainly on 1), the organizational level through case studies, with a special emphasis on the Baltic region; 2), the ideological/political level through the prism of how and why the Western and Eastern blocs fought the Cold War with agents, double agents, intelligence, art, sports, and propaganda; and 3), the individual level through the prism of the concepts and practices of loyalty and betrayal: why would anyone choose to become the ‘enemy within’?

Instructors:

Matthias Bjørnlund
Master of Arts (History, University of Copenhagen). Archival researcher, writer, lecturer, translator, consultant.
Formerly with the Department for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Copenhagen. Editor and translator on
www.armenocide.de. Lecturer at Folkeuniversitetet. 

Academic tour leader at Kulturrejser Europa. Author and co-author of books,
articles, and book chapters on historical and conceptual aspects of genocide, refugees, missionaries, relief
work, and diplomatic affairs. With DIS since 2011.

Course objectives
After finishing the course, students should have an overall command of the methods and problems related
to the study of history in general. They should also possess a solid understanding of the bipolar world that
existed during the Cold War; of the reasons for the clash between the ideologies of communism and
democracy; of the institutional dynamics of espionage; and of the human actors who make up the world of
intelligence.

Field Studies

• Stevnsfort Cold War Museum: a large Cold War fortress turned museum, heavily armed and secured,
  with vast tunnels dug deep into the UNESCO world heritage cliffs.
• The Cold War Room at Carlsberg: the tactical surveillance and underground operations room where
  the Danish military monitored the skies for enemy planes during World War II and through the cold
  war located under Carlsberg's very first brewery, in the Valby neighbourhood in Copenhagen.
• Walking or Sailing Tour: Cold War and espionage history of Copenhagen.

Requirements

•  Students are required to have basic knowledge of general history and/or political science and/or
  sociology.
• Attendance in all classes and field studies is mandatory.
• "Engaged participation" - The outcome of the course depends on student engagement; hence students are expected to have done the reading for each class and to prepare notes and questions for the instructor and for the other students. This genarates an active learning environment and furthers in-dept knowledge of the topic.

We will discuss mutual expectations, teaching/learning style (a mix of lecturing, discussion, as well as individual and group presentations), and define ‘engaged participation’ in more detail during the first class session.

Please note that there are no required textbooks to pick up from the library

Course Evaluation

• Participation, including possible sim game and field studies: 25% 
• Oral test 1: 10%
• Oral test 2: 15%
• Final test: Academic group paper (c. 10 pages) and presentation in plenum on the final day of class:
  50%.

The final paper and presentation are two interconnected parts of one intelligence brief, and should thus be on the same topic, i.e., any relevant topic related to espionage and/or the Cold War. The groups are formed on the third day of class, and the topic should be chosen by the group at the end of the first week after consultations with the instructors. Grades will be given on the basis of A), the group paper, and B), the group presentation. The group presentation will form the basis for the individual grading, as each group member is expected to participate in the presentation and respond to critical questions and comments from instructors and students.

Attendance:
You are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled. If you miss two classes, the Director of
Teaching and Learning, and the Director of Student Affairs will be notified; they will follow-up with you to
make sure that all is well. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your standing at DIS. Allowances will be
made in cases of illness, but you will need to provide a doctor’s note.

Academic Honesty: Plagiarism and Violating the Rules of an Assignment
DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS
assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others. Academic
dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home
universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in
electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software. See the Academic Handbook for more
information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.,

Disability resources
Any student who has a need for disability accommodations should contact the Office of Academic Support
(acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this. Upon DIS appro