This course focuses on the history of Modern Greece (1800 to the present) and starts with two weeks intensive reading and discussion of key historical events before moving to Athens for a month. In Greece, the course combines in-class sessions with mostly on-site teaching to provide in-depth understanding of major developments in social, cultural, economic and political history of Greece since 1800.

The course starts by exploring the history of Ottoman and Venetian areas that formed the Greek State and includes themes such as: the Revolution of 1821, economic and social change in the nineteenth century; Greece in the Balkans; WWI and the interwar period; war and occupation in the 1940s; emigration and the Greek Diaspora; the 1967-1974 dictatorship and the post-1980s period of European integration, to the present and recent crises and challenges.

Teaching is based primarily on experiential learning through visits to museums that provide a unique insight to modern and contemporary history and present-day Greece, as well as visits to historical archives and research centres to understand how historians do research. In the second week of the course, students may have the opportunity to visit the island of Syros for a three-day summer school in Greek and Mediterranean history offered in association with the National Research Institute, as well as a two-day trip to the island of Hydra.

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Accommodations and Meals

• Students will stay in groups of 3-6 in shared apartments provided by College Year Athens. All apartments are in the Pangrati neighbourhood of central Athens, about a 5-10 minute from the CYA Academic Centre and close to public transportation, restaurants, coffee shops, and stores.
• There is no meal plan given that students have full kitchens in their apartments.

Flights

There is no group flight for this course, and all admitted students are responsible for booking and paying for their own flights. If you wish to arrive in Greece earlier than the course start date, or stay after the course is complete, you will be responsible for finding and paying for your own accommodations.

Entry Requirements

• Students are responsible for knowing Greece’s entry and exit requirements and ensuring they have the appropriate travel documents. Please refer to the Government of Canada’s travel advisories and information for Greece. Students should consult the Greek Consulate General’s website to see if they require a tourist visa based on their country of citizenship. Students requiring a tourist visa should apply for one at least 2 months before their scheduled departure.
• Any students with layovers in another country en route to Greece must also check that country’s entry and exit requirements and obtain a transit visa if one is needed.