Warming up the Cold War: Teaching American History at the American University in Bulgaria

In this paper I will describe my experiences in teaching US history at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG).  Given my classes’ multi-ethnic composition, with students coming from fifty-two different countries from around the world, though largely from the former Soviet republics, the task is a challenging one.  For many students attending AUBG, American history and American culture in general represent largely unknown territory; teaching US history thus requires a unique approach, and the typical US history course must of necessity be redefined and reconsidered.

Bulgaria represents something of a liminal space in the post-Cold War world.  The communist ideological frame that informed previous generations in Eastern Europe has for the most part been relinquished.  However, Western patterns are still substantially absent, having not yet infiltrated the culture to a great degree.  This has created a cultural and ideological void among many of my students, which presents significant challenges and opportunities in teaching American history.  In particular, the Cold War represents an excellent test to gauge the students’ attitudes toward the United States, as well as their memories of the Soviet-dominated past.

I will also compare my experiences in Bulgaria with my time as a lecturer in American history in Italy, a country traditionally considered a loyal ally of the US but which internally is characterized by a love-hate relationship toward America.  This comparison will give added richness to my reflections on effective pedagogical approaches to teaching American history in a non-American setting.