Cold War Europe Beyond Borders. A Transnational History of Cross-Border Practices in the Alps-Adriatic area from World War II to the present.

Introduction

This project aims to rethink the history of Cold War Europe by examining the development of transnational cross-border cooperation from the end of World War II to the present. Overcoming traditional narratives of a clear-cut European separation symbolised by the Berlin Wall, a decentralised analysis of recent European history will show us that the question of a divided continent should be reframed.

Objectives

The final objective is to challenge a dichotomous vision of two separate Europes, East and West, from a new, border perspective. To this end, a highly qualified team of senior and junior scholars under my guidance will focus on the Alps-Adriatic region, a historical area that is now shared by Austria, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia.

Geographical Focus

This case involves a relatively narrow geographical area but an unusually broad typological range of subjects. During the Cold War, it was divided among:

1. Socialist but non-aligned Yugoslavia
2. Capitalist but neutral Austria
3. NATO and EEC member Italy

Its development from the "southern end" of the Iron Curtain in 1946 to the "most open border" during the Cold War and a precursor to present-day Schengen Europe represents a paradigmatic case to study an alternative attitude towards borders, frontiers, and boundaries.

Methodology

Drawing on Cold War and borderland studies, social history, and the history of European integration, which up till now have not found common ground, our innovative conceptual elaboration will demonstrate the interplay between top-down politics and bottom-up initiatives.

Conclusion

Thus, this project offers a new, and more nuanced history of Cold War Europe from the border perspective. Reconsidering the European past from this transnational angle, both in terms of geographic and methodological perspectives, will allow us to rediscover the human face of European integration. It will also offer us a new platform for contemporary discussions on sovereignty, territoriality, belonging, and the future role of borders in Europe and in the world.