Bloc seminar Political intrigues belong to the toolkit of many active in the body politic. Backhand schemes in today's political arena are used as often as in the times of the American revolution. Scheming is part and parcel to cases of treachery, covert action, espionage, assassination and political cover-up. In this seminar we will examine momentous and intriguing cases. We will study both, successful and failed intrigue plots and analyze how they shaped political outcomes - dating from the 19th century, until today, with a particular focus on the cold war. Since political intrigues mix with fiction and interpretations of reality, in this seminar we will also learn about narratives of intrigue in literature, film and (political) culture. dates Introduction: Wednesday, October 16th ; 08.30 - 10.30 hrs; JFKI seminar room 201 1st bloc: Friday, November 29th, 09.00-16.00 hrs, JFKI seminar room 201 2nd bloc: Saturday, December 14th, 09.00-16.00 hrs, European Academy Berlin 3rd bloc + wrap-up: 09.00-17.00 hrs, Friday, January 17th, JFKI seminar room 201 close