HIST 349
GERMANY. FROM BISMARCK THROUGH HITLER
HIST 349. Germany: From Bismarck through Hitler (B)
Three hours lecture and/or discussion (3).
Prerequisite: 3 hours of history at the 100 level.
Study of German history from 1870 to 1945. Topics include Bismarck and national unification, World wars I and II, Hitler and National Socialism.
The major topics included in this course are: Bismarck and the Unification of Germany, the Character of the Second Reich, Germany's Bid for World Power, World War I, the Weimer Republic, Nazi Germany, and World War II.
1. The Unification of Germany
a. Austria and Prussia
b. Bismarck
c. The Wars of Unification
2. The Revolution from Above
a. Consolidation of the Nation State
b. Bismarck's Internal Policies
c. Bismarck's System of Foreign Alliances
3. Characteristics of German Society
a. The Industrial Revolution in Germany
b. Labor, Capital and the State
c. Social and Intellectual Life
d. Political Traditions: Conservatism, Liberalism, Socialism, Marxism
4. Germany's New Course under William II
a. Germany and the Rest of the World
b. Germany's Attempt to Become a World Power
c. The Drift Toward War
5. World War I
a. Military Stalemate in the West and East
b. War Aims
c. Total War and the Home Front
d. Germany's Defeat and the Treaty of Versailles
6. The Revolution of 1918-1919
a. The November Revolution
b. The Spartacist Uprising
c. Challenge from the Conservatives
7. The Weimar Republic
a. Politics: Democracy in Crisis
b. Economic Malaise and Dislocation
c. Social and Cultural Life
8. National Socialism in Germany
a. The Historical Roots of Nazism
b. The Rise of Adolf Hitler
c. The End of the Weimar Republic
9. Hitler's Third Reich
a. Political and Racial Policies
b. Social and Economic Developments
c. Foreign Policy and Diplomacy to 1939
10. World War II - the Military Developments
a. German Victories in the West
b. Total War in the East
11. World War II - the German Home Front
a. The Final Solution
b. The German Resistance
c. The German Economy
12. Total Defeat
a. Occupation and Division
b. Denazification
c. The Federal Republic
d. East Germany
Class meets three hours per week. Assigned readings consist of a textbook and several additional books including primary and secondary sources. Class format is primarily lecture but also includes some discussions. Students are expected to write a paper on some aspect of German history.
1). The student is familiar with recent German history.
2). The student becomes acquainted with Germany's central role in European history during the last 150 years.
3). The student is familiar with the similarities and differences between Germany and other European societies.
4). The student becomes informed about the nature and character of modern totalitarianism as practiced in Germany.
5). The student improves his/her ability to do historical research.
6). The student expands his/her understanding of different historical interpretations.
The student's grade will be based on the results of the mid-term, the paper, the final exam, and his or her contributions to classroom discussions. All exercises are designed to expand the student's ability to evaluate historical events and to develop his or her ability to compose persuasive arguments.
None.
Date Action Reviewed by
January 2005 Reviewed and Approved by Charles McClellan