This is a writing-intensive course that is a study of Germany since its unification in the 19th century. We will examine the causes and consequences of that unification, the political, social, economic, and cultural development of the German nation, and the causes and consequences of World War I. We will then study the Weimar period, the reasons behind the rise of Hitler and Nazism, the nature of the Nazi state and society, World War II, and post-war developments. As the central themes of the course, we will explore the tension in German history between unity and disunity, and the consequent search for a viable German identity.


Books:

• Dietrich Orlow, A History of Modern Germany. 3rd ed.
• David Calleo, The German Problem Reconsidered. Germany and the World Order, 1870 to the Present.
• Document readings at the Reserve Desk, University Library

1. Undergraduates: The Calleo book (The German Problem Reconsidered) divides nicely into three sections (Section 1: ch. 1-4; Section 2: ch. 5-6; Section 3: ch. 7-9). Each student will be required to write a 2-3 page analysis/assessment of each of these three sections. This assignment is intended to help you develop the skill of critical thinking, so don't write a book review but rather analyze and assess the author's major contentions in each of the sections. Due dates: Section 1: 6/10; Section 2: 6/25; Section 3: 7/1.

2. Graduate Students: In addition to the above assignment, each graduate student will be required to read a novel about Germany set in this time period (either one written during this era, or one written about it) and write a 6-7 page assessment of it, putting it in its historical context, analyzing what insights it gives into the period, and discussing how it illustrates German society and thought in this particular era. Please feel free to talk with me about a possible novel. Your book analysis will be graded on content, organization, and style. Remember, clarity of writing follows clarity of thinking. Due Date: 6/27.

Document Analyses: Each undergraduate student will write a 1-2 page analysis of the documents in three (3) selected sections of the documents on reserve at the University Library (Each graduate student will do four (4) selected sections). This should not be a summary of the documents, but an analysis of their significance, what they reveal about the nature of German society, and the implications for social, political, economic, and intellectual change implicit in the documents.

Exams: There will be two exams (combination of essay/short answer).

Grades: For Undergraduates, there will be two examinations, the written assignment, and thedocument analyses. Each of these four grades will be worth 25% of the final grade. For Graduate students, there is the book review in addition to the other assignments, with each of the five grades worth 20% of the final grade.

Grading Scale:

     A  = 93-->     B+= 87-89   B- = 80-82    C  = 73-76   D+ = 67-69   F = 59-->
     A- = 90-92    B = 83-86   C+= 77-79     C- = 70-72   D  = 60-66

You are responsible for all information discussed in class. If there is any student in this class who has need for test-taking or notetaking accommodation please feel free to discuss this with me.

• 6/2-6/3 Unity v. Disunity: The Road to Nationhood, 1815-1870 Orlow: ch. 1; Calleo: ch. 1.
• 6/4-6/5 Unification and Bismarck's Rule, 1870-1890 Orlow: ch. 2; Calleo: ch. 2.
• 6/6 Wilhelminian Germany, 1890-1914 Orlow: ch. 3.
• 6/9-6/10 Weltpolitik and The Origins of the First World War, 1890-1914 Orlow: pp. 89-98; Calleo: ch. 3 & 4.
• 6/11-6/12 In The Crucible: The Great War, 1914-1918 Orlow: ch. 4.
• 6/13 Mid-Term Examination
• 6/16 The Search for Post-War Stability, 1918-1923 Orlow: ch. 5.
• 6/17-6/18 False Stability: The Weimar Republic, 1924-1930 Orlow: ch. 6.
• 6/19-6/23 The Rise of Hitler and the Nazi Revolution: The Nature of the Volksgemeinschaft, 1930-1938 Orlow: pp. 170-192; Calleo: ch. 5.
• 6/24-6/25 The Road to War: Hitler's Foreign Policy, 1933-1939 Orlow: pp. 192-198; Calleo, ch. 6.
• 6/26-6/30 Hitler's War: World War II, 1939-1945 Orlow: ch. 8-9.
• 7/1-7/2 Life After Year Zero: Germany Divided -- and Reunited Orlow: ch. 10-12; Calleo: ch. 7-9.
• 7/3 Final Examination

Last updated: The Ides of December, 1998