We will discuss Europe's attempt to commit suicide at the apparent height of its economic/technological success and world dominance, the political, economic, social, and intellectual consequences of World War I, the rise of totalitarianism as an alternative to liberal democracy, the nature of the totalitarian states, and World War II and its ramifications.

Books:

• Felix Gilbert, The End of the European Era, 1890-Present.
• Bruce Pauley, Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini: Totalitarianism in the Twentieth Century.
• Ernst Junger, The Storm of Steel: From the Diary of a German Stormtrooper.
• Primo Levi, Survival in Auschwitz.
• Richard Marius, A Short Guide to Writing About History. (Recommended)

Each student will be required to write a 3-4 page review/analysis of either Ernst Junger, The Storm of Steel, due: 9/19, or Primo Levi, Survival in Auschwitz, due: 12/1 (Or, if you would like, you may review both and have your final grade based on five assessments rather than four). You will find a very helpful guide to doing book reviews in the Marius book, and I will also provide a brief guide.

Written Assignment:

Undergraduate students will be required to write an 8-10 page typed paper on any subject that is of interest to you within the framework of this course. Please use footnotes/endnotes and include a bibliography of all of your sources. If you need any help, please feel free to talk with me.

Graduate students will be required to write a 16-20 page typed historiographical essay. Historiography refers to the way in which historians have interpreted history. In an historiographical essay, then, you will not study the events of the past directly, but will instead focus on the interpretations given these events by various historians. For this assignment you should choose one of the historical controversies of the period (eg. the origins of WW I, the Versailles Peace Conference, the Bolshevik revolution, Stalin's policies of collectivization/forced industrialization, the social basis of Nazi supporters, Mussolini and Fascism, Hitler's foreign policy, appeasement, the origins of WW II, the Holocaust, etc.), read various historical interpretations of the event you choose, and provide me with an analysis/assessment of how these historians have interpreted that particular event.

Your written assignment will be graded on content, organization, and style. Remember, clarity of expression follows clarity of thought. Due date: Friday, November 7.

Grades: In addition to the book reviews and the written assignment, there will be 2 examinations. Each of these five grades will be worth 20% of your 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

• 8/25-8/29 Before the Deluge: European Thought and Society Before 1914 Gilbert, ch. 1-3.
• 9/1 Labor Day Holiday
• 9/3-9/8 The Origins of World War I Gilbert, ch. 4.
• 9/10-9/19 The Great War: Europe in the Crucible Gilbert, ch. 5. Jnger, Storm of Steel. Review due: 9/19.
• 9/22-9/26 The Versailles Peace Conference: Putting Humpty Together Again Gilbert, ch. 6.
• 9/29-10/15 The Search for Stability: Democratic Indecision & The Rise of the Coercive Utopias, 1919-1933. Gilbert, ch. 7-8. Pauley, ch. 1-2.
• 10/17 Mid-Term Examination
• 10/20-11/7 The Coercive Utopias in Action: The Domestic Nature of Communism, Fascism, and Nazism. Pauley, ch. 3-7.
• 10/31 Fall Break Holiday
• 11/10-11/17 The Failure of the Versailles System: The Origins of World War II Gilbert, ch. 9. Pauley, ch. 8.
• 11/19-12/1 The Second World War, 1939-1945 Gilbert, ch. 10. Pauley, ch. 9. Levi, Survival in Auschwitz. Review due: 12/1.
• 11/27-11/28 Thanksgiving Holiday
• 12/3-12/5 Postwar Insecurities: The Legacy of World War II Gilbert, ch. 11. Pauley, ch. 10-11.
• 12/10 Final Examination: Wednesday, Dec. 10: 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Last updated: The Ides of October, 1998