HIST [x] World War Two: An Introduction (Autumn 2014)

Transcription

1 HIST [x] World War Two: An Introduction (Autumn 2014) Instructor Room No. Office Hours Waqar Zaidi New HSS Wing, Academic Block TBA Course Description World War Two remains the most global armed conflict the world has ever seen. It raged over three continents, and brought unparalleled destruction on those fighting in it. Civilians were targeted by both sides to an unprecedented degree. It has been the only war to date in which atomic weapons were used. The casualties were the highest of any war the world has seen. The violence of the War included one of the largest most systematic genocidal projects to date. Governments mobilised their societies and economies in ways and to an extent never before seen. This mobilisation included their empires, and ultimately helped to bring much of European colonial empire to an end. The war was fought for not only economic and geopolitical reasons but also ideological ones and ideological mobilisation was an important aspect of the war. This course seeks to give an overview of the War in as a whole. This includes an exploration of the origins of the war, as well as its aftermath and lasting effects. As well as the battles and the experiences of the soldiers, it examines the war as fought by nations, empires, and civilians, It examines the impact of the war on civilians and societies. It considers the international geopolitical aspects of the conflict, as well the domestic politics of the war. It shares the experiences and memories of those whom the war transformed, and looks back at how the war has been remembered and reproduced in film. Page 1 v. 05 March 2014

2 Those involved in the war faced painful choices as to resistance, acquiescence, or the use of violence. This course examines some of these choices, and considers how such choices are framed and made. It also looks at how the moral and historical judgement of these choices have changed over time. Course readings include a diversity of material. In secondary sources the course looks at a diversity of approaches: military, diplomatic, social and economic history. The course also brings the experience of the war to the student through primary sources such as current reports and correspondence, memoirs and literature. Documentaries and films are also used. Course Prerequisite(S) At least one HIST course at the 100 level. Course Objectives To provide students with an introduction to key political, social, cultural, economic and military aspects of the Second World War, as well as its origins and effects. Learning Outcomes The course is designed to, first, develop historical skills and, second, impart content knowledge relating to the second world war and to the twentieth century. Content Knowledge Through this course, students will develop: A framework for understanding the Second World War; A foundation for the further study of global and military history, and twentieth century international relations; Familiarisation with global geography and environment; An appreciation of twentieth century international relations; A broader cultural literacy through exposure to important aspects of global events, history, society, culture and self-identity. Historical Skills This course will introduce students to: The reading, interpretation, and evaluation of primary and secondary sources; Developing and framing historical questions and arguments; Integrating primary and secondary sources, historical data, and historical arguments into narratives that interpret, evaluate, and impart meaning upon past events; Attributing source materials properly in your historical writing; Conforming to the standards and conventions of written expression; Collaborating with peers in the analysis and construction of historical narratives; and Presenting historical narratives through oral expression and Powerpoint presentations. Page 2 v. 05 March 2014

3 Grading Breakup and Policy Class Participation and Attendance 15% Group Powerpoint Presentation (in groups of 2, 6 minutes total per presentation) 10% Mid Term Exam 25% Written Assignment (analytical essay, 2,000 words) 20% Final Exam 30% This course is designed to facilitate active learning and give students a prominent role in the presentation and discussion of class material. To achieve these goals, students must attend each class meeting and complete the assigned reading just before or soon after the class, and offer informed contributions to the class discussion. To encourage and reward class attendance, preparation, and participation, I will regularly take attendance and assign occasional homework exercises throughout the semester. If I sense that students are not participating adequately, I may also occasionally give unscheduled quizzes. Marks will be deducted for late submissions of written work. The participation component of the final grade will be based on how actively students engage in discussions and other exercises we complete during class and how well they prepare themselves by reading and thinking about the assigned material before class. I encourage questions, welcome alternative viewpoints, and expect everyone to demonstrate respect for the ideas of their fellow students. The lectures and readings complement the other; students will be required to demonstrate familiarity with both during the exams and the written assignments. The dates for the Midterm Exam and the Written Assignment shall be announced in advance. Presentation timings will also be arranged in class in advance. Please note that these dates are final regardless of your extracurricular contributions to LUMS. Requests for grade revisions will NOT be tolerated. The Instructor s grading is final. If this is unacceptable, do not take this course. It is a requirement of this course that all participants purchase a hardcopy (paper copy) of the Course Pack at the beginning of the Course. If you are unable or unwilling to do so, then do not take the course. Academic Honesty The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and students. This means that all academic work will be done by the student to whom it is assigned without unauthorized aid of any kind. Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. Any instances of academic dishonesty in this course (intentional or unintentional) will be dealt with swiftly and severely. Potential penalties include receiving a failing grade on the assignment in question or in the course overall. For further information, students should make themselves familiar with the relevant section of the LUMS student handbook. Page 3 v. 05 March 2014

4 Readings All the following readings are compulsory, and are included in the Course Pack (see lecture list over page): Home Front: Rachel the Riveter, San Diego, 1943, in Jon E. Lewis (ed.), World War II: The Autobiography (London: Constable & Robinson, 2009), pp Execution of Nazi War Criminals, in Jon E. Lewis (ed.), World War II: The Autobiography (London: Constable & Robinson, 2009), pp Home Front: Firestorm in Hamburg, 27 June 1943, Jon E. Lewis (ed.), World War II: The Autobiography (London: Constable & Robinson, 2009), pp Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper, Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia (London: Allen Lane, 2004). James Cronin, Labour and Society in Britain (London: Batsford, 1984). John Dower, War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War (New York: Pantheon Books, 1986). Gordon J. Horwitz, Ghettostadt: Lódz and the Making of a Nazi City (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2008). Akira Iriye, Power and Culture: The Japanese-American War (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1981). Julian Jackson, France: The Dark Years (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), Julian Jackson, The Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940 (Oxford: OUP, 2003). Tony Judt, Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 (New York: Penguin, 2005). David Kennedy, Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, (New York: OUP, 1999), pp Christopher P. Loss, GI Bill of Rights, 1944 in James Ciment (ed.), The Home Front Encyclopaedia: United States, Britain, and Canada in World Wars I and II (Santa Barbara, California: ABC Clio, 2007), pp Mark Mazower, Governing the World: The History of an Idea (New York: Penguin, 2012). Catherine Merridale, Ivan s War: Life and Death in the Red Army, (London: Faber and Faber, 2005). Richard Overy, Why the Allies Won (New York: WW Norton, 1996). Richard Overy, The Nuremberg Trials: International Law in the Making, in Phillippe Sands, From Nuremberg to The Hague: The Future of International Criminal Justice (Cambridge: CUP, 2003), pp R.A.C. Parker, Struggle for Survival: The History of the Second World War (Oxford: OUP: 1990). M.C. Ricklefs, A History of Modern Indonesia since c rd ed. (London: Routledge, 2001). Andrew Roberts, Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War (London: Penguin, 2010). Timothy Snyder, Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin (New York: Basic Books, 2010). Frederick Taylor, Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945 (London: Harper Collins, 2004). Adam Tooze, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy (New York: Viking, 2006). Page 4 v. 05 March 2014

5 Course Overview This is fast moving course which will cover a large number of concepts, events, facts and figures in a short period of time. So it is important for students to attend all lectures, and to complete assigned readings before the relevant lecture. Students must also take lecture notes during every lecture. All readings are compulsory. The exams will be based both on the lectures and on the readings. Students must study and read independently from the beginning of the course, otherwise they will fall behind and risk failing the course. The following Overview is tentative and is subject to change without prior notice: Lecture Description Readings 1 Introduction None The Origins of the European War The German Conquest of Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, and France Parker, chapter 1 Tooze, pp. 1-33, , Parker, chapter 2 Jackson, The Fall of France, chapter 1, pp The Battle for Britain (air and sea) 6 The Origins of the Pacific War 7 The War in the Pacific and Indian Oceans Parker, chapter 3, pp Overy, pp , Roberts, chapter 11 Bayly and Harper, pp Parker, chapter 5 Iriye, chapter 1 Akira Iriye Japan s War Interview Part A Parker, chapter 6 Bayly and Harper, chapters 2,3 8 The Mediterranean Parker, pp The Soviet Union s War 11 The Home Front: Production Parker, chapter 4; pp Tooze, pp Overy, chapter 3 Merridale, pp Anthony Beevor Stalingrad Interview Overy, chapter 6 Parker, chapter 9 12 The Air War Overy, chapter 4 Page 5 v. 05 March 2014

6 13 The Holocaust Parker, chapters 10, 11 Taylor, chapter 22 Home Front: Firestorm in Hamburg, 27 June 1943, pp Parker, chapter 17 Snyder, chapter 8 Horwitz, pp , Omer Bartov Nazi Brutality in the East Interview 14 Mid-Term Exam (details to be announced) Collaboration and Resistance Defeating Germany Defeating Japan Jackson, France, chapters 8, 9, 10, 15, 20 Ricklefs, Chapter 17 Parker, chapters 12,13 Overy, chapter 5 Tooze, pp Parker, chapter 14 Akira Iriye Japan s War Interview Part B Dower, pp. 3-73, Reconstruction in Europe Judt, chapters 1, The Social Impact of the War Aftermath: Justice, the United Nations, Decolonisation and the Cold War Loss, GI Bill of Rights, 1944 Home Front: Rachel the Riveter, San Diego, 1943, pp Kennedy, pp Cronin, chapter 7 Overy, The Nuremberg Trials Execution of Nazi War Criminals, pp Overy, chapter 9 Bayly and Harper, pp Mazower, pp Review 27 Final Exam (details to be announced) Page 6 v. 05 March 2014