The Catholic University of America
Department of History
History 362: Nazism: The Origins, History and Aftermath
of the National Socialist Regime in Germany
Fall, 2001
MWF 2:10-3:00 pm
McMahon 318
Prof. Jerry Z. Muller
Office: Gibbons B-35
Hours: MW, 4:00-5:00pm
and by appointment
e-mail: mullerj@cua.edu
phone: X5484
Requirements
Students are expected to attend all lectures, screenings, and class discussions, to do the appropriate reading before class, and to participate in discussions. In addition to the quizzes, mid-term and the final examinations, students will write a short paper during the course of the semester, which is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday November 28. The paper should be well planned, coherent, and well written. Students are encouraged to do a short research paper on a topic of their choosing in place of the assigned paper: if so, the topic and reading list must be discussed with Professor Muller by November 15, and preferably earlier.
Grading will be apportioned as follows:
3 quizzes X 5%= 15%
Paper - 15%
Mid-term exam - 20%
Final examination - 50%.
Between November 3 and 8, you should visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum . Tickets are available at the door or through ProTix, 800-400-9373. Be sure to allow yourself at least three hours for the visit.
All of the assigned books are available in the CUA Book Store. Most are also available on reserve at Mullen Library; but in view of the size of the class and the demand on books, you should try to purchase the books, if possible.
Schedule of Classes, Readings, and Assignments
M 8/27 Introduction and video “Confessions of a Hitler Youth”
W 8/29 The Dilemmas of German National Identity before World War One
F 8/31 Volkish Nationalism, The New Imperialism and The Road to War
W 9/5 The First World War: At Home and At the Front
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 8-9;
F 9/7 The First World War: Expansion and Collapse
M 9/10 The Troubled Founding of the Weimar Republic
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 10-15;
Burleigh, Third Reich, 27-60
W 9/12 The Jews of Europe and Anti-semitism
F 9/14 Racism and Eugenics
Burleigh, Third Reich, 345-53
M 9/17 Hitler: The Man and his Worldview
Burleigh, Third Reich, 85-101
W 9/19 The Transformation of the Nazi Party
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 18-21
Burleigh, Third Reich, 102-122
F 9/21 Class Discussion:
Hitler, Mein Kampf, Preface, pp.176-186; 207-216; 284-330; 386-398; 579-595.
M 9/24 Weimar: Economic Crisis and Parliamentary Deadlock
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 16-17
Burleigh, Third Reich, 122-143.
W 9/26 Seizure of Power from the Top/ Gleichschaltung
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 22-29
Burleigh, Third Reich, 144-205.
F 9/28 Quiz and Class Discussion of Burleigh, Third Reich, 144-205.
M 10/1 The Nationalization of the Masses
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 30-5, 42-43.
Burleigh, Third Reich, 206-268
W 10/3 Film Screening: “Triumph of the Will”
F 10/5 Quiz and Class Discussion: “Triumph of the Will”
and Burleigh, Third Reich, 206-267
M 10/8 NO CLASS (Columbus Day Holiday)
W/10/10 Mid-Term Exam
F 10/12 Economic Policy in the Third Reich
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 38-41.
M 10/15 Implementing Racial Policy
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 36-7
Burleigh, Third Reich, 354-381.
W 10/17 The “Euthenasia” Program
Burleigh, Third Reich, 382-424
F 10/19 Hitler’s Foreign Policy Successes. 1933-39
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 46-51, 54-59.
M 10/22 Germany in World War Two: An Overview
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 60-77
W 10/24 Film Screening: Battle of Britain
F 10/26 Nazi Occupation Policy: East and West
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 79-91
Burleigh, Third Reich, 406-481.
M 10/29 Film Screening: Stalingrad
Burleigh, Third Reich, 485-567.
W 10/31 The War Against the Jews
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 100-1, 92-3
Burleigh, Third Reich, 571-662.
F11/2 Quiz and Class Discussion:
“The Good Old Days”: The Holocaust as Seen by its Perpetrators and Bystanders, pp. xix-xxi; 23-33, 46-58; 75-86; 155-171; 225-255; 269-74, pay attention to section at end of the book about sources and individuals.
M 11/5 Other Victims
W 11/7 Visit United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
F 11/9 Discussion of Museum Visit
M 11/12 Public Opinion in the Third Reich
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 94-99.
W 11/14 Churches in the Third Reich
Burleigh, Third Reich, 717-728
F 11/16 Resistance in the Third Reich
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 104-5
Burleigh, Third Reich, 665-716.
M 11/19 Why Germany Lost
Burleigh, Third Reich, 731-768
W 11/21 The End of the Third Reich
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 102-3
Burleigh, Third Reich, 769-793
M 11/26 Film Screening: “Berlin, 1945”
W 11/28 Discussion of Heck, A Child of Hitler
Paper: Write a well-organized paper of five pages examining the motivations of support for and opposition to the government of the Third Reich in the circles around Alfons Heck. Who supported the NSDAP and why? Who opposed it and for what reasons? Consider the issue of why attitutdes changed over time.
F 11/30 Occupation and the Creation of East and West Germany
Overy, Penguin Historical Atlas, 106-113.
Burleigh, Third Reich, 794-802
M 12/3 The Memory of the Nazi Regime in East and West Germany
Burleigh, Third Reich, 802-812
W 12/05 Return paper; and lecture topic tba
F 12/07 Conclusion
Burleigh, Third Reich, 1-22
The final examination will take place on
Monday, Dec. 10, 1:30-3:30p.m.
History 362The following books are available at the CUA Book Store,
and have also been put on reserve at Mullen Library:
Burleigh, Michael, The Third Reich: A New History (Hill and Wang, 2000)
Heck, Alfons, A Child of Hitler
Hitler, Adolf, Mein Kampf
Klee, Ernst et al (ed.), “The good old days”: The Holocaust as Seen by Its Perpetrators and Bystanders
Overy, Richard, The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Third Reich
