History 4385 Nazi Germany Spring 2013

1

History 4385 Nazi Germany Spring 2013

Th 18:30-21:20 WH 221

I. Introduction. The history of Nazi Germany is the subject of endless fascination on the part of the general public and scholars alike. It deserves this attention. The state created by Hitler ignited what was the most destructive war in history and commissioned one of the most repulsive state crimes known to man. The fundamental factors shaping these events were the central policymaking role of Hitler and the pervasive influence of his racist, imperialist ideology. Economic recovery, military regeneration, the reordering of society, territorial expansion and racial persecution were inseparable. There is no bright side to the history of the Third Reich. It is a story of unrelieved gloom and unexampled horror, and it is all the more relevant for that.

B. Accommodation Statement. The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323. The History Department’ s ADA Liaison is Professor Pommerleau, WH 234.

III. Grades.

Mid-Term Examination7. Mar 33%

Paper11. Apr 33%

Final9. May 33%

IV. Office Hours. My office is located at 236 Wooten Hall. My office hours will be held on Tuesdays from 17:30 to 18:30 and on Thursdays from 17:30 to 18:30. My office telephone number is 940-369-8928. Appointments are possible at other times. My email address is .

V. Assigned Readings.

Bergen, Doris L. War & Genocide. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.

Joachim Fest, Hitler. Richard and Clara Winston, trans. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1975. Any edition is acceptable.

Fullbrook, Mary. A Concise History of Germany. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004). Any edition is acceptable.

Eberhard Jäckel, Hitler's World View. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981.

Peter Fritzsche, Life and Death in the Third Reich. Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 2008.

Helpful reference works:

Michael Freeman, Atlas of Nazi Germany (New York: Macmillan, 1987).

Richard J. Overy, The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Third Reich (London: Penguin, 1996).

Louis L. Snyder, Encyclopedia of the Third Reich (New York: Paragon House, 1989).

Robert Wistrich, Who's Who in Nazi Germany (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1982).

VI. Class Schedule

17. JanIntroduction: The Problem of Nazi Germany. The Roots of Nazism: Radical Anti-Semitism before 1918. Richard Wagner: Die Walküre. Read Fest, pp. 1-256.

24. JanThe Origins of the NSDAP and the Bürgerbräukeller Putsch. Adolf Hitler. Nazi Ideology. Read Jäckel.

31. JanThe Politics of the Weimar Republic. Weimar Culture and the Rise of Radical Politics. Agitation against the Dawes and Young Plans. Read Fest, pp. 259-286.

7. FebThe Nazi Drive to Power, 1930-1932. Josef Goebbels and Nazi Propaganda. Big Business and anti-Weimar politics. Read Fest, pp. 287-384.

14. FebNazis and Nazi Voters. Die Machtergreifung. Read Fest, pp. 387-480.

21. FebGleichschaltung in Politics and Society. The Four Year Plans. Read Fest, pp. 483-574.

28. FebThe Wehrmacht. Hitler's Foreign Policy, Phase I, 1933-1936. Hitler's Foreign Policy, Phase II, 1936-1939. Read Fest, pp. 574-624

7. MarExamination.

21. MarOpposition to Hitler before World War II. Film: Triumpf des Willens

28. MarAscendancy: Poland and Scandinavia. The Attack on France: The only Blitzkrieg. The First Failure: The Battle of Britain.

4. AprThe War In the East. Read Fest, pp. 648-694; Fritzsche, Life and Death in the Third Reich.

11. AprThe German People and the War. Technocrats in the Service of Tyranny: Fritz Todt, Albert Ganzenmüller, HelmutMeinhold and Albert Speer. Paper due.

18. AprThe Final Solution: Planning and Debates. Read Bergen,War & Genocide.

25. AprOpposition to Hitler during the War. The Defeat of Nazi Germany. Read Fest, pp. 697- 764.

2. MayConclusion and Observations.

9. MayFinal. 18:30-21:20