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COURSE NUMBER: HIST 399
COURSE TITLE: Special Topics in History - 2009/10 Winter - The Second World War
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Dr Mark Sandle
CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A course on a topic of figure of special interest to a member of the history faculty and offered on a non-recurring basis.

Prerequisites: HIST 202 or 204

2009/10 Winter
This module examines the history of the Second World War, adopting a thematic and a comparative approach in order to explore some of the contested issues in our understanding of this key moment in twentieth century history, and of subsequent ways in which this war has been interpreted and represented by historians commentators and politicians. The module will also engage with the historiographical debates which run at the heart of this topic, and will introduce students to the contested interpretations of key moments, individuals and documents and will explore why such divergent interpretations have emerged and assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of these interpretations. In this course we will examine a range of different source material as we explore some of these questions – visual, textual, official – and seek to understand the forces which continue to shape our world today. Throughout the course we will debate and reflect upon what it means to study the past as Christians, and seek to develop a Christian perspective on key issues and developments.
REQUIRED TEXTS: Weinberg, Gerhard L., A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005).
MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:
Essay (3000 words) 30%
Research paper (4000 words) 40%
Final Exam 30%
100%

COURSE OBJECTIVES: By the end of this course students will:
  • Understand the key developments, themes and personalities in the history of the Second World War
  • Assess the impact of the war on the politics, society, culture and economy of the different nations under consideration.
  • Evaluate the validity and merit of contrasting forms of historical judgement.
  • Demonstrate the ability to utilise effectively primary sources in the context of WW2 history in the construction of an argument
  • develop their skills of critical analysis, interpretation, evaluation, communication and debate
  • further refine their Christian perspective and outlook through an extended engagement with the past
COURSE OUTLINE: BLOC ONE Jan 5-Feb 8 War and Warfare
  • Introduction: what is War?
  • The Origins of the War
  • Military Campaigns: France, Britain and Africa
  • Military Campaigns: Eastern Front and the Pacific
  • Military campaigns: Sea and Air
  • Victory and Endings
BLOC TWO Feb 22-March 8 Social and Cultural Dimensions
  • Evacuation and Bombing
  • Crime, morality and entertainment: the Blitz spirit?
  • Prisoners of War, Internment
BLOC THREE March 15-29 Economic and Political Aspects
  • Production, Labour and Mobilisation
  • Collaboration, espionage and resistance
  • Propaganda and censorship
BLOC FOUR April 5-12 The End?
  • Displacement and Reckoning: Nuremberg and War Crimes
  • Remembering the Second World War


Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.

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