War, Tyranny, and Peace in Modern Europe

Catalog description

This course explores the relationship between war, culture, and society in modern Europe. The two world wars changed the political, social, and cultural landscape of Europe, and by extension, of the rest of the world, not least the United States. We will not delve into the military history of these vast conflicts; instead, we will examine how the experience of total war remolded European understanding and practices of memory and commemoration, culture and representation, humanity and civilization, utopia and revolution, catastrophe and identity. We will read influential scholarly texts and literary works, and watch important contemporary films.