Modern Germany

Catalog description

The course examines German history from the wars of unification to the present. It will cover the political, economic, military, cultural, and social events that have defined Germany and the German people with a special emphasis on themes that have influenced the creation of present-day Germany and Germans - nationalism, militarism, authoritarianism, and democracy. The readings, discussions, and lectures will cover continuities and discontinuities in German history; Germany’s so-called “special path” to modernity; unification and rule under Bismarck; imperialism under Wilhelm II; the First and Second World Wars; the collapse of democracy in Weimar Germany; the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party; the nature and ideology of the Third Reich; the Holocaust and modernity; Stunde Null or “Zero Hour”; reconstruction, occupation, and memory; two Germanys guided by two emerging super powers; identity in the re-unified Germany; and Germany’s important role in the European Union and in defining Europe in the 21st century. Prerequisite(s): None. Corequisite(s): None. EU.