History of Germany in the 20th Century

Catalog description

Identical to HIST-UA 167 . Germany's twentieth century has been described as a shattered past. Twice in the first half of the century Germany brought war to Europe. Between 1933 and 1945 the virulently racist Nazi regime murdered millions of Jews, Poles, Roma, homosexuals, and other groups. After 1945 Germany was a main site in the Cold War, the German nation separated by a wall and divided into two rival states. Yet since 1945 West Germany developed, in many ways, into a model of stability, democracy, and prosperity. Today reunited Germany is a functioning democracy, a central player in the European Union, a proponent of multilateralism and human rights in international affairs, and a pioneer in environmental policy. How can we make sense of Germany's complex and contradictory experience in the 20th century? This course will be a mixture between a lecture and a discussion seminar. Over the course of the semester we will explore German history from World War I to the present by focusing on four interconnected themes. First, we will examine Germany's rocky road from an authoritarian political culture to one that is liberal and democratic. Second, we will investigate the origins of the Holocaust, as well as the traumatic legacy this disaster had on Germans after 1945. Third, we will explore Germany's recurring penchant for modernity, in economic as well as cultural matters. Finally, we will look at how Germany's relationship with Europe and the world has evolved from an aggressive imperialism to more subtle techniques of achieving foreign policy goals through transnational cooperation and economic pressure. By engaging with a variety of sources—memoirs, government files, film, and literature—students will learn how Germans have understood themselves, the challenges facing their society, and their place in the world.