Nazi Germany & Hitler's Europe

Catalog description

Examines the Nazi dictatorship in all its complex dimensions, from the early life of Adolf Hitler to total war and genocide. Students will explore how the Nazi movement arose in the context of modern German and European history, and how the Nazis were able to win the support of significant segments of the German population. We will study the Nazis’ massive project of social and biological engineering – pronationalism, forced sterilization, extermination of “social and biological deviants,” and, ultimately, the genocide of the Jews. Through memoirs, state documents, and historical accounts, the class will examine life from the vantage point of perpetrators, accommodators, victims, and resisters. This course counts towards the fulfillment of the Global Perspectives element of the CLAS general education curriculum.