HIST 305-01, Germany at War, Spring 2010

Abstract

This course explores the ways in which war has shaped modern Germany. We will examine the wars of German unification in the nineteenth century, the two world worlds in the twentieth century, and the hostilities between East and West Germany during the Cold War. Our concern is not with tactics, battle history, or the deeds of great generals. Rather we will consider the strains that war caused in Germany society, including the tensions between democracy and authoritarianism, the pressures of industrial might and socialist unrest, and conflicting notions of class, race, and citizenship. Students will become acquainted with how war serves as a lever of change in the making of a modern state.