UCSB Hist 133 B, Winter 2009
German History, 1900-1945
TTh 11-12:15, Givetz 1112
marcuse.faculty.history.ucsb.edu/classes/133b

Prof. Marcuse (homepage)
HSSB 4221, 893-2635
marcuse@history.ucsb.edu
Office hours: Wed. 1-3pm

Course Overview (back to top; jump down to schedule of lectures)

This course is designed for students with a general knowledge of European history in the 20th century.

We will investigate the main events in German history from the origins of World War I to the legacies of World War II. These include:

• the revolution and counterrevolution that ended the First World War;
• the crisis, stable and depression phases of the Weimar Republic;
• Hitler's ascent to power;
• life in Nazi Germany, and
• key features of World War II and the Holocaust.

Your Contribution (Course Requirements) (back to top)

1. I expect you to attend all classes. Why take a course if you don't make the effort to learn what it teaches? Lectures include images, discussion and information not available elsewhere. I will call roll until I learn your names. Participation counts for 5% of the course grade.
   If you wish to have an excused absence, including undocumented medical absences, you must inform me by e-mail or phone message before the class in question begins.
2. Midterm--"8 questions." There will NOT be a formal midterm examination. Instead, you will be asked to write a short text (300 words) on simple questions about the assigned readings, roughly once each week. These eight questions will be announced in advance. They are worth 40% of the final grade. (This is a lot--and plays a large role in determining your final grade.)
   Make-up questions are only possible for absences excused prior to the start of class.
3. Book essay. A proposal (1-2 pages), the paper itself (1800 words, 5-6 pages), and a corrected version. This paper is based primarily on one book, but requires some research. (A blue handout with details will be distributed later.) Our textbook pp. 231-241 offers a good selection of books.
   The proposal is due Thu., Jan. 22; the paper itself Tue., Feb. 17; and the corrected version Tuesday, Mar. 3, always at the beginning of class. Together they count for 5+20+5=30% of your final grade.
4. A take-home final examination will have 3 IDs chosen from 9, and one essay question. It is worth 25%. A study guide will be available in advance.
   No-exam option: Students receiving a B+ or better on their paper draft may opt out of taking the final exam. If they want to opt for this, they must submit a corrected and augmented version by Thu., Feb. 26, for publication on the course web site. This web version must also include an about the author paragraph, a 60-word abstract and an annotated bibliography/linkography. The grade of this final version will count as the exam grade. Details will be available on a web option handout.
5. Students with outstanding book essays will may present their papers orally for extra credit.

Required Books (also on reserve at the UCSB library)
(back to top)

• Textbook: Doris Bergen, War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003). DD256.5 B3916 2002 amazon $18
• Graphic (auto)biography: Art Spiegelman, Maus, vols I & II (Pantheon, 1986, 1992).
• Biography: Diane Ackermann, The Zookeeper's Wife (Norton, 2007). DS134.,64.A25 2007.
• Additional readings: Will be made available on Eres, Gauchospace, or via weblinks.
• Optional textbook: Mary Fulbrook, History of Germany 1918-2000: The Divided Nation (Blackwell, 2002). Ch. 2 and 3 are required (wk 2-3); library: www.netLibrary.com/urlapi.asp?action=summary&v=1&bookid=53374

Cell phones ringing in class are an annoyance and distraction for me and other students. If your phone rings during class, I will stop the lecture and answer your call myself. Needless to say, there should be no text-messaging during class. If you are expecting an emergency call, please let me know before class.