Course Description: History 4050 examines the course and impact of the Second World

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1 HISTORY : THE WORLD WAR II ERA University of Colorado Office Hrs: T/TH 11am-12pm Spring 2009 And By Appointment Instructor: David N. Spires Hellems 373A, Tel: Course Description: History 4050 examines the course and impact of the Second World War in a global context. The focus will be on the personalities, events, and organizations that helped define the origins, course, and impact of the Second World War. Although military developments will be our frame of reference, our approach will be much broader. Because we continue to live in the shadow of this most total of total wars, special attention will be devoted to the controversial issues of the conflict and the transformations in the social, political, and economic orders in Europe, Asia, and the United States that have shaped the world in which we live. These include superpower rivalry, the anti-colonial movement, the Holocaust, the Russo-German war, the use of science and technology for war and peace, and the politics of memory. A major emphasis will be the experience of war, especially as reflected in the Sajer text and the memories of our guest speakers. The lectures and the textbooks are chronological and thematic in arrangement, focusing on the main themes of this global military experience. Textbooks, lectures, and in-class discussion provide coverage of the main developments. You are expected to attend the

2 lectures and keep abreast of assigned readings. Because neither the readings nor the lectures/discussions can provide the necessary coverage and understanding alone, it is imperative that you read the material and attend class if you expect to perform at your best. Although the class may be large, please do not allow yourself to be part of the silent majority. I encourage you to raise questions and issues for discussion. I also recommend that you see me about academic problems as soon as they occur. Required Textbooks: (available in the UMC bookstore) Gilbert, Martin. The Second World War. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Sajer, Guy. The Forgotten Soldier. New York: Brassey s (US), Inc., (To be read by 21 April) Stolar, Mark A. and Melanie S. Gustason, eds. Major Problems in the History of World War II. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, On Library Reserve: Sturdevant, Katherine Scott. Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books,

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4 Required Readings on Norlin E-Reserve: Bruley, Sue, ed. Working for Victory: A Diary of Life in a Second World War Factory. London: Sutton Publishing, 2001: xix-xvii; Burrin, Philippe. The French and the Germans. In France Under the Germans: Collaboration and Compromise. New York: The New Press, 1996: Erickson, John. Night Witches and Laundresses. History Today, Vol. 40, No. 7 (July 1990): Ryback, Timothy W. Stalingrad: Letters from the Dead. The New Yorker. (Feb 1, 1993): Weinberg, Gerhard. The Home Front. In A World at Arms. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005: Graded Work: Midterm Examination #1: = 30% (17 Feb) Writing Project/Midterm Examination #2: = 35% (16 Apr/19 Mar) Final Examination: = 35% (2 May)

5 Writing Assignment /Midterm Examination #2 (Due 16 April/19 Mar): You have the option of submitting a term paper for the course on 16 April or taking a second, challenging midterm examination on 19 March that focuses on various home fronts in the Second World War. The second midterm must be taken on the 19th; there will be no make-up exam. The course writing assignment is a ten-page analysis of a World War II issue of your choice. Regarding topic selection, I strongly suggest that you consider examining your family s wartime experience. This will enable you to personalize your topic by working with your family record, possibly including oral testimony, and placing your family s experience in the larger context of the war. To assist on this subject, please consult the Sturdevant book on library reserve. If you decide not to focus on your own family s role in the war, please consider a topic that will enable you to interview veterans and other survivors of the war. A separate handout will outline the project in detail. If you choose to write the term paper, you must submit your topic and initial bibliography on 26 February. Assignments: You are responsible for all information given in class even if you are absent. It is your responsibility to find out what transpired during your absence. To be excused from a scheduled examination, you must have a legitimate reason -such as a documented illness or family emergency -and you must contact me before the exam. All of the above requirements must be completed to receive a passing grade in the course. Since the University's Calendar has been published, including the times for vacations and the final examinations, you should make your travel plans so as not to interfere with your

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7 Attendance: Regular attendance is expected. Attendance will be taken for each class meeting, beginning with the second week of classes. If you have any obligation or conflict that prevents you from attending class regularly, you should drop History 4050 today. Each student is permitted three (3) unexcused absences. Students who arrive late or leave early will be marked absent unless they receive my approval beforehand. If you have three (3) or fewer absences by the end of the semester, you will have four (4) points added to your final, course grade. If you have between four (4) and seven (7) absences you will receive no additional points, but you will not be penalized. Students with eight (8) or more absences will have four (4) points deducted from their final grade. If you are ill or have a genuine emergency that prevents you from attending class, let me know as soon as possible and in writing (no s). Disabilities. Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should discuss options with me during the first two weeks of class. Honor Code: "All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; ). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the

8 Honor Code can be found at and at To benefit most from the course, you should complete the reading assignments by the day/date indicated. COURSE CALENDAR Day Date Lecture Topics Reading Assignment G = The Second World War M = Major Problems in the History of World War II W =Weinberg chapter on E-Reserve THE LAST EUROPEAN CIVIL WAR, T 13 Jan Administration and Introduction TH 15 Jan The Origins of the Second World War Hitler & the New Germany The A.J.P. Taylor Thesis

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10 T 20 Jan The Axis Offensive -I The Polish Campaign Phony War The Northern War G: 1-60 TH 22 Jan The Axis Offensive -II The Fall of France The New Power System The Battle of Britain G: T 27 Jan The Axis Offensive -III Barbarossa: The First Russian Campaign G: TH 29 Jan America: The Retreat from Neutrality M: xiv-xvi, 1-41 THE SECOND WORLD WAR, T 3 Feb The Axis Offensive -IV The Attack on Pearl Harbor Intelligence: Magic and Ultra Containing the Axis Advance: The Philippines, Coral Sea and Midway G:

11 M: TH 5 Feb Containing the Axis Advance: Stalingrad G: Ryback article T 10 Feb Containing the Axis Advance: El Alamein Allied Diplomacy and Strategy The Grand Alliance TORCH or BOLERO? G: M: , TH 12 Feb War at Sea The U-Boat Threat Convoy ProtectionM: , , T 17 Feb EXAMINATION #1 TOTAL WAR AND THE HOME FRONT TH 19 Feb The New Order: Collaboration and Resistance W: , T 24 Feb Total War and the Home Front: Germany and Eastern EuropeW:

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13 TH 26 Feb Total War and the Home Front: Russia WRITING PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE W: Erickson article T 3 Mar Total War and the Home Front: Great Britain W: Bruley chapter TH 5 Mar Total War and the Home Front: France and Western Europe W: Burrin chapter T 10 Mar Total War and the Home Front: America I W: M: 42-73, TH 12 Mar Total War and the Home Front: The Holocaust (Guest Speaker) W: M: T 17 Mar Total War and the Home Front: America II W: M: 42-73, TH 19 Mar MIDTERM EXAMINATION #2 (OPTIONAL) SPRING BREAK

14 THE ALLIED OFFENSIVE T 31 Mar War in the Air M: , , Strategic Bombing in Theory and Practice Tactical Air Warfare TH 2 Apr Allied Assault in the Pacific, M: I The Southwest Pacific Theater The Central Pacific Theater: Island to Island T 7 Apr Allied Assault in the Pacific, M: , II Okinawa (Guest Speaker) TH 9 Apr Greater East Asia: The China-M: , Burma-India (CBI) Theater 5

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16 T 14 Apr Allied Assault in Europe, I North Africa and Italy The Eastern Front G: M: , TH 16 Apr Allied Assault in Europe, II North Africa and Italy Normandy and Beyond WRITING PROJECT DUE G: M: T 21 Apr Allied Assault in Europe, III The Eastern Front (Discussion of The Forgotten SoldG: ier) TH 23 Apr The End of the War in Europe Yalta Conference Final Assault on Germany Controversial Issues G: M: T 28 Apr The End of the War in Asia The Japanese Home Front

17 The Atomic Bombs G: M: , TH 30 Apr The Impact of Total, Global War Trials of War Criminals: Nuremberg and Tokyo G: M: Cost, Legacy, and Memory FINAL EXAMINATION: Saturday, 2 May, 4:30 7 pm. 6 66

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