HST 3381 Germany after 1945: History, Memory, and the Cold War

Germany’s post-1945 history has been one of dramatic change from post-war reconstruction to the transitions following the fall of the Berlin wall. This course explores the history of the two republics that emerged from the defeated Nazi Reich, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, and the challenges faced by the two countries, comparing their responses directly whenever possible. Topics include the questions of re-building, re-education, and restitution; the efforts of denazification and democratization; the development of diverging societies and independent policies during the Cold War; Jewish life in postwar Germany; migration, immigration, and guest worker programs; popular culture and “Americanization”; as well as the virtual explosion of memory since 1978, the unification in 1989/90, and the emergence of a new and independent national identity to the present.

Credits

4

Course Types

Non-US History; European History; Core Curriculum - Civilization; German Studies Elective; Advanced Studies; IGS: Europe Regional Concentration; Jewish Studies Elective; Peace & Conflict Studies Elective

Offered

• Spring

1. Content Goals. Over the course of the semester, students will acquire familiarity with a central topic in modern European history. Students will gain a better understanding of the Allied occupation and the establishment of the two German States, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic; will get introduced to the political reality of the divided Europe that came about because of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States; and will analyze Germany’s process of reconciliation and reunification within the context of regionalization, Euro-peanization, and globalization more generally.
   
   Skills in Historical Thinking and Practice. The course assignments will help students to improve their critical thinking, reading and writing skills, as well as their ability to engage in sustained academic conversation.
   
   Successful students will
   1) demonstrate thorough engagement with the course materials and efficient time management;
   2) go beyond narrative and memorization to think critical about the past as interpretation;
   3) regularly share their view in class discussion and group works; and
   4) enhance writing and oral skills in a variety of contexts.
   
   In particular, students will learn to
   1) demonstrate an understanding of differing perceptions of historical events;
   2) identify the main arguments in works of historical interpretation and the kinds of evidence scholars use to develop an argument;
   3) further the ability to distinguish between primary and secondary sources;
   4) locate, evaluate, contextualize, and interpret primary sources in a way that advances the argument of the research project;
   5) use secondary sources to demonstrate an understanding of the historiography relevant to the research project;
   6) give correct and accurate documentation of primary and secondary sources;
   7) undertake comparative and integrative analysis in their research and writing; and
   8) adopt effective writing strategies while working on course writing assignments.