History 122: Europe in the Age of World War I
Dr. J. Lockenour  MWF 10:40a-11:30a 
Fall 1996  Room # GH839 
Office: 952 Gladfelter Hall  Office Hours: W 2-4p or by appt. 
Europe in the Age of World War I is the first semester of a year-long survey of the political, social, economic, and cultural history of twentieth-century Europe. The first semester will focus on the growing turmoil which characterized the early part of this century, including the First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution, the growth of Fascism and Nazism, and the outbreak of the Second World War. The second semester will examine how world War Two finally destroyed the era of European world dominance and how European nations and peoples have adjusted to their new, diminished role.
Week 1

Sept 4,6 

 Introduction

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch1

 
Week 2

9/9 

 Europe in 1900

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch 2-3

 
Week 3

9/16 

 Origins of the Great War

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch4

Herwig, Parts I and II

 
Week 4

9/23 

 WWI: Euphoria and Stalemate

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch5, pp. 122-136

Robbins, Chs 1-2

 
Week 5

9/30 

 WWI: Slaughter and Surrender

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch5, pp.136-148

Robbins Chs 3-6

 
Week 6

10/7 

 Versailles and Weimar Germany

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch6

Herwig, Part III

 
Week 7

10/14 

 Fascist Italy

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch7

 
Week 8

10/18,10/20 

 Soviet Russia

Midterm exam this week!

Reading:

Brecht, entire

 
Week 9

10/23 

 Foreign Policy: League of Nations and Locarno

Reading:

Remarque, entire

 
Week 10

10/30 

 Great Depression 

Reading:

Gilbert, Ch8

 
Week 11

11/6 

 Hitler's Germany

Reading:

Orwell, entire

 
Week 12

11/13 

 Stalinism

Reading:

Gilbert Ch9

 
Week 13

11/20 only 

 Spanish Civil War

Reading:

Taylor, Chs 1-6

 
Week 14

11/27 

 Appeasement

Reading:

Taylor, Chs 7-11

 
Week 15

12/4 

 Origins of the Second World War

No Reading!

Final Papers Due 
Assignments:

1) Participation in Class Discussions: At least once each week, we will have in-class discussions of the readings and lecture material. Please be prepared to discuss the readings by the Wednesday of the week for which they are listed. I don't take attendance, but your presence is obviously essential to this part of your grade. Included in the participation grade will be the scores from a series of four quizzes which will be conducted throughout the semester. These quizzes will be short, identification-type quizzes, much like you might normally have on a midterm or final. They will be announced a few days in advance. There will be no makeups unless you make prior arrangements with me. You can drop the lowest quiz-grade you get, so if something unforeseen happens and you miss a quiz, that will be the one you drop.

2) Midterm and Final Exam: These will be hour-long essay exams, no identifications (since the quizzes take care of that). The midterm and final will be equally weighted and will not be cumulative, i.e. the final exam will only be on material covered after the midterm.

3) Final Paper: A 5-7 page paper on a topic which will be handed out in advance. You will have a variety of topics to choose from. These papers will be due on the last day of class.

Grading:

Participation: 30%

Midterm and Final Exam: 20% each

Final Paper: 30%

Books:

All the books for the course should be available at the campus bookstore.

Felix Gilbert and David Clay Large, The End of the European Era, 1890-Present

Holger, Herwig, The Outbreak of the First World War

Keith Robbins, The First World War

Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

Bertolt Brecht, Three-Penny Opera

George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying

AJP Taylor, Origins of the Second World War