Course Description
Relation of the German past to contemporary politics of the United Germany in the 21st century. Exploration of how the German state has dealt with the "Jewish" questions, as well as other countries since the end of World War II.
Athena Title
Holocaust and Contem Ger Pol
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in INTL 4625H
Prerequisite
INTL 3200 or INTL 3300 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. To acquaint the students with the significance of the Holocaust to contemporary Germany. 2. To explain the political and moral implications of the Holocaust. 3. To assess present day German treatment of Jews and minority groups. 4. To acquaint the students with the guest writers of Holocaust literature. 5. To discuss the future of German democracy in light of the Holocaust.
Topical Outline
The general thesis of this course is that World War II and the Holocaust continue to play a very important role in Germany today as well as the rest of Europe. At the end of the war, the European continent and Germany itself were reshaped both geographically and politically. The Jews, a thriving minority within Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union and other nations were virtually eliminated from European life, with most survivors going to either Israel or the United States. The war and the Holocaust virtually divided Europe and changed its political face until the collapse of Communism and the reunification of Germany in 1990. This course explores the Holocaust itself and the implications of the event for post- war Germany. Introduction to the Course The Development of the Modern German State Stereotypes, Prejudice, Discrimination, and Genocide The Jews and their Religious Practices The Nature of Anti-Semitism The Collapse of Weimar, the Rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party, and the German Totalitarian State The Nuremberg Laws and the Initial Persecution of the Jews Increasing Violence: The Kristallnacht The On-set of War and the Nature of the Violence: The German Invasion of Poland Ghettoization and Deportation The Invasion of the Soviet Union: The Beginning of the "Final Solution" Life and Death in the Concentration and Death Camps Rescue and Responsibility Post-War Germany: Occupation and the Early Years The Grand Coalition and Ostpolitik The Schmidt Years and the Problem of Urban Terrorism The Kohl Years, Bitburg, and the Rise of the Historians' Debate The Collapse of German Communism and Reunification Cracks in Democracy: The Rise of Extremist Parties in Germany and Austria German Minority Group Politics: Turks, Jews, Asylum-Seekers, and Aussiedler The Politics of the 1998 National Election and the Reform of the Citizenship Law Movie: The Nasty Girl Discussion with Holocaust survivors/Children of Survivors Prospects for the Future of German Democracy