KEENE STATE COLLEGE

History

History 351-01:   Nineteenth-Century Germany Fall 2004

Dr. Paul Vincent: 358-2722 (office); 352-6108 (home); pvincent@keene.edu

Office: Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies, Mason Library

Office Hours: Tues, 10:30-12 noon; Wed, 10-11 a.m.; 2:30-4 p.m., M-F, in the Holocaust Center [1]

                       Other times by appointment

PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION

After a brief overview of the trauma inflicted on Central Europe by the Thirty Years War (1618-48) and a quick exploration of the German Enlightenment through the thought of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), we will examine in detail the evolution of the region now known as Germany from the period of the French Revolution (1789-1799) through the outbreak of the First World War (1914).   Analyzing German developments in relation to other events in Europe, we shall explore the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte on those German states that until 1806 formed the Holy Roman Empire, then trace the evolution of politics, economics, social issues, and ideology through the ill-fated revolutions of 1848.   The course then turns to the rise of Otto von Bismarck, the struggle for German political unity, economic and industrial growth, societal tension in the Wilhelmine Reich, the evolution of antisemitism, imperial expansion and the alliance system, and the drift to war.   As cultural and political theory is fundamental to understanding Germany's development, special attention will be accorded the philosophy of several of its foremost intellects.   Finally, you will read a seminal work by a premier literary figure who bridged the 19 th and 20 th centuries:   Thomas Mann.   Among other things, s tudents should leave this course with a far clearer understanding of 19 th -century European trends and movements that helped lay a foundation for the horrors of the 20 th century.

Aside from two article reviews (see below), all readings are included in the course's five textbooks.   The attempt has been made to have reading assignments parallel, so far as possible, the presentation topics.   The course's Blackboard account (see Course Documents) contains assistance for the chapters assigned in Hamerow's Restoration, Revolution, Reaction . To gain the most from this course, you should read assigned materials during the week specified under “Weekly Readings and Planned Presentation Topics” (below).

ATTENDANCE

Anyone who chooses to take this course should consider him/herself obliged to punctually attend all classes.   As unanticipated problems do arise, you are allowed three absences, without penalty, for the semester.   Each absence beyond three will result in the reduction of your final grade by one point.   If for any reason you cannot attend a class session, I will grant an excused absence and allow for the makeup of a missed quiz or the delayed submission of written work if your absence is reported to me before the session that you intend to miss (see below); nonetheless , such absences still fall within the three allowed for the semester.   Use my voice mail (8-2722) or email to notify me of anticipated absences.   I shall, likewise, use my voice-mail if something precludes my meeting a class (you might form a habit of calling my number prior to class).   Even in cases of verifiable crisis, five absences (excused or not) are the maximum allowed ; you should withdraw from the course if you exceed this limit.

Finally, unless a physical ailment precludes you from doing so, I ask that you maintain your seat throughout a class session.   If you find it imperative to leave a class session, please do not return that day. Etiquette and civility suggest that you respect both your instructor and fellow classmates sufficiently to retain your seat during a class session.

PARTICIPATION:   QUESTIONS & OBSERVATIONS

Oral participation should be deemed important in this class; nevertheless, I respect the fact that it intimidates some.   Thus, to stimulate personal growth, you'll submit, alternatively , one carefully considered question or well-developed observation every other Wednesday, beginning 1 September, for a total of eight submissions over the course of the semester. These assignments must be typewritten or word-processed, double-spaced, and they should relate to either the presentations or the reading assignments.   Although questions/observations do not receive a formal grade, your completion of this exercise will impact your final grade (see Evaluation below).   Submissions that fail to relate to course content or demonstrate insufficient analysis will be rejected.   I shall respond to your questions and return all assignments within a week.   Your submissions should be clear and well crafted.   As needed, I shall use this assignment to assist you with your writing.   Tardy submissions will only be accepted after an excused absence (see Attendance).

ARTICLE REVIEWS

Students enrolled in an upper-level history course are already fledgling historians and must, accordingly, be prepared to evaluate work published in the profession's principal journals. [2] Thus, you will be required to submit critical reviews of two journal articles (deadlines are listed below under “Dates to Remember”).   Your typewritten (or word-processed) reviews will be graded on the basis of their craftsmanship and the clarity they bring to the article being covered.   Be assured that submissions with punctuation, typographical, and spelling errors will lose points—and that my basis for evaluation will be stricter on the second paper.   Reviews must expose your own ideas; i.e., while it is important to explain an author's thesis, you are also expected to evaluate that thesis.   As I am interested in quality, not quantity, your reviews must not exceed 450 words; thus, learn to state your case simply and coherently.   Finally, the deadlines for papers are fixed:   reviews not submitted on time will lose a letter grade for each weekday that they are late.

QUIZZES AND FINAL EXAM

Beginning Wednesday, 8 September, there will be seven fortnightly quizzes during the first part of class consisting of either a single essay or short-answer identifications; your five best quizzes will count toward your final grade.   Each quiz will be worth twenty points and, taken as a whole, will serve as more than the equivalent of a midterm exam (there is no midterm).   By and large, questions will come from material covered in both presentations and readings since the prior quiz.   If a quiz is missed due to an excused absence (see Attendance), you may schedule a make-up with me.   The make-up must be completed before the next class session (i.e., before 4:30 p.m. on the following Monday).

The final exam will consist of both essay and short-answer identification questions.   It will be comprehensive, calling for knowledge of material covered since the beginning of the semester in both presentations and readings.

DATES TO REMEMBER  

              First article review due. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 October

              Second article review due. . . . . . . . . . . 3 November

EVALUATION

Grades will be computed on the basis of the following percentages:

                                          Quizzes. . . . . . . . . . . 35%

                                          Article Reviews. . . . .   20%

                                          Participation. . . . . . .   15%

                                          Final Exam . . . . . . . . 30%

If you are failing the course, you must withdraw no later than Friday, 12 November, to avoid receiving a WF.

TEXTBOOKS

Craig, Gordon.   Germany, 1866-1945 .   New York:   Oxford University Press,

1980.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von.   The Sorrows of Young Werther .   Intro. by Michael

Hulse.   London:   Penguin, 1989.

Hamerow, Theodore S.   Restoration, Revolution, Reaction .   Princeton:   Princeton

University Press, 1958.

Mann, Thomas.   Magic Mountain .   New York:   McKay, 1996.

Stern, Fritz.   Politics of Cultural Despair .   Berkeley:   University of California

Press, 1961.

WEEKLY READINGS AND PLANNED PRESENTATION TOPICS

(Readings should be completed by Wednesday of the week specified; extra-credit possibilities are highlighted )

1.   Week of 30 Aug:   Historical background & the Holy Roman Empire – Question.

                            Read Hamerow, Restoration , preface & chapter 1.

2.            6 Sept:        Moral & political philosophy of Immanuel Kant – Quiz.

                            Read Hamerow, Restoration , chapter 2; Mann, chapter 1.

3.            13 Sept:     Germany & Europe during the French Revolution & Napoleon

Observation.

                            Read Hamerow, Restoration , chapter 3; Goethe, Sorrows , entire

book.

4.            20 Sept:   Culture and the worldview of G.W.F. Hegel – Quiz.

                              Read Mann, chapters 2-3.

5.            27 Sept:   The Congress of Vienna and Restoration Europe – Question;

Holocaust Memorial Lecture .

                               Read Hamerow, Restoration , chapter 4.

6.            4 Oct:    Metternich & the Challenge of Liberal Nationalism – Quiz; 1 st

review due (shortened class Monday)

                            Read Hamerow, Restoration , ch 5; Mann, chapter 4.

7.            11 Oct:    The Marxist response to the Industrial Revolution – Observation.

                              Read Hamerow, Restoration , chapter 6-7; Stern, introduction &

part 1.

8.            18 Oct:    The Revolutions of 1848 – Quiz.

                              Read Hamerow, Restoration , chapter 8-10; Mann, chapter 5.

9.            25 Oct:    The reactionary fifties & the rise of Prussia – Question.

                              Read Hamerow, Restoration , chapter 11-12.

10.           1 Nov:     Bismarck & the unification of Germany – Quiz; 2 nd review

due.

                              Read Hamerow, Restoration , chapter 13-14; Craig, preface &

part 1.

11.           8 Nov:     The crisis of Liberalism – Observation; Kristallnacht

Remembrance .

                              Read Craig, parts 2 & 3; Stern, part 2.

12.           15 Nov: Bismarck & the international system – Quiz.

                              Read Craig, part 4; Mann, chapter 6.  

13.           22 Nov: Culture and the moral vision of Friedrich Nietzsche (no class on

Wednesday) – Question [3] .

                            Read Craig, parts 5 & 6.

14.           29 Nov: The breakdown of Bismarck's alliance system – Quiz.

                            Read Craig, parts 7 & 8; Stern, part 3 & conclusion.

15.           6 Dec:             The road to the First World War [4] – Observation.

                            Read Craig, part 9; Mann, chapter 7.

16.           Final Exam:   Wednesday, 15 December, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

    [1] The afternoon hours listed for the Holocaust Center are subject to change.   Please call ahead (8-2722) to ensure that I'm at the Center.

     [2]   For our purposes, you must locate articles in any of the following:   American Historical Review , Central European History , German History , German Studies Review , Journal of Modern History , or The Leo Baeck Institute Yearbook .   Aside from German History and The Leo Baeck Institute Yearbook   (both in the Holocaust Center), the Mason Library has significant runs of each title while the reference department contains the indexes needed to locate specific topics.   Should you wish to review an article in another journal title, you must first confirm its acceptability with your instructor.

     [3]   Please submit this week's question on Monday.

     [4]   Your final observation, due Wednesday (8 December), should be your critique of the course.