2013-2014 Academic Catalog

Apr 25, 2024

2013-2014 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

HIST 115 - Authority and Democracy: The History of Modern Central Europe

This course serves as an introduction to the political, social and cultural history of the “heart of Europe” from the late-18th century through the end of the 20th century. It is not only concerned with Germany, but also with the various German-speaking regions of Europe and the interaction of the major cultures in that area. The course will start with the collapse of the political and social constitution of the Ancient Regime and the impact of the French Revolution on Central Europe. The course will trace the outbreak of the First World War and the impact it had on society. It will then explore the paradoxes of the “Age of Extremes” (E. Hobsbawm): the rise of a modern mass culture and the radicalization of mass violence during the first half of the century, the collapse of fragile democracies in the 1930s, the stabilization of the Nazi regime, and the organization of the Holocaust. The last part of the course will trace the irregular and unexpected developments toward democracy, peace and civil society since 1945 in a divided Central Europe. The course will conclude with an evaluation of the reunification of Germany and the future role of Germany in Europe.