History
364: World War II
Spring Semester 2012
11:00 – 11:50 MWF
Instructor:
Dr. John Moser
Andrews 119
289-5231
Office Hours: 1:00 – 3:00
Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment
Required Texts:
Evan
Mawdsley, World
War II: A New History (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009)
Coursepack (to be distributed electronically)
Optional (see “Writing Assignment”
below):
Strategic
Command: WWII Global Conflict (Battlefront,
2010) (computer game).
Course Description:
This course will examine
World War II, the most widespread, costly, and destructive war in the history
of the planet. It will cover the origins
of the war, the strategies pursued by the participants, and the major events in
both the Pacific and European theaters from the 1930s until 1945. Further, it will consider the significance of
the war for the history of Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Course Objectives:
Course Policies:
The following factors will
make up your final grade—
These exams are scheduled for
Monday, 13 February, and Monday, 26 March, and will consist of
essay questions, reverse identifications, and map identifications. The essays will require you to marshal facts
to answer questions on broader historical themes. An example might be, “Why did Hitler choose
to invade the Soviet Union?” or “Why did Truman decide to use the atomic bomb
against Japan?” You will be asked to
make an argument; you will not be graded so much on what stand you take, but
rather on your ability back up your position with the pertinent historical
evidence. The reverse identifications
are like Jeopardy questions, in which I provide a sentence or two describing a
particular person, event, or concept, and you identify what I am
describing. Finally, in the map
identifications you will need to place a list of locations on blank maps of the
European and Pacific theaters.
Final Examination (40%)
The university has scheduled
the final for this course for Monday, 30
April, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, although this is subject to change. An alternate exam date will be set in case of
medical emergency (with documentation required). As with the midterm, the final will be a combination
of essay and identification, and bluebooks will be required.
Writing Assignment (10%)
For this course each student
will write a paper of between 3500 and 4500 (that is between 12 and 15
pages). This paper will involve one of
two options, detailed below. Whichever option you choose, I will be grading
your paper(s) not only for content, but also for things like organization,
clarity, spelling, word choice, and grammar.
Style—particularly for notes and bibliography—should conform to the
department’s “Guidelines for Writing Scholarly Papers,” available here. Your papers must
be typed in a reasonably sized font (11 or 12), double-spaced and stapled. Late papers will not be accepted.
In addition to submitting
your paper to me on or before the due date, you will be required to upload an
electronic version to Turnitin.com. This
will involve signing up for an account (it’s free) and logging into the
class. To do this, follow the directions
found here. When asked for the class ID, enter
4653681. For password, enter “spitfire”
(without quotes).
Option #1: Write a paper expanding on one of the subjects that
we will be discussing in class. This
will involve choosing a particular day of class and reading not only the
required material, but also the book listed as optional for that day. Note that there is a very good chance that
Ashland University’s library will not have these books, so be prepared to use OhioLink—which means, of course, that you should order it
at least a month in advance, so that you receive it in plenty of time to read
it carefully. This paper will be due the
day that the subject in question is being discussed in class. Because I do not want more than one student
to write on any given topic, please let me know in advance which subject you
want.
For example, say that you
would like to write your paper on the Battle of Britain. That paper be due on February 8 (the day we
will cover that subject in class), and the sources you will be required to use
will be Stephen Bungay’s The Most Dangerous Enemy, pages 127-133 from Mawdsley’s
World War II, pages 49-51, 56-60, and
281-283 in Coetzee’s The World in Flames,
pages 83-86 in the coursepack.
Option #2: Write a paper exploring the effects that individual
decisions had on the overall outcome of World War II. You will do this by playing the computer
strategy game entitled Strategic Command:
WWII Global Conflict, by Battlefront.
After you have familiarized
yourself with the game interface, select the scenario which begins in 1939 and
runs through the end of the war, playing as one of the major powers (Germany,
France, Great Britain, Italy, the Soviet Union, the United States, Japan, or
China). For a more intense (and fun)
experience, you might join with several of your classmates in playing on
networked computers, although this will mean coordinating a time when everyone
is available to play. Note that a full
game will take considerable time to play, and you are unlikely to finish in a
single sitting.
As you play, keep a written
record of the “history” of the game, which will serve as the basis for the
paper you will write about your game experience.
When you have finished your
game (either because you have won, have been completely eliminated, or the
scenario ended naturally), you will write a paper (due Friday, 27 April) that does two things: first,
it should trace the alternative history of World War II, as reflected in the
game, from the perspective of the country that you played. This alternative history should include all
of the important events, particular the critical decisions you made, with some
attempt to explain why you chose the options that you did.
The second purpose of your
paper is to assess the importance of certain “real world” results by comparing
them to the events as they develop in the game.
One thing will become clear as you play: the game will not follow the
same course of events as those which actually occurred between 1936 and
1945. At some point—probably quite early
on—you or some other country will choose to do something radically different. Perhaps England and France might choose to go
to war with Germany over Czechoslovakia, Japan might opt not to attack Pearl
Harbor, or any one of millions of possibilities. You are to make note of these critical
differences, at least those that directly involve the country you are playing,
and demonstrate how these affected the alternative course of history in the
game. For example, say you are playing
Germany, and you decide not to invade the Soviet Union. Your paper, in addition to presenting a
straight history of the rise and fall of “your” Third Reich, should assess the
importance of Hitler’s decision to attack the USSR by describing what resulted
from your choice to do otherwise.
Attendance and Participation (20%)
This will be a seminar-style
course, based on in-class discussion of the required readings. It is the responsibility of every student to
participate in those discussions. Each
of you will be asked to offer your thoughts about what you have read, as well
as any larger implications. If you find
something confusing, these discussions will present an opportunity for you to
seek a clearer understanding. If you
find something particularly interesting, that is the time to try to expand upon
it, or to ask questions about it.
Your attendance in class is
expected, and consistent participation in discussion will be rewarded. I expect at least occasional input from every
member of the class, and I reserve the right to assign a failing grade to those
who are habitually absent or unprepared to participate in discussion.
Academic
Integrity
I strongly advise you to
examine the university’s academic integrity policy, which may be found here. All students are responsible for maintaining
the highest standards of honesty and integrity in every phase of their academic
careers. The penalties for academic
dishonesty are severe, and ignorance is not an acceptable defense.
Course Schedule, with Reading Assignments:
|
January |
9 |
Course Introduction |
|
|
11 |
The Belligerents Mawdsley, pp. 1-9, 12-26 Optional: Richard Overy, Why the Allies Won (1995) |
|
|
13 |
The International Order Mawdsley, pp. 26-30 Coetzee, pp. 271-272 Coursepack, pp. 1-16 Optional: Sally Marks, The
Illusion of Peace: International Relations in Europe, 1918-1933 (2003) |
|
January |
16 |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday—No Class |
|
|
18 |
The Ideologies, part I Mawdsley, pp. 30-41 Coetzee, pp. 9-11, 270-271 Coursepack, pp. 17-23 Optional: Richard Bessel,
Nazism and War (2006) |
|
|
20 |
The Ideologies, part II Mawdsley, pp. 41-44 Coetzee, pp. 66-67, 275-276 Coursepack, pp. 24-31 Optional: Walter Skya, Japan's Holy War: The Ideology of Radical
Shinto Ultranationalism (2009) |
|
|
23 |
Planning for the Next War Mawdsley, pp. 44-51 Coetzee, pp. 38-40 Coursepack, pp. 32-51 Optional: Roch Legault
and B.J.C. McKercher (eds),
Military Planning and the Origins of
the Second World War (2000) |
|
|
25 |
Origins of the Greater East Asia War Mawdsley, pp. 54-73 Coetzee, pp. 16-21 Optional: Akira Iriye, The Origins of the Second World War in
Asia and the Pacific (1987) |
|
|
27 |
Hitler’s Challenge to the International System Mawdsley, pp. 76-85 Coetzee, pp. 11-13, 22-25 Coursepack, pp. 52-58 Optional: P.M.H. Bell, The
Origins of the Second World War in Europe (2007) |
|
|
30 |
The Czech Crisis Mawdsley, pp. 84-93 Coursepack, pp. 59-71 Optional: Giles McDonogh, 1938: Hitler's Gamble (2007) |
|
February |
1 |
The Outbreak of War in Europe Mawdsley, pp. 93-103 Coetzee, pp. 30-31 Coursepack, pp. 72-80 Optional: D.C. Watt, How
War Came: The Immediate Origins of the Second World War (1989) |
|
|
3 |
Sitzkrieg and Blitzkrieg Mawdsley, pp. 106-117 Coetzee, pp. 36-38 Coursepack, pp. 81-82 Optional: Talbot C. Imlay, Facing the Second World War: Strategy, Politics, and Economics in
Britain and France, 1938-1940 (2003) |
|
|
6 |
The Fall of France Mawdsley, pp. 118-126 Coetzee, pp. 40-48 Optional: Julian Jackson, The
Fall of France: The Nazi Invasion of 1940 (2003) |
|
|
8 |
The Battle of Britain Mawdsley, pp. 127-133 Coetzee, pp. 49-51, 56-60,
281-283 Coursepack, pp. 83-86 Optional: Stephen Bungay, The Most Dangerous Enemy: The Definitive
History of the Battle of Britain (2010) |
|
|
10 |
The United States on the Sidelines Coursepack, pp. 87-114 Optional: Justus D. Doenecke, Storm on the Horizon: The Challenge to
American Intervention, 1939-1941 (2000) |
|
|
13 |
First Examination |
|
|
15 |
Hitler Moves East Mawdsley, pp. 136-147 Coursepack, pp. 115-123 Optional: Gabriel Gorodetsky, The Grand Delusion: Stalin and the German
Invasion of Russia (1999) |
|
|
17 |
Operation Barbarossa Mawdsley, pp. 147-156 Coetzee, pp. 91-93, 96-101 Coursepack, pp. 124-130 Optional: Geoffrey Megargee, War of Annihilation: Combat and Genocide
on the Eastern Front, 1941 (2007) Mary
Reinthal |
|
|
20 |
Hitler’s War of Annihilation Mawdsley, pp. 156-163 Coetzee, pp. 94-95, 268-269,
316-329, 337-345 Optional: Christopher R. Browning, The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish
Policy, September 1939 - March 1942 (2007) Audrey Vuozzo |
|
|
22 |
From Moscow to Stalingrad Mawdsley, pp. 166-177 Coetzee, pp. 149-150, 190-195 Coursepack, pp. 131-132 Optional: Earl F. Ziemke, Moscow to Stalingrad: Decisions in the
East (1987) Victorialyn Keay |
|
|
24 |
Turning the Tide in the East Mawdsley, pp. 178-187 Coetzee, pp. 112-113,
196-197, 285-286 Coursepack, pp. 133-140 Optional: David M. Glantz, When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army
Stopped Hitler (1998) Robert Mahaney |
|
|
27 |
Japan’s Decision for War Mawdsley, pp. 190-203 Coetzee, pp. 68-71, 105-107 Optional: Michael A. Barnhart, Japan Prepares for Total War: The Search for Economic Security, 1919-1941
(1987) Katie Clement |
|
|
29 |
Japan Strikes Mawdsley, pp. 204-213 Coetzee, pp. 72-77, 207-208 Optional: H.P. Willmott, The Barrier and the Javelin: Japanese and
Allied Pacific Strategies, February to June 1942 (1983) |
|
March |
2 |
Class Canceled |
|
|
5 |
Spring Break—No Class |
|
|
7 |
Spring Break—No Class |
|
|
9 |
Spring Break—No Class |
|
|
12 |
Turning the Tide in the Pacific Mawdsley, pp. 216-229 Coetzee, pp. 78-79, 151-158 Optional: Jonathan Parshall and
Anthony Tully, Shattered Sword: The
Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway (2005) Tyler Owens |
|
|
14 |
The CBI Theater Mawdsley, pp. 229-237 Coetzee, pp. 209-223 Optional: Louis Allen, Burma:
The Longest War, 1941-1945 (1986) |
|
|
16 |
The Allied Advance in the Pacific Mawdsley, pp. 237-247 Coetzee, pp. 224-227,
272-275, 277-278 Optional: Eric Bergerud, Touched with Fire: The Land War in the
South Pacific (1997) Brent Rossman |
|
|
19 |
The Battle of the Atlantic Mawdsley, pp. 250-267 Coetzee, pp. 174-178 Optional: Dan van der Vat, The Atlantic Campaign: World War II's Great Struggle at Sea
(1988) |
|
|
21 |
The Logistics of Global War Mawdsley, pp. 267-283 Optional: Alan Gropman (ed.), The Big "L": American Logistics
in World War II (1997) |
|
|
23 |
The War in the Desert Mawdsley, pp. 286-297 Coetzee, pp. 87-90, 141-145 Coursepack, pp. 141-147 Optional: John Bierman, War without Hate: The Desert Campaign of
1940-1943 (2004) Wade Kaido |
|
|
26 |
Second Examination |
|
|
28 |
Operation TORCH Mawdsley, pp. 298-306 Coetzee, pp. 80-86,
139-140, 146-147 Optional: Rick Atkinson, An
Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (2002) Michelle DeVore |
|
|
30 |
The Invasion of Italy Mawdsley, pp. 306-319 Coetzee, pp. 179-181 Optional: Rick Atkinson, The
Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (2007) |
|
April |
2 |
The Economic War Mawdsley, pp. 322-332 Coetzee, pp. 110-122 Optional: Mark Harrison (ed.), The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International
Comparison (2000) |
|
|
4 |
The American Home Front Coetzee, pp. 237-263 Coursepack, p. 148 Optional: John Morton
Blum, V Was for Victory:
Politics and American Culture during World War II (1977) Danielle Sunnucks |
|
|
6 |
Good Friday—No Class |
|
|
9 |
Strategic Bombing Mawdsley, pp. 332-345 Coetzee, pp. 164-173,
284-285 Optional: Jorg Friedrich, The Fire: The Bombing of Germany,
1940-1945 (2006) |
|
|
11 |
Life in Occupied Europe Mawdsley, pp. 346-352 Coetzee, pp. 53-55, 184-186 Coursepack, pp. 149-153 Optional: Mark Mazower, Hitler's Empire: Nazi Rule in Occupied
Europe (2008) Elizabeth Dickerson |
|
|
13 |
The Resistance Mawdsley, pp. 352-363 Coetzee, pp. 52-53, 182-183,
187-189, 330-336, 340-343 Optional: Jorgen Haestrup, Europe Ablaze: An Analysis of the History
of the European Resistance Movements, 1939-45 (1978) Zach Heffner |
|
|
16 |
The Liberation of France Mawdsley, pp. 366-381 Coetzee, pp. 198-203 Optional: Carlo D'Este, Decision in Normandy (1994) Lindsey Richey |
|
|
18 |
Closing the Ring around Germany Mawdsley, pp. 381-391 Coetzee, pp. 344-345 Coursepack, pp. 154-159 Optional: John Toland and Carlo D'Este, Battle: The
Story of the Bulge (1999) Tanner Bleedorn |
|
|
20 |
The End in Europe Mawdsley, pp. 392-405 Coetzee, pp. 349-353,
355-359 Optional: Ian Kershaw, The
End: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945 (2011) |
|
|
23 |
The Final Battles in the Pacific Mawdsley, pp. 408-424 Optional: Bill Sloan, The
Ultimate Battle: Okinawa 1945--The Last Epic Struggle of World War II
(2007) Bryce Clemons |
|
|
25 |
The Atomic Bomb and the Surrender of Japan Mawdsley, pp. 424-431 Coetzee, pp. 228-236 Optional: Richard B. Frank, Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire (1999) |
|
|
27 |
Unfinished Business in Asia Mawdsley, pp. 431-437 Coetzee, pp. 364-377 Optional: Christopher Bayly and Tim
Harper, Forgotten Wars: The End of
Britain's Asian Empire (2007) |
|
|
30 |
Final Examination, 1:30 – 3:30 pm |