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History 492: Undergraduate Reading Course: THE LIFE AND CAREER OF

Fall Semester 2011. Meets T/Th. 4:30 – 5:45 pm. Room 301 Univ. Hall. Professor Ray E. Dumett ‐026 U. Hall Office hours: T. and Th. : 10:30‐11:30 & 1:30 3:00.pm.

Course Description.

This course examines and analyzes the personality, the adventures , policies, and above all, the career achievements of a man who has been described as Great Britain’s greatest wartime prime minister, and who received an award as the greatest man of the first half of the twentieth century. Churchill played a part as a soldier in colonial frontier wars during the age of imperialism; and he held six Cabinet positions, including Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Lord of the Admiralty before becoming Prime Minister in 1940. He was an active player in the three major periods of , World War II and the Cold War. Less well‐known, but also important, were Churchill’s roles in forging the history of the modern Middle East and working against the independence of India and Pakistan. In each of these areas Churchill’s actions have a contemporary, as well as historical relevance. Many of the readings in the course packet were selected because they reveal different and sometimes conflicting interpretations about international events. Not every one of the world’s leaders agreed with Churchill’s programs and strategies. And so, Churchill’s mistakes and weaknesses, as well as his strengths and accomplishments will receive scrutiny. Because time and space in a single semester are limited, the course deals with Churchill’s attitudes and actions mainly in international affairs and wartime military policy. Several of his domestic policies will be touched on briefly ; but these are not among the major subjects for extensive reading or discussion outlined in the syllabus.

Methods and Assignments: This course will meet twice per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 to 5:45 pm. This course is based almost entirely on Readings and class Discussions. There will be no examinations and no term paper. There will, however, be regular written work, based a student’s summaries of his or her readings. (These will be supplemented by occasional lectures and films) The 3 page bi‐weekly papers will help students to formulate and sharpen ideas and offer practice in meeting short term deadlines. The class will be divided into two groups A and B: each group will be asked to complete a three page summary and analysis (use 1.5 spacing) of a week’s readings that are assigned in the syllabus. On the alternate weeks – when there is no written report due for your team ‐ members of that group nonetheless should still be prepared for oral discussions on that week’s readings while the other group will read from their papers.

Regular class attendance is important. And consultations with the professor are encouraged, either during office hours or by special appointment.

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SYLLABUS 1. Week of August 23rd -25th: Course Introduction- Professor Dumett Lecture: Churchill’s early Life Professor Dumett. Film-“Young Winston” (Read Martin Gilbert, Churchill pp. 1-31.)

2. Week of August 30th - Sept. 1st: Young Churchill in the Age of empire: Britain and the Conquest of the . What was the British move on the Sudan about? What did Africans of the Dervish (or Mahdist) Empire want? What did the French want at Fashoda? Why did they fail? What did Britain gain? What did the Sudan gain or lose? Read: W. S. Churchill, The River War (1899). Reprinted in Frontiers and Wars, pp. 11-27. Martin Gilbert, Churchill, 85-106 Group A

3. Week of Sept. 6th-8th: First World War, 1914-18: the Turkish Empire and the Gallipoli Campaign. Why did Churchill’s strategy for an eastern front fail? Who was responsible for the failure of the Gallipoli campaign? This concentrates on just one phase of W.W.I where Churchill played a leading role. Read: W. S. Churchill, The World Crisis (One Volume 2nd ed. 1949), pp. 31-43 of packet. . Martin Gilbert, The First World War: a Complete History, pp. 48-55 of packet. Gilbert, Churchill, 239-329, 458. Group B

4. Week of Sept. 13th-15th Middle East Policy between the wars: Churchill, Turkey and the Creation of Iraq. Why was the Ottoman Turkish empire broken up? What were the obstacles vs. the creation of a new Iraq state? What was has been the legacy for modern times of British moves in the Middle East? Read Gilbert, 422, 424, 429-31, 439-40 Christopher Catherwood, Churchill’s Folly : How Churchill created Modern Iraq (N.Y. 2004), 59 -83 of packet Entire Class

5. Week of Sept. 20 – 22nd :-Foreign Policy between the wars: Chamberlain and the Appeasement of Germany. What were the basic causes of Appeasement. Who gained and who lost from the Munich Agreement? Did Britain gain time for war preparation (armament)? Read: W. S. Churchill, The Gathering Storm- Vol. One of The Second World War (Boston, 1948), 87-111 of packet. Keith Feiling, The Life of Neville Chamberlain (London, 1946), 112- 133. . M. Gilbert. Churchill, 513-601. Martin Gilbert and R. Gott, The Appeasers (London, 1963), 135-181 of packet. .

Entire Class 6. Week of Sept. 27th – 29th : The Battle of Britain: Dowding, Churchill and the RAF vs. the Luftwaffe (1940). Questions: Why and how were the British ultimately successful? Why did Goering and the Luftwaffe fail? How important was this in the total history of World War II? Read: David E. Fisher, A Summer Bright and Terrible (London, 2005), 185-206 of packet. Also Martin Gilbert, Churchill, 603-700. Group B 3

7. Week of Oct. 4th – Oct. 6th : Forging the Anglo-American Alliance: Questions: In what ways did the Allies differ in their strategic outlook? What would be the ultimate Strategy for defeating the Axis Powers? Read: Corelli Barnett, “Anglo-American Strategy in Europe” in Ann Lane and H. Temperley (eds.), The Rise and Fall of the Grand Alliance, 1941-1945 (London, 1995), 210- 218 of packet. Field Marshall Lord Alanbrooke, War Diaries, 1939-1945 (London, 1956; 2010) , 219- 234 of packet. Group A

8. Week of Thurs. Oct. 13th – (Tues.,Oct. 13 is ‘October Break” The North Africa Campaign: Montgomery vs. Rommel and El Alamein. Read: Norman Gelb, Ike and Monty (New York, 1994), Packet, 237-255. Questions:Who was Gen. Auchinleck? Why was he fired? How great was Montgomery’s generalship at El Alamein? What were his strong points and his weak points –as a strategist, as a tactician, as a leader of men? Why was Rommel defeated? M. Gilbert, Churchill, 708-09, 721-23, 724-26, 730-33, 756-7, 766-7, Group B 9. Week of Oct. 18th – Oct. 20th: “ D Day” : the Organization and execution of ‘’. Questions: What are the fundamental questions here? What were the diffs. of opinion between Churchill and other allied leaders? Why were the landings so successful? Why was Montgomery so slow Iin breaking out? Read: Martin Gilbert, D-Day (New York, 2004), Packet, 259-275; Also Gilbert Churchill Biography, 750-4, 759-61, 764-65,769, 770-790. Richard Lamb, Montgomery in Europe: Success or Failure? (London, 1983), 278-288; Alanbrooke, War Diaries, Packet, 289-302.

Group A 10. Week of Oct. 25th – Oct. 27th : “A Bridge Too Far”; the Advance on Berlin and End of the War: Questions: What were the differences between the British and American schools of thought? What went wrong with Montgomery’s Arnhem campaign? What happened at the Battle of the Bulge? Read: Richard Lamb, Montgomery in Europe (London, 1983), Packet- 305- 314. Also G.P. Murray, Eisenhower vs. Montgomery (1996), Packet (end of volume) 515- 535. Group B

11. Week of Nov. 1st – Nov. 3rd : Gandhi, Churchill, Roosevelt and self-government for INDIA (Part One) Questions: What did Gandhi want? What were the British willing to give? Was compromise possible? Were there any major mistakes (by whom?) that could have been averted? Read: John Glendevon, The Viceroy at Bay (London, 1971), Packet: 318-350. Also M. Venkataramani & B.K. Shrivastava, Roosevelt, Gandhi, Churchill: America and the Last Phase of India’s Freedom Struggle (Delhi, 1983), Packet: 352-371. Group A

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12. Week of Nov 8th – 10th : Gandhi, Jinnah and the Creation of India and Pakistan (Part Two). Questions: What were the causes of Hindu Muslim strife? Could the British have done more to stop the outbreak of communal violence and the creation of Pakistan? Who was more at fault in the outbreak of communal strife) Jinnah, Gandhi or the British?. Read: A. Chandra Bhuyan, The Quit India Movement (Manas,1975). Packet: 375-393. J.J. Pal, Jinnah and the Creation of Pakistan (Delhi, 1983), packet: 395-421. Group B 13. Week of Nov.15 – 17 th: An Assessment of Allied Strategic and ‘Area Bombing’ in W.War II. Questions: How effective were (1) British and (2) United States bombing raids vs. Germany in winning W.W. II against Nazi Germany? How effective was ‘area (or saturation bombing)? Could it have ended (or been stopped) earlier? Read: Stephen A. Garrett, Ethics and Air Power in World War I (New York) . 425-421. Robin Neillands, The Bomber War; Arthur Harris and the Allied Bomber Offensive, 1939-45 (London, 2001), Packet: 443-455. . Group A 14. Week of Nov.22nd – 24th: Allied Russian Relations: Stalin, Churchill Roosevelt and the origins of the ‘Cold War’, 1943-1945 (Part One) Questions:Why did the wartime alliance between Britain, Russia and the USA unravel Explain the differences in policy attitudes between Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt? What happened at the Teheran and Yalta ‘Big 3’ conferences? Read: W.S. Churchill, - Vol. 5 of The Second World War (Boston, 1951), Packet: 459-470. Remi Nadeau, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt Divide Europe (New York, 1990), Packet: 471-489. Gilbert, Churchill, 711-16, 727-31, 743-44, 768-9, 791-802 Group B 15. Week of Nov. 29th - Dec. 1st : Truman, Churchill, Stalin & the Cold War 1945 - 1948. (Part Two). Questions: What were the roles and responsibilities of each of these three leaders? What were the basic causes of the Cold War? Could it have been prevented? How close were Anglo- U.S. relations, 1945-48? What were the problems between the major powers?Read: Fraser J. Harbutt, The : Churchill, America and the1454895-1953 origins of the Cold War (Oxford and New York, 1986), Packet; 493-511.

Group A

16. Week of Dec. 6th – 8th : Churchill and his leadership in World War II: a Summing Up and General Assessment. What were his strengths and what were his weaknesses? Also compare Eisenhower & Montgomery. Reread Corelli Barnett, “Anglo-American Strategy in Europe “ in Lane and Temperley (eds.), The Rise and Fall of the Grand Alliance (London, 1995), 210-218. Also G.E. Patrick Murray Eisenhower versus Montgomery (Westport, Conn. And London, 1996), 54-69. Also use relevant portions of M. Gilbert, Churchill…, Entire Class