Nazi Germany: A Social & Political History Language of Instruction: English Course tutor(s) C. Paul Vincent, PhD, visiting professor in Jagiellonian University’s Centre for European Studies. Prof. Vincent is a modern European historian on leave as a Fulbright Scholar from Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire (USA), where he chairs the Department of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Description Explores the fabric of the Nazi experience and covers the following topics: historical roots of National Socialism; early history of Hitler and the Nazi Party; problems of democracy in the Weimar Republic; electoral politics during 1929-33; Hitler’s assumption and consolidation of power; the terror and racial policy of the Nazi state; the substance of Hitler’s foreign policy; German resistance to Hitler; World War II; the Holocaust. Although treating a variety of topics, the course addresses two fundamental questions: first, how could Hitler and the Nazi Party achieve power in an advanced country at the heart of Western civilization; second, after gaining power, how did the Nazis establish a racially based totalitarian regime that soon plunged the world into a war that consumed tens of millions of lives and left the legacy of the Holocaust in its wake? Type of course Mandatory/elective. Additional course for EU Studies specialization and Europeanisation and Governance specialization; Key course for CEE Studies specialization and the Studies in Holocaust and Totalitarian Systems specialty; Focus Course for CEE: Research Track specialization. Year of Studies: 1 or 2 Number of ECTS points 9 ECTS Prerequisites (if applicable) None Intended Learning Outcomes Students should leave this course with (a) an enhanced understanding of Nazism and antisemitism; (b) an enhanced knowledge of the Holocaust, especially its historical and precipitating factors; (c) an enhanced ability to think critically, and write and speak effectively, about issues related to Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. EK1: has ordered and extended knowledge of terminology used in the humanities and social sciences (K_W03+) EK2: has ordered and deepened knowledge about contemporary history of international relations as well as contemporary political history of Poland and Europe (K_W08+++) EK3: has deepened knowledge about the terminology used when speaking of democratic and non- democratic governments, as well as knowledge about the process of development of political systems in Europe and their contemporary models (K_W10++) EK4: has an ability to search, gather and interpret data and information based on relevant sources; has the ability to evaluate the importance of sources (K_U01+++) EK5: has the ability to read with comprehension and critically analyze texts pertinent to European studies and have the ability to compare them to texts presenting different views on the subject, confront them and draw his or her own conclusions (K_U02+++) EK6: has the ability to prepare written or oral presentations which comply with all academic rules and regulations (especially Intellectual Property Law) (K_U12+++) EK7: is aware of the level of his or her own knowledge and skills, understands the need for long-life learning in terms of professional and personal development, can determine the directions of his or her own professional and personal development (K_K01++) EK8: has the ability to effectively work individually as well as interact and work in a group, performing different roles in it (K_K02++) Course communication E-mail: [email protected] Web page: Office Hours: TBA Notices and announcements Via CES office. COURSE ORGANIZATION Spring semester Time and Place: will be posted by CES in the online calendar Course type (seminar/lecture/workshop): The course will constitute 60 teaching hours. It will be taught mainly as a lecture course, although discussions and questions are both welcome and encouraged. Beginning with the third class session, each student will be asked to make one 10-minute presentation. All students, moreover, will be required to draft one in-class paper during the semester. A list of suggested reference books is included in this syllabus and students will be asked to read appropriate materials from one or more of these books during the semester. Contact hour: 60 hours of lecture Balance of ECTS credits: Participation in class, 60 hours One 10-minutes class presentation – preparation, 10 hours. Five quizzes – preparation, including reading, research, and study, 120 hours during semester. Preparation for the final written exam 35 hours. Total: 225 hours Didactic methods used Lecture; discussion; PowerPoint presentations. Mode and criteria of assessment of learning outcomes EK1: (K_W03+); EK2: (K_W08+++); EK3: (K_W10++) assessed through biweekly quizzes and final in- class written exam. EK4: (K_U01+++); EK5: (K_U02+++); EK6: (K_U12+++) assessed through quizzes, final exam, and in- class reflection papers. EK7: (K_K01++); EK8: (K_K02++); assessed through in class participation and the written work. Assessment The final mark will be calculated using the following elements: 1. Participation (in-class presentation) – 15%. 2. One in-class writing assignment – 5% 3. Four quizzes – 50% (five quizzes given; best four count towards grade). Quizzes will be short answer identification with the requirement to answer five out of eight questions. 4. Final written exam – 30%. The exam will be half short-answer identification (similar to the quizzes) and half essay. Attendance Because this course meets only 20 times during the semester, attending every class session is crucial. Due to the nature of registration at Jagiellonian, I will not include the first two sessions in my evaluation of your attendance record. You are allowed to miss no more than two of the remaining 18 sessions without impacting your grade (albeit, it is always wise to get lecture notes from a classmate for any session missed). Beyond two sessions, I will subtract two points from your final course grade for each session missed. If, however, you miss five of the final 18 sessions, you will automatically receive a failing grade in the course. LITERATURE TEXTBOOKS (essential reading materials): Nicholls, A. J. Weimar and the Rise of Hitler, 4th ed. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. Niewyk, Donald L. The Holocaust: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2010. Schleunes, Karl. Twisted Road to Auschwitz: Nazi Policy Toward German Jews, 1933-1939. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1990. Weinberg, Gerhard L. Germany, Hitler, and World War II. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. REFERENCE: Berend, Ivan. Decades of Crisis. Central Eastern Europe before World War II. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. Evans, Richard J. The Coming of the Third Reich. New York: Penguin, 2004. ______. The Third Reich in Power: 1933-1939. New York: Penguin, 2005. ______. The Third Reich at War. New York: Penguin, 2008. Friedländer, Saul. Nazi Germany and the Jews: The Years of Persecution, 1933-1939. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. ______. The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. Griffin, Roger. Modernism and Fascism: The Sense of a Beginning under Mussolini and Hitler. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Kershaw, Ian. Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris. New York: Norton, 1998. ______. Hitler, 1936-1945: Nemesis. New York: Norton, 2000. Magocsi, Paul R. Historical Atlas of East Central Europe. Revised and Expanded Ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2002. Nazism, 1919-1945: A Documentary Reader, 3 vols., ed. by Jeremy Noakes and Geoffrey Pridham. Exeter, UK: University of Exeter Press, 1984. Sofsky, Wolfgang. The Order of Terror: The Concentration Camp. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993. The Specter of Genocide: Mass Murder in Historical Perspective. Ed. by Robert Gellately and Ben Kiernan. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Steiner Zara S., The Lights that Failed: European International History 1919-1933. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. ______. The Triumph of the Dark: European International History, 1933-1939. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. The Third Reich Sourcebook, ed. by Anson Rabinbach and Sander Gilman. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013. Vincent, C. Paul. A Historical Dictionary of Germany’s Weimar Republic, 1918-1933. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997. Weinberg, Gerhard L. The Foreign Policy of Hitler’s Germany: Diplomatic Revolution in Europe, 1933-36. Chicago: University Press of Chicago, 1970. ______. The Foreign Policy of Hitler’s Germany: Starting World War II, 1937-1939. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1980. ______. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994. FILM It is hoped that we’ll watch some film during a couple of class sessions. In addition, the film series The Nazis: A Warning from History should be viewed outside of class time as a means of enriching the course’s content. A list of key topics/people for each film episode of the series will be made available. The syllabus informs you regarding when each episode of the series should be viewed. STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE Please note that “Book Notes” will be provided for the Schleunes and Weinberg texts to help gather what is most important from these two books. Supplemental readings may be required from one or more of the sources listed under “Reference” (above). A hand-out will be provided early in the semester with facts, dates, and comments useful to a proper understanding of the course material.

Session no. 1 Course introduction – requirements. Aim of the session, main The introduction will explain the importance in the 21st century issues discussed of studying the experience of Nazi Germany, noting that it is more than an intellectual problem for academics, but a topic that continues to haunt a world grappling with genocide, political borders, and international disputes that stem from the period of the Third Reich. Key readings for the session Nicholls, Introduction & chapters 1-2; Schleunes, Introduction & chapter 1 Questions for discussions Why study the Nazi experience in the early 21st century? Why (based on readings & does it continue to hold such fascination? What accounted for lectures) the success of the NSDAP? From what perspectives should we attempt to understand the Nazi experience? Additional/further readings

Session no. 2 Discussion of 19th-century Germany. Aim of the session, main The lecture will explain the circumstances of Germany—i.e., the issues discussed Holy Roman Empire—from the beginning of the 19th century to the appointment of Bismarck as prime minister of Prussia in 1862. Voltaire’s quip that it was “neither Holy, Roman, nor an Empire” will help guide the discussion of a Germany that began as a myriad of autonomous states, then progressed from the German Confederation following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo through the creation of the Zollverein, the Revolutions of 1848, and the growing tension between Prussia and Austria. Key readings for the session Questions for discussions What was the Holy Roman Empire and how might its history be (based on readings & important to understanding Nazi Germany? What was the lectures) impact of Napoleon on Germany? What was the impact of the revolutions of 1848 on the evolution of Germany? Additional/further readings

Session no. 3 From German Unification to World War I Aim of the session, main Focus will be on Bismarck’s creation of a nation-state that, in the issues discussed years leading up to the outbreak of World War I, was plagued with severe regional, religious, and social differences. Key readings for the session Nicholls, chapters 3-4; Schleunes, chapter 2; Weinberg, Introduction & chapter 1. Questions for discussions What key factors led to Bismarck’s creation of the German (based on readings & Empire? In what ways was the new nation-state not really a lectures) united country? Additional/further readings

Session no. 4 Impact of WWI & Problems of Weimar Democracy (quiz #1) Aim of the session, main Session will focus on impact of World War I and its conclusion on issues discussed German mindset and difficulties the republic experienced of moving from a wartime to a peacetime society. Highlighted will be the political violence—coups and assassinations—and economic turmoil that plagued Germany in the Republic’s early years. Key readings for the session Nicholls, chapters 5-7; Weinberg, chapters 2-3. Questions for discussions How did WWI both unite and divide Germany? What factors tied (based on readings & to the end of the war seriously handicapped the new republic? lectures) Was the Weimar Constitution the best possible document for the new German Republic? What factors led to political violence in Germany during 1919-23? Additional/further readings “November Revolution,” Versailles Treaty” “Assassinations,” “Constitution,” and asterisked topics in Vincent dictionary.

Session no. 5 Birth of the Nazis. Aim of the session, main The lecture will trace the origins of the fledging German issues discussed Workers’ Party from its founding in January 1919 through its development under the leadership of Hitler up to and through the Munich Beerhall Putsch of November 1923.

Key readings for the session Questions for discussions How did the Nazi Party represent Germany; how did it stand (based on readings & apart from Germany’s political culture? Was Hitler an essential lectures) part of the party from the outset? How important was he? Additional/further readings “Hitler,” “National Socialist German Workers’ Party,” and “Beerhall Putsch” in Vincent dictionary.

Session no. 6 Hitler’s Political Wilderness. Aim of the session, main The failure of the Beerhall Putsch brought a trial and issues discussed imprisonment for Hitler. It also led him to alter his political approach to the Republic, as reflected in some measure by his pseudo-biography, Mein Kampf. The lecture will discuss these topics, and cover the post-putsch history of both the party and the republic until 1929.

Key readings for the session Nicholls, chapters 8-9. Questions for discussions What key decisions did Hitler make in the wake of the putsch? (based on readings & What was most devastating to the Republic, the inflation or the lectures) stabilization? How did Stresemann reinsert Germany into the “community of nations?” What changes did the Nazi Party make in the wake of the 1928 Reichstag elections? Additional/further readings “Goebbels,” “Strasser,” “Stresemann,” and “Mein Kämpf” in Vincent dictionary.

Session no. 7 Depression and Rule by Presidential Decree (quiz #2) Aim of the session, main The depression induced a political crisis for the republic that was issues discussed met by President Hindenburg’s rule by presidential decree (Article 48 of the constitution). We’ll analyze how his action helped undermine democracy in Germany more than two years before Hitler came to power. Key readings for the session Nicholls, chapters 10-11; Niewyk, Introduction & chapter 1. Watch episode 1 of The Nazis: A Warning from History. Questions for discussions Were war debts and reparations inextricably connected? How (based on readings & fragile was the Republic’s economy prior to the depression? lectures) What did the depression do to the Republic’s political culture? Was it necessary to Nazi success? In what way was the Republic already mortally wounded after September 1930? How did the Nazis take advantage of the crisis? Additional/further readings “Reparations,” “Depression,” “Brüning,” “Hindenburg,” and “Hugenberg” and asterisked topics in Vincent dictionary.

Session no. 8 Death of the Weimar Republic (quiz #2). Aim of the session, main What were the chief factors, and who were the key players, that issues discussed coalesced to undermine the Weimar Republic? Significant to this presentation will be Chancellor Brüning’s efforts to gain control over the economy, and the personal agendas of such men as Hugenberg, Schleicher, and Papen. Key readings for the session How would you rate the individual importance of Hindenburg, Questions for discussions Schleicher, Hitler, and Papen in inducing the collapse of the (based on readings & Republic? How did the depression impact the average German’s lectures) perception of politics? Additional/further readings “Prussia,” “Papen,” and “Schleicher” in Vincent dictionary.

Session no. 9 Hitler’s “Seizure of Power.”

Aim of the session, main In the tripartite negotiations between Hitler, Papen, and issues discussed Hugenberg, how did Hitler gain the advantage and what were the ingredients leading to his “seizure of power” in January 1933? Key readings for the session Schleunes, chapters 3-4. Watch episode 2 of The Nazis. Questions for discussions Was it necessary to appoint Hitler chancellor in January 1933? (based on readings & What role did political intrigue play in Hitler’s appointment? lectures) How was Hitler able to maximize his power in the new cabinet? Additional/further readings #14, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 10 Consolidation of Power. Aim of the session, main This session will focus on the threat to the Nazis posed by the issues discussed German Communist Party, how Hitler finessed that threat to his advantage (especially in the aftermath of the Reichstag Fire), the significance of Hitler’s relationship with President Hindenburg, and the overriding importance of the March 1933 Enabling Law. Key readings for the session Questions for discussions Why do you believe the parties in the Reichstag voted in favour (based on readings & of the Enabling Law? What was the purpose of the Dachau lectures) concentration camp? Why did the average German not oppose the imposition of authoritarian rule? Additional/further readings “On the History of the Concentration Camps,” in Sofsky, The Order of Terror. #152, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 11 Chaos and Gleichschaltung. Aim of the session, main In a period labeled the era of Gleichschaltung (i.e., coordination, issues discussed synchronization, bringing into line), the Nazis aimed to establish a totalitarian state by making virtually all German institutions Nazi. We will examine how this was accomplished. Also covered will be the atmosphere of chaos that almost always marked day- to-day life “at the top” of the Nazi state.

Key readings for session Weinberg, chapters 4-5; Kershaw chapter, “Working Towards the Führer.” Watch episode 3 of The Nazis. Questions for discussions Who or what stood in the way of establishing a totalitarian (based on readings & regime in mid-1933? What is the meaning of “working towards lectures) the Führer?” Additional/further readings #30, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 12 Life in Nazi Germany (quiz #3) Aim of the session, main We will examine the differences between an authoritarian issues discussed regime and a totalitarian regime and what it was like for a non- Jew to live in a regime founded on the notions of ideology and terror. We will look at the role of the SS—especially the Gestapo—in creating the day-to-day atmosphere in Nazi Germany and how an average individual was psychologically and practically impacted by the regime.

Key readings for the session Schleunes, chapters 5-6; Weinberg, chapters 6-8. Questions for discussions What is the meaning of totalitarianism? If you lived in a (based on readings & totalitarian regime, would you recognize the role ideology and lectures) terror played in your life? Additional/further readings #110, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 13 Nazi Ideology and Racial Policy. Aim of the session, main As Nazi Germany must be defined as fundamentally a racist issues discussed state, we will examine the fundamental features of its racist ideology. In some respects, Nazi racial policy was a “grey zone,” advancing in little steps over the five-and-one-half years from the boycott of Jewish businesses on 1 April 1933 to the violence of the Kristallnacht pogrom of 9-10 November 1938. Key readings for the session Schleunes, chaps 7-8. Watch episode 4 of The Nazis. Questions for discussions To what extent was Nazi racial policy a moving target? What (based on readings & were all the little steps taken over the initial five-and-one-half lectures) years of the Nazi state? Why can Karl Schleunes legitimately refer to the evolution of Nazi racial policy as a “twisted road?” What difficulties and challenges were German Jews forced to encounter when contemplating emigration? Additional/further readings #83-85, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 14 America’s Response to Nazi Racial Policy. Aim of the session, main America’s response to the evolution of Nazi policy—racial policy, issues discussed as well as political and military policy—is often criticized. But it is essential to base one’s understanding of America’s reaction through awareness of a historical context that included both the Great Depression and a strong isolationist impulse. Key readings for the session Vincent article, “Revisiting the Voyage of the St. Louis,” Weinberg, chaps 9-11. Questions for discussions How is United States prewar policy explained? What handicaps (based on readings & to response were encountered by President Roosevelt? How lectures) might he have responded differently? Additional/further readings

Session no. 15 Nazi Foreign Policy. Aim of the session, main Nazi foreign policy—actually, Hitler’s foreign policy—can be issues discussed described as an inextricable tangle of geopolitical, racial, and ideological factors. We will analyze these factors as well as the way Hitler managed to “break the chains” of the Versailles Treaty.

Key readings for the session Niewyk, chapter 2; Weinberg, chapters 12-14. Watch episode 5 of The Nazis.

Questions for discussions In what ways did Hitler reap international rewards from (a) (based on readings & foreign relations in the 1920s, (b) the importance of the Great lectures) Depression, and (c) the legacy of the First World War? Additional/further readings

Session no. 16 The Road to War (quiz #4). Aim of the session, main The “road to war” is generally circumscribed by the Munich issues discussed Conference (30 September 1938) at the outset and the invasion of Poland (1 September 1939) at the end. We will examine what happened in these eleven months and consider what might have happened differently. Key readings for the session Questions for discussions How might Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement policy be viewed (based on readings & in a positive light? Can the November 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom lectures) be linked with the outcome of the Munich Conference? Can the Nazi-Soviet pact (August 1939) be linked with the outcome of the Munich Conference? Additional/further readings #350, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 17 Hitler’s New Racial Order. Aim of the session, main The Nazi invasion and occupation of Poland was accompanied by issues discussed policies and practices that shed important light on Hitler’s planned new racial order. Even before the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa, 20 June 1941), the fundamental character of Hitler’s “new world order” was evident.

Key readings for the session Niewyk, chaps 3-4; Weinberg, chaps 15-17. Questions for discussions How did the Nazi invasion of Poland radicalize racial policy, both (based on readings & with respect to Jews and to Poles? How would Germany’s total lectures) victory over Europe have impacted the future of Poland and the Poles? Additional/further readings #352, 356, & 358, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 18 Prelude to the Holocaust. Aim of the session, main Using Auschwitz as a fulcrum, this lecture will focus on the issues discussed evolution of Nazi racial policy following the invasion and defeat of Poland. Key figures in the discussion will be Hitler, Himmler, and Rudolf Höss. Key readings for the session Watch episode 6 of The Nazis. Questions for discussions Aside from being commandant of Auschwitz, who was Rudolf (based on readings & Höss and why was he so important? What were the steps that lectures) made up the “twisted road” of antisemitic policy between September 1939 and the fall of 1941? Additional/further readings #359, Third Reich Sourcebook.

Session no. 19 The Holocaust. Aim of the session, main Using Auschwitz as a window on the development of anti-Jewish issues discussed policy, one encounters in this epicenter of both the war and the Holocaust a concentration camp that evolved from a place to brutalize and murder Polish prisoners into an industrialized killing factory for Jews. Key readings for the session Niewyk, chapters 5-6; Weinberg, chapters 19-20. Questions for discussions How does Auschwitz, which is actually more than one camp, (based on readings & serve to represent Nazi ethnic and racial policy throughout lectures) Poland? In what ways is Auschwitz also a product of Nazi economic planning? Additional/further readings

Session no. 20 War and German Defeat (quiz #5). Aim of the session, main Beginning with Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, the ultimate issues discussed defeat of the Third Reich was foreordained. Because demographic policy (including the Holocaust) was entwined with military policy, the Nazis created problems for themselves that were virtually impossible to resolve. We’ll examine what this meant for Germany’s war effort. Lastly, we’ll spend some time on review and reflection.

Key readings for the session Michael Marrus & Robert Paxton, “The Nazis and the Jews in Occupied Western Europe,” Journal of Modern History 54 (Dec. 1982): 687-714. Questions for discussions Following both the invasion of the Soviet Union and the (based on readings & Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, how did the war evolve for lectures) Nazi Germany? Explain how the war and the Holocaust were inextricably linked in Nazi policy. What is the meaning of the Nazi experience and how should we as citizens of the 21st century respond to that experience? Additional/further readings #411, Third Reich Sourcebook.