History

This class focuses on Hitler's Germany, and begins with the essential nineteenth century background. Students consider how political anti-Semitism grew during that time and what factors shaped the social and political life. The course covers the broad political currents and the popular literature that Hitler and many of his supporters read and absorbed. In the climate of uncertainty and despair following the First World War, Hitler and the Nazi Party grew from a small group on the radical fringe in Munich to a national force. Those traits of Hitler, crucial to his success, particularly his charisma, are defined and analyzed within the broader political context of Weimar political life. Much attention is paid to how Hitler, the two other Nazis in his cabinet, and supporters on the streets were able to consolidate the control over the state and society within a matter of months. How the regime solidified its control over society and political life is examined and discussed at length in this session. The course examines and analyzes how Hitler's concentration camp system, a vast chain of prisons and centers of oppression and death, came to be. Hitler's ambitions, the conquest of “living space” in Eastern Europe and the annihilation of the Jews, motivated his foreign ambitions and led directly to World War II, the most destructive conflict in human history. A central element of the war was the Holocaust, the all-out program to destroy the Jews of Europe. The session closely examines these developments, the nature of the war, how the Holocaust was implemented, and the role that terror played in sustaining Nazi rule. Also discussed are the measures taken against the handicapped, homosexuals, Sinti, and Roma. In Germany and later in occupied Europe, opposition and resistance emerged and challenged Nazi rule. Opponents were motivated by a variety of reasons, some personal, some political, and these too are discussed. Lastly, the class examines the end of the war, the so-called “zero hour” in Germany, the destruction and collapse of Germany, and then how this nation has dealt with the legacy of Hitler and Nazi rule. The course includes visits to local museums, historical sites and locations that reveal the operations of Nazi rule. These visits are a key element of the class and the experience of studying in Berlin.

This course examines Greek history and civilization from the Bronze Age to the death of Alexander the Great, utilizing both archaeological evidence and literary sources.

This course introduces a selection of the main theoretical works in the Western tradition. The readings present some of the most important ideas in the history of thought, including contributions to philosophy, religion, politics, and science. Different approaches to the reading of theoretical texts are discussed and evaluated, including close reading, historical contextualization, and various critical interpretations.