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SoSe 18: War and Society in the Twentieth Century. A Global History

Franziska Exeler

Kommentar

How is extreme violence created and how does it transform states and societies? This course examines the global history of war in the twentieth century. It covers wars that liberal states, totalitarian dictatorships and colonial empires fought in Europe, Asia and Africa. The focus of the seminar is thematic, discussing issues such as total war, modern war, race war, civil war, and empire and war. We will analyze similarities and differences brought about by the dynamics of violence and ideology in these different conflicts, and examine to what extent they were connected, even interacted. Equal attention will be paid to the macro and micro levels on and between which these dynamics unfolded: from the level of states and societies down to social communities and individual lives. The course concludes with an examination of the aftermaths of war, asking about the role of justice and trials in social reconstruction and reconciliation processes, and the different forms and functions of war narratives and memory.

As part of the course, students will visit one of the three following museums or documentations centers in Berlin, which are also important historical sites relating to the Second World War: the Topography of Terror (where the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security Main Office were located), the German-Russian Museum in Karlshorst, where the unconditional surrender of the German armed forces was signed on 8 May 1945, and the last well-preserved former Nazi forced labor camp in Schöneweide. The purpose of these visits is to explore the connection between public history and academic discussions, to analyze how and through which means the history of the Second World War is presented, and how the historical sites are incorporated into the exhibitions. Schließen