B393: German History from Bismarck to Hitler

B393: German History from Bismarck to Hitler

Cramer: B393-H509/Fall 2009/1

B393: German History from Bismarck to HitlerProfessor Kevin Cramer

Fall 2009Cavanaugh Hall 503M

B393: CLSD 28016: M/W 12:00-1:15317-278-7744

H509: CLSD

Office Hours: M/W 3:00-5:00

(and by appointment)

Required Texts

  1. Christopher Clark, IronKingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947 (HarvardUniversity Press, 2006)
  2. Eric D. Weitz, WeimarGermany: Promise and Tragedy (PrincetonUniversity Press, 2007)
  3. Jane Kaplan, ed., Nazi Germany (OxfordUniversity Press, 2008)

If you do not already own one, you are strongly encouraged to buy a scholarly style manual, such as Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

READ THIS FIRST: Take the time to read this syllabus carefully and take special note of course policies, requirements, assignments, and due dates. The syllabus is a good faith contract between professor and student stipulating that you agree to follow these policies and fulfill the requirements. Ignoring, modifying, and/or misunderstanding these policies and requirements are not options. If, after reading the syllabus, you have problems or objections, feel free to drop the class. The syllabus is also subject to change.

Course Description

As the European nations move closer to full economic and political union, and with the reemergence of independent nation-states in Central Europe in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet bloc, an understanding of Germany’s place in Europe becomes more pertinent than ever before. With that goal in mind, this course will examine the development of the modern German nation from a perspective shaped by an enduring and problematic question in European history, “A European Germany or a German Europe?” This course begins with Bismarck’s creation of a unified nation out of a loose confederation of sovereign entities in 1871 and ends with the destruction of Hitler’s Third Reich in 1945. The course will examine the rise of the modern German nation state as a “case study” of the problems arising out of the political, economic, social, and cultural revolutions of the nineteenth century and their impact on the twentieth century. The main focus is on developments within Germany itself, but given the impact of German national ambitions on the modern world, international aspects are considered as well.

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is not to reduce the course of modern German history to the catastrophic denouement of the twelve years of the Third Reich. Rather, the intention is to show the development of the German nation-state within the broader context of European political, social, and economic modernization. The hope is to offer a historical explanation for the “peculiarities” of German national development without resorting to the opaque claim that Germany was somehow “different” from all other western countries. The course is also designed to further develop and improve the skills required by the university's "Principles of Undergraduate Learning” (for details and further information on the PUL go to Lectures and tests will introduce you to facts, concepts, themes, and terms that will allow you to understand the importance of this event while giving you the historical context for a better understanding of Germany’s profound impact on the world we live in today. The term paper assignment will enable you to develop your reflective, critical, and analytical abilities while requiring you to become familiar with library resources, databases, primary sources and research methods and skills. In-class participation and discussion will enable you to sharpen your communication skills as well as your capability to efficiently and spontaneously summarize, categorize, interpret, and evaluate information. This part of the course also allows you to make a vital and necessary contribution to how topics and issues are brought into focus in each class.

Course Requirements

  1. Test One: 20%
  2. Test Two: 20%
  3. Term Paper: 25%
  4. Thesis Proposal and Annotated Bibliography: 15%. Students in the graduate section (H509) will be required to write a substantial research paper (25-30 pp). Further details and requirements TBA.
  5. Participation in five discussion sessions on primary source readings: 20%

Grading System and Course Policies

Course work will be graded on the traditional 100-point scale.

An A-range grade evaluates work that goes substantially beyond the formal outlines of the assignment by showing marked originality, creativity, and strength of argument, organization, and conception. A B-range grade evaluates work that fulfills the assignment with noticeable, but not thorough, attention paid to these ideas. Such work might also include flawed reasoning and organization as well as stylistic problems (sentence structure, spelling, vocabulary, use of scholarly conventions, etc.). A C-range grade evaluates work of genuine effort that largely fulfills the assignment but displays substantial weaknesses in several of the above areas. D-range work is evaluated as meeting the bare minimums of the assignment in a perfunctory fashion. Obviously, an F grade indicates complete failure to fulfill the assignment. Where grades cannot be exactly calculated numerically, as in the book discussion sessions, you will be given the highest numerical value for that grade range; for example, a B would be calculated as an 86. You are graded and evaluated according to my judgment of your participation in class, your willingness to ask questions or raise issues during lectures, the quality of your preparation and fulfillment of assignments, and your willingness to risk thinking analytically and originally. You are not graded for “effort” and “working hard” and showing up each day.

Make up tests will only be offered in emergenciesand are conditional on timely notification of the crisis. As a gesture of good faith (and all problems are negotiable), please keep me informed reasonably in advance of circumstances that will force you to miss lectures and be prepared to present documentation. Lecture outlines, writing assignments and guidelines, discussion questions, test reviews, film and slide notes, and other important information and course material will be posted on Oncourse, so check it regularly.

Regular attendance is crucial to your success in this course. Excused absences will be granted only if you provide reasonable documentation and/or explanation. Perfunctory participation in the discussion sessions, or non-participation, will also adversely affect your grade.

Emergencies causing late submission of the term paper must be discussed as soon as possible with me. Late submission of the book essay proposal will make it difficult for me to provide feedback and suggestions within a reasonable amount of time. Without prior agreement, late submission (up to 24 hours) of the term paper will be penalized a full letter grade; papers will not be accepted beyond 24 hours of the due date (unless, as noted, there are extraordinary and documented circumstances that prevent timely submission). Papers must be submitted in-class and as hard copies; thesis proposals and bibliographies must be submitted as e-mail attachments. I will not accept late papers via e-mail attachments. If extraordinary circumstances prevent completion of required work, and only if at least 75% of the work has been completed at a passing level, an incomplete will be given. Incompletes are rarely given and are only offered if the student engages in timely and good faith discussions with the instructor regarding the situation.

If you are having problems fulfilling the requirements of the course contact me sooner rather than later. The Student Advocate Office ( also available when you need help finding information or dealing with issues that affect your attendance and academic performance. The Student Advocate’s office is in University College Lower Level 002. For general campus policies go to When life’s other commitments and stresses threaten to derail your academic performance, another resource is the IUPUI Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). This program evaluates for learning disorders and ADHD; minimal fees are charged for counseling and testing. CAPS is located in UN418. For more information visit or call them at 274-2548.

Academic Misconduct

Plagiarism is usually defined as the deliberate theft of someone else's work and passing it off as your own. But inattention, ignorance of scholarly citation conventions, and sloppy note taking can also be construed as plagiarism, even if it is unintentional. Cutting and pasting from web-based sources is plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism (and all other forms of cheating and deleterious and disruptive in-class behavior) can include an automatic failing grade for the course (in addition to whatever institutional penalties may be assessed). Please consult the IUPUI Campus Bulletin for further guidelines and information on plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct. For the Code of Students’ Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, go to These IUPUI policies will be enforced.

Academic integrity also includes respect for individual differences and points of view. In and out of the classroom, students are expected to respect other students and their opinions regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, or sexuality.

Administrative Withdrawal

Because lecture material not covered in the textbooks is tested on the exams, attendance is important. Reading the assigned texts is not an adequate substitute for attending lecture. For the same reasons tardiness and leaving class early will also be noted. If circumstances prevent you from devoting the necessary amount of time and effort to be successful in this course, please drop the class as early as possible. For drop/add procedures, go to Timely and good faith notification of emergencies that force you to miss class, exams, and assignment due dates is required in order to make up tests and submit work assignments past deadline. Unavoidable absences and missed assignments are negotiable; provided that you keep me informed reasonably in advance of circumstances that will force you to miss lectures (via my office email or through Oncourse email) and that you provide documentation demonstrating legitimate reasons for being absent. Remember, UniversityCollege freshmen (25 credit hours or below) may not drop more than one course per semester. This policy will be enforced through advisor sign-off on drop requests. This policy does not include course adjustments made during the first week of class nor does it apply to classes in which a student as been administratively withdrawn.

A basic requirement of this course is that you will actively engage with your peers and instructor during class and the discussion sessions and conscientiously prepare for and complete all assignments. If you miss more than half our class meetings within the first two weeks of the semester without contacting me, you may be administratively withdrawn from the class to make room for students on the waitlist. Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be eligible for a tuition refund. For more details go to

Your Responsibilities and Assignments

  • Because lecture material not covered in the textbooks is tested on the exams, regular attendance is crucial to success in this class. Reading the textbook is not an adequate substitute for attending lecture. For the same reasons tardiness and leaving class early are discouraged. Because you are adults and are paying for tuition, I assume it is in your own best interests to attend class as regularly as possible. I will not force you to come to class; the only penalty for missing class is a poor grade. If circumstances prevent you from devoting the necessary amount of time and effort to be successful in this course, please drop the class as early as possible. For drop/add procedures, go to
  • Lecture outlines will be posted on Oncourse no later than the day before the lecture.
  • The readings are intended to provide background information for that week’s lectures. Start reading the books now. You will also follow the lectures more easily if you do this.
  • Learning to take effective notes is a skill rewarded by heightened comprehension, increased retention of information, and good grades; the recording of lectures (via tape recorder, cell phone, and/or webcam or other similar devices) is therefore prohibited barring special circumstances. I will post on Oncourse detailed lecture outlines.
  • You are welcome to use a laptop in class for taking notes. However, I require that anyone using a laptop in class sit in the front two rows (charge your batteries).
  • Before class starts, make sure your cell-phone is turned off.
  • You will be provided with a test format and review guide well in advance of each test. These review guides will form the basis of the test review sessions. The tests will also include extra-credit questions drawn from the slide presentations and films. Test Two is non-cumulative.
  • The five Discussion Sessions will engage a selection of historical documents dealing with some of the major issues in modern German history. They are intended to hone your skills in interpreting evidence preparatory to tackling the term paper in a seminar environment. The guidelines, questions, and sources for each discussion session will be posted in advance on Oncourse.
  • You are required to write a substantial term paper for this course. The format, source requirements, and guidelines (including suggested topics and readings; however, you are free to develop your own topic in consultation with me) for this paper will be posted on Oncourse. There will also be a review session that will discuss various approaches to using primary sources and formulating a set of research questions.. Remember, the UniversityWritingCenter has drop-in hours for peer consultation on drafts and other questions about writing. For more details on the UWC, go to You are required to submit in advance a “Thesis Proposal and Annotated Bibliography,” in which you will outline how you intend to present your argument and supporting evidence in the term paper. I will return the proposal with comments and suggestions. The format of the proposal will be included in the essay guidelines. If you do not submit this proposal, I will not accept your paper.
  • Remember: when all else fails, read the syllabus and follow instructions. If you are still unclear about any of these policies and requirements, talk to me.

Class Schedule and Readings

Week 1

1. W 8/26: Introduction: The Syllabus

Week 2

2. M 8/31: Lecture 1: The Fragmented Nation

3. W 9/2: Lecture 2: German Unification: Bismarck’s “Revolution”

Paper Topics/Proposal Format and Guidelines and Questions, Sources, and Guidelines for Discussion Session 1 posted on Oncourse

Begin Reading Clark: chapters 9-15

Week 3

Monday, September 7: Labor Day Holiday (No Class)

4. W 9/9: Discussion Session 1: “What is Germany?”

Week 4

5. M 9/14: Lecture 3: The Second Reich: Economy and Society

6. W 9/16: Lecture 4: The Second Reich: Nationalism and Culture

Questions, Sources, and Guidelines for Discussion Session 2 and Slide 1 Notes posted on Oncourse

Week 5

7. M 9/21: Slide Presentation 1: Symbols of Unity

8. W 9/23: Lecture 5: Crisis, Instability, and War

Slide 2 Notes posted on Oncourse

Begin Reading Weitz (entire)

Week 6

9. M 9/28: Lecture 6: Peace, Revolution, and Democracy

10. W 9/30: Discussion Session 2: “A German Revolution?”; Thesis and Annotated Bibliographies Due

Test One Format and Review Guide and Film 1 Notes posted on Oncourse

Week 7

11. M 10/5: Lecture 7: Weimar Radicalism

12. W 10/7: Slide Presentation 2: The Shock of the New: Weimar Culture

Week 8

13. M 10/12: Film 1: TBA

14. W 10/14: Test 1 Review

Questions, Sources, and Guidelines for Discussion Session 3 posted on Oncourse

Week 9

15. M 10/19: Test 1

16. W 10/21: Term Paper Review Session

Week 10

17. M 10/26: Lecture 8: The Rise of Adolf Hitler

18. W 10/28: Discussion Session 3: “The FührerState”

Slide 3 Notes posted on Oncourse

Caplan: Introduction, chapters 1-2

Week 11

19. M 11/2: Lecture 9: The Nazi “Revolution,” 1933-1938

20. W 11/4: Slide Presentation 3: Nazi Culture/Kultur

Film 3 Notes and Questions, Sources, and Guidelines for Discussion Session 4 posted on Oncourse

Caplan: chapters 3-5

Week 12

21. M 11/9: Lecture 10: Lebensraum and Ideological War, 1939-1942

22. W 11/11: Writing Day: No Class

Caplan: chapters 7-8

Week 13

23. M 11/16: Writing Day: No Class

24. W 11/18: Discussion Session 4: “The Final Solution”; Term Papers Due

Film 2 Notes and Questions, Sources, and Guidelines for Discussion Session 5 posted on Oncourse

Week 14

25. M 11/23: Lecture 11: The Holocaust

Caplan: chapter 9

Wednesday 11/25 to Sunday 11/29: Thanksgiving Recess (No Class)

Week 15

26. M 11/30: Lecture 12: 1945: “Zero Hour”

27. W 12/2: Film 2: TBA

Test 2 Format and Review Guide posted on Oncourse

Week 16

28. M 12/7: Discussion Session 5: “The Problem of Germany in the Twentieth Century”

29. W 12/9: Test 2 Review

Caplan: chapter 10

Week 17

30. M 12/14: Last Day of Class: Test 2