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New Mexico Tech
History 162-01/02: Europe in the 20th Century, 1914-2000
Instructor: Dr. Alexander V. Prusin
Time taught: Monday, Wednesday 14:00-15:15 Office: Fitch Hall 102
Office phone number: 835-5235
E-mail:
Website: http://infohost.nmt.edu/~aprusin/
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday 13:00-14:00 or by appointment
The course examines the great watersheds of the last century in Europe, including the
World Wars, the division of the continent during the Cold War, the fall of
communism, and the formation of the European Union. Several case-studies and problems will be broached in lectures to help students understand the legacies of the 20th century that we face today.
Student Learning Outcomes for General degree requirements:
1. Analyze and critically interpret significant primary texts and/or works of art (this includes fine art, literature, music, theatre, and film).
2. Compare art forms, modes of thought and expression, and processes across a range of historical periods and/or structures (such as political, geographic, economic, social, cultural, religious, intellectual).
3. Recognize and articulate the diversity of human experience across a range of historical periods and/or cultural perspectives.
4. Draw on historical and/or cultural perspectives to evaluate any or all of the following: contemporary problems/issues, contemporary modes of expression, and contemporary thought.
Pre-requisites: None
Place in curriculum: The course counts for 3 credits of Humanities required credit, Area 5 (General Education Core Curriculum) in the catalog. It also counts for a History minor.
Approximate grade distribution (subject to change):
Test 1 10%
Test 2 15 %
Test 3 25%
Test 4 20%
Test 5 30%
Total 100 %
Grading system:
I will use the following chart to determine your total grade:
A = 96-100 A - = 91-95 B + = 88-90
B = 84-87 B - = 80-83 C + = 77-79
C = 74-76 C - = 70-73 D + = 65-69
D = 60-64 F = 59 and below
Interpreting Letter Grades:
A Outstanding performance: strong evidence of original thinking; exemplary organization, style, and grammar; excellent capacity to analyze and superior grasp of subject matter with sound critical evaluations; evidence of extensive knowledge base.
B Good performance: evidence of grasp of subject matter; adequate organization, style, and grammar; some evidence of critical capacity and analytic ability; reasonable understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with literature.
C Satisfactory performance: student who is profiting from her/his educational experience; acceptable organization, style, and grammar; understanding of the subject matter.
D Minimally acceptable performance: poor organization, style, and grammar; some evidence of familiarity with subject matter.
F Unacceptable performance: no evidence of even superficial understanding of the subject matter; inadmissible organization, style, and grammar.
Make-up policy: no make-up tests will be allowed unless you provide a documented excuse and take the test within 3 days after the regular date.
Attendance is required. Each absence will result in the deduction of 3 points from your total grade (if you are late to the class or leave early, you will be counted as absent).
Conduct: classroom is a learning environment, which provides a suitable forum for academic debate and discussion, while improper behavior detracts from everyone’s learning experience. The following activities will be considered as improper behavior:
· using cell phones, including texting or viewing messages (even if you sit in the back row)
· reading or writing materials unrelated to the course
· arriving late or leaving early
· eating in class
· interrupting other students or the instructor
Laptops are permitted exclusively for the purpose of taking notes. For emergencies, set your cell phones on “vibrate.”
Reasonable Accommodations: New Mexico Tech is committed to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals who require reasonable accommodations are invited to make their needs known to the Office of Counseling and Disability Services (OCDS) as soon as possible. In addition, New Mexico Tech offers mental health and substance abuse counseling through the Office of Counseling and Disability Services. The confidential services are provided free of charge by licensed professionals. To schedule an appointment, please call 835-6619.
Cheating and plagiarism: anyone caught cheating automatically fails the course.
Academic Honesty: New Mexico Tech’s Academic Honesty Policy for undergraduate students can be found starting on page 59 of the NMT catalog of the NMT Undergraduate Catalog. Students are responsible for knowing, understanding, and following this policy.
Emergency Notification System: for information, see http://www.nmt.edu/cat-campus-police/4002-emergency-notification-system
Respect Statement: New Mexico Tech supports freedom of expression within the parameters of a respectful learning environment. As stated in the New Mexico Tech Guide to Conduct and Citizenship: “New Mexico Tech’s primary purpose is education, which includes teaching, research, discussion, learning, and service. An atmosphere of free and open inquiry is essential to the pursuit of education. Tech seeks to protect academic freedom and build on individual responsibility to create and maintain an academic atmosphere that is a purposeful, just, open, disciplined, and caring community.”
Reading:
Michael D. Richards and Paul R. Waibel, Twentieth-Century Europe: A Brief History (2014)
Additional reading on the website (see above)
Class schedule (subject to change):
Date / Topic / ReadingAug. 22, 24 / Europe in 1914 / Richards, pp. 1-34
Aug. 29, 31
Sept. 5 / World War I and its consequences / Richards, pp. 35-64
Website: Erich Maria Remarque, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” pp. 67-9.
Sept. 7, 12, 14, 19 / Revolutions and peace settlements / Richards, pp. 65-90
Website: V.I. Lenin, “What is to be done?” pp. 110-11.
Sept. 21, 26 / Recovery and hope / Richards, pp. 91-144
Sept. 28
Oct. 3, 5 / Great Depression and the crisis of democracy / Richards, pp. 145-169
Website: Benito Mussolini, “Fascist Doctrines,” pp. 147-8.
Oct. 10, 12 / World War II / Richards, pp. 170-206
Website: Neville Chamberlain, “In Defense of Appeasement,” pp. 228-29.
Oct. 17, 19 / Cold War / Richards, pp. 207-234
Website: Winston Churchill, “The Iron Curtain,” pp. 314-15.
Oct. 24, 26, 31 / In the superpowers’ shadows / Richards, pp. 235-267
Nov. 2, 7, 9, 14 / Age of Dėtente, the 1960s-1989 / Richards, pp. 235-312
Website: Daniel Cohn-Bendit, “The French Student Revolt,” pp. 378-382.
Nov. 16, 21 / Culture and art / Richards, pp. 313-344
Nov. 28, 30
Dec. 5 / New Europe, new problems? / Richards, pp. 345-378
Website: Timothy Garton Ash, “Berlin: Wall’s End,” pp. 454-7.
Dec. 7 / Final exam