2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST3330 Europe in an Age of Total Warfare

40 creditsClass Size: 15

Module manager: Professor Holger Afflerbach
Email: h.h.w.afflerbach@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The topics covered in this module may include an introduction on the question of what the concept of “total” or “absolute” war implies. The seminar may cover images of Total War before 1914, analyse the outbreak of War in 1914 and ask for continuities and breaks in European Political Culture regarding the question of war & peace. It will deal with political and diplomatic reasons for the outbreak of war, as well as with the reaction of the population. It will use a variety of different sources (public files, memoirs, newspapers) to cover the vast ground. It will analyse pre-war military planning and the reasons for their failures in 1914. It will describe Gallipoli 1915 as an example for the reasons for a battle and also how the historiography was massively influenced by some main actors (like Churchill). It analyses war letters to see how soldiers experienced the fighting. A special weight is on the question how the war radicalized, and why. Belgian atrocities and unlimited submarine Warfare get here special attention as well as War aims and peace negotiations. Also the concept and methods of a war of attrition will be covered. War novels and how they shaped public understanding of the war will be analysed as well as the events on the home front, the role of women and children. Some links between the First and Second World War will be discussed and the question if the Second World War was a mere continuation of the First. The outbreak of war in 1939, Nazi politics, political reactions and the mood of European populations will be covered. Turning points of the war like the battle of Britain, the German war of extermination in the East, and the link between war and Holocaust will be discussed. The radicalization of war, Stalingrad, air warfare, the impact of war on civilians and especially women will be covered as well as the role of literature on the wider understanding of the war and its experiences. A special attention will be given to Nazi Germany’s final defeat and surrender. A key aspect of this module are the multiple aspects of modern warfare, its radicalization and the variety of sources and approaches the historian has to use to cover this vast ground.

Objectives

By the conclusion of this module, students should be able to:
- understand the concept of total war, according to the definition of Clausewitz;
- deal critically with the type of primary sources presented in class;
- work with different kind of sources - archival material, war letters, autobiographical narratives, oral history, photos, films - and evaluate their value for the historian;
- understand the radicalization of warfare from 1914 to 1945 as a combination of military, technological, political and social developments and interactions;
- understand the connections between war, violence and genocides.

Learning outcomes
1. High-level skills in oral and written communication of complex ideas.
2. Independence of mind and self-discipline and self-direction to work effectively under own initiative.
3. Ability to locate, handle and synthesize large amounts of information.
4. Capacity to employ analytical and problem-solving abilities.
5. Ability to engage constructively with the ideas of their peers, tutors and published sources.
6. Empathy and active engagement with alternative cultural contexts.
7. Skills in interpretation and analysis of complex documentary-based material.

Skills outcomes
Further enhances Common Skills listed below:
- High-level skills in oral and written communication of complex ideas.
- Independence of mind and self-discipline and self-direction to work effectively under own initiative.
- Ability to locate, handle and synthesize large amounts of information.
- Capacity to employ analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to engage constructively with the ideas of their peers, tutors and published sources.
- Empathy and active engagement with alternative cultural contexts.

Plus:
- Skills in interpretation and analysis of complex documentary-based material.

Syllabus

In World War I (1914-18) and World War II (1939-1945) nearly 70 million people were killed. Both wars devastated Europe and parts of Asia and deserve the title of "total wars" more than any other conflicts in the history of mankind. In this class we want to use different kind of sources to show the radicalization of warfare in both world wars.

We will use, among other materials, files from the archives in foreign ministeries and general staffs, war letters from soldiers and civilians, excerpts from public speeches, newspaper articles, film materials (for example newsreels), photos, autobiographies, and oral history interviews with contemporaries. We will use the materials of the "Liddle Collection".

All these sources will show the consequences of this radicalization of warfare on the level of political and military leadership as well as on the level of "simple" soldiers and civilians.

The class includes a voluntary field trip to the Imperial War Museum - Duxford.

This module is also available to BA-International History and Politics students.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Workshop	4	1.00	4.00
Seminar	22	2.00	44.00
Private study hours			352.00
Total Contact hours			48.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			400.00

Private study

- Reading to prepare for seminars (120 hours)
- Further self-directed reading (66 hours)
- Preparing and researching 4,000-word essay including formative elements (80 hours)
- Preparing and researching portfolio, including formative elements (80 hours)
- Reflection on feedback (6 hours).

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

In semester one, students will have the opportunity to discuss their essay plans and ideas with the module tutor.
In semester two, students will receive appropriate formative feedback in their preparations for the exam, including written feedback of at least two sample gobbet answers.
Students will also receive feedback on two further formative assignments: a short in-class presentation and a book reviews, which will help towards producing the essay and the OTLA.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	4000 words	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Online Time-Limited assessment	48 hr	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 18/10/2024

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