2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST3332 The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

40 creditsClass Size: 16

Module manager: Professor Peter Anderson
Email: p.p.anderson@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 Spanish Civil War forms the most important conflict in the inter-war period and marks a number of important watershed moments in twentieth-century history. It represented the most important clash between Fascism and Democracy of the period and volunteers from around the world rushed to Spain in an effort they hoped would prevent Fascist aggression. Meanwhile, the Nazis, Mussolini and the Soviet Union all intervened in the conflict while the British and the French pursued appeasement. Authors like George Orwell travelled to Spain to fight Fascism and here Orwell began to shape his ideas on totalitarianism. Photographers such as Robert Capa also pioneered new forms of war photography while the Nazis launched the first mass bombardment of a European town at Guernica. In response, humanitarians cared for refugees from total war including nearly 4,000 children evacuated to the United Kingdom.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

Engage in some of the lively debates surrounding the Spanish Civil War in both its domestic and international contexts and to do so by drawing on both the secondary literature and primary sources in English.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this module students should be able to demonstrate that they:

- have a deep and informed understanding of the central issues involved in the Spanish Civil War in both its domestic and international contexts;
- understand the different kinds of sources historians draw upon to research the Spanish Civil War in both its domestic and international contexts;
- have a sophisticated and critical knowledge of the secondary literature of the Spanish Civil War;
- have the skills to read and interpret both written and non-written primary sources; and
- are able to express their ideas and arguments effectively and persuasively on paper and in scholarly discussion.

Syllabus

Topics might include: international intervention and non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War; revolution and gender relations in the Spanish Civil War; intellectuals and International Brigade Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War; humanitarianism in the Spanish Civil War; journalism and the Spanish Civil War.

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 learning 66 hours
Preparing and researching essay, including formative elements 80 hours
Preparing and researching OTA, including formative elements 80 hours
Reflection on feedback 6 hours.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students will be monitored on class contributions and the quality of the non-assessed work that they will be required to complete for each seminar.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	4000 word essay	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 00 mins	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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