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Module Catalogue

HI2G3-15 Radical Politics in Europe II (1929-1945)

Department
History
Level
Undergraduate Level 2
Module leader
Joachim Haeberlen
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

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Introductory description

Building on the first part of this sequence, this module will first discuss "contested democracy" in interwar Europe, focusing on the cases of Germany, France and Spain. Second, it will turn to regimes that sought to implement radical visions for political and social change, namely in the Soviet Union, in Fascist Italy, and in Nazi Germany.

Module web page

Module aims

This 15 CATS undergraduate second-year option module will discuss the battles "for" and "against" democracy in interwar Europe, namely in the Weimar Republic, in France during the Popular Front, and in Spain during the Civil War. The second part of the module will then explore how radical movements tried to implement their ideas in an attempt to reshape both polities and societies according to their visions. Case studies here will include the Soviet Union, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. While the module will draw upon national case studies, it aims at providing a genuinely European understanding of these developments, highlighting how national cases were interconnected.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Week 1: Introduction: A Contested Continent: Europe in the 1920s

Part 1: The Struggle for Democracy
Week 2: Implementing Democracy in Weimar Germany
Week 3: Communists and Nazis: Radical Politics at the End of Weimar
Week 4: The French Popular Front
Week 5: The Spanish Civil War
Week 6: Reading Week

Part 2: Implementing Radical Politics
Week 7: Stalinist Russia
Week 8: Fascist Italy
Week 9: Building a Racial State: Nazi Germany before the War
Week 10: Building a Racial Empire: Wars of Annihilation and Genocide

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of historical and theoretical interpretations of modern Europe.
  • Communicate ideas and findings, adapting to a range of situations, audiences and degrees of complexity.
  • Generate ideas through the analysis of a broad range of primary source material for the study of modern Europe, including electronic resources.
  • Analyse and evaluate the contributions made by existing scholarship.
  • Act with limited supervision and direction within defined guidelines, accepting responsibility for achieving deadlines.

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Subject specific skills

See learning outcomes.

Transferable skills

See learning outcomes.

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%)
Seminars 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%)
Tutorials 2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Private study 130 hours (87%)
Total 150 hours

Private study description

History modules require students to undertake extensive independent research and reading to prepare for seminars and assessments. As a rough guide, students will be expected to read and prepare to comment on three substantial texts (articles or book chapters) for each seminar taking approximately 3 hours. Each assessment requires independent research, reading around 6-10 texts and writing and presenting the outcomes of this preparation in an essay, review, presentation or other related task.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Assessment component
1500 word applied task (essay) 40% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
3000 word essay 50% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
Seminar contribution 10% No
Reassessment component
1000 word reflection Yes (extension)
Feedback on assessment

written feedback on essay and exam cover sheets
student/tutor dialogues in one-to-one tutorials

Courses

This module is Optional for:

  • Year 2 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History

This module is Option list B for:

  • Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History