Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "HS 377H"
COURSE NAME: "History of World War I (This is an honors course and carries 4 semester hours of credit; NB: Minimum 3.5 CUM GPA required)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2014

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Vanda Wilcox
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: One previous history course. Co-requisites: EN 110; Recommended: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The First World War is one of the most important events of the 20th century, and one which shaped both European and global history. This seminar course aims to introduce students to the subject and give them a chance to explore the conflict in an international comparative context. Students will explore political, military, cultural, social and economic issues relating to the outbreak, progress and conclusion of the war, in order to enhance their understanding of the twentieth century and many of its key problems.This course also aims to develop students research skills and give them experience in working with primary sources.

Since 2014 is the centenary of the outbreak of the war we will take advantage of this unique occasion to critique the centenary celebrations. If sufficient students are interested there may also be a class excursion to visit some of the First World War battlefields in northern Italy.

The Honours section of this course will also introduce students directly to contemporary historiographical debates, reading and discussing scholarly articles published in the last 10-15 years to evaluate the ways in which historians use evidence to construct competing arguments. These articles will be discussed in small group sessions (min. 1 max 5 students) which are additional to the main class meetings.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course is primarily comparative in approach and seeks to study the war from multiple facets and approaches. As well as the conventional focus on the Western Front the course will include emphasis on Italy, Austria-Hungary and Russia, while beyond Europe we will consider the war in Africa, the Middle East and the Atlantic.

The course will focus on a number of key debates which have arisen in recent scholarship, in order to explain and understand the war: was war inevitable in 1914? Why did trench warfare develop, and why did the war last so long? Why did Germany lose the? Was the entry of the USA decisive and if so how? And how far is it fair to say that World War II grew out of World War I, and of the peace treaties signed at the end of it? We will focus on these areas of historical debate in class discussion and in assignments.

This course covers the causes and origins of the war, and its ongoing political dimensions along with military matters, including the impact and development of new technologies and the nature of tactical change over the four years of conflict. Beyond the battlefield, we will also study the societies which went to war in 1914 and the economic dimensions of the conflict as well as its cultural aspects. Finally, we will consider the legacies of the war, in political terms as well as socially and culturally

A collective class research project will involve the identification, collation and analysis of digitalised primary sources, leading to the creation of a joint online resource.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the course students will have a thorough knowledge of the topic and will have direct experience of considering and engaging with contrasting interpretations of historical events. They will have learned how to engage with historical debates in secondary literature as well as gained experience in critically examining some primary materials. Students will also have learned valuable skills in developing useful historical comparisons as well as an introduction to different kinds of historical approach including cultural, economic and social history.

Through class discussion and oral presentations students will improve their skills in orally explaining an argument, while through their term paper they will further develop transferable skills in research, interpretation, analysis and writing.

Students will be introduced to online digital source collections and learn how to use them to create their own carefully designed and curated project, developing transferable skills in digital humanities.

Students will be introduced to some of the key questions which currently interest scholars, acquire a more sophisticated understanding of the practice of history and develop skills in critically evaluating contrasting interpretations.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number
The Origins of the First World War	William Mulligan	CUP	9780521713948
World War One: The Global Revolution	Lawrence Sondhaus	CUP	9780521736268
The World War I Reader	M. Neiberg	NYU Press	978-0814758335

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Final		20%
Mid-term		20%
Class project: primary source -based website		20%
Research Paper		30%
Class participation		10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Effective class participation is central to this class, so attendance is mandatory. Honours students must also attend the scheduled additional sessions in order to receive honours credit. More than 3 unauthorised absences will cause your final overall grade to be reduced (ie. A- to B+, B+ to B etc). More than 7 absences will cause you to fail the class. An excused absence requires a doctor's note or official confirmation from the university that you have had an illness, family emergency or legal obligation which prevents you from attending class.

Travel plans, or mistakes in travel plans, are not an acceptable reason for missing class.

Students must sign in on the class attendance sheet at the start of each class. Students arriving more than 10 minutes after the start of class will be recorded as absent. Please be punctual. Attendance records are based on the sign-in sheet so it is your responsibility to make sure you sign it every class.

It is not possible to arrange make-ups for mid-term or final exams. See catalogue for further details.

NB Supplementary Class Policy: Laptops or other computers may NOT be used in class EXCEPT when we are working on the digital project.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

DRAFT SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO REVISION

Europe in 1914: the background to war
Causes and origins of the war: the Alliance system examined.
Causes and origins of the war II: Great Power rivalry, Empire and the arms race.
The July crisis, 1914: Austria Hungary and the Balkans
German plans for war: the Schlieffen plan, the violation of Belgian neutrality and the outbreak of European war.
August - September, 1914: the British Expeditionary Force, the battles of the Marne and Tannenberg, and the beginning of strategic immobility.
Social mobilisation: how European societies responded to the challenge of war
War economies: how effectively did countries mobilise their agriculture and industry to support the war effort?
1916: the Battle of Verdun and the strategy of attrition
1916: the Battle of the Somme: "Lions Led by Donkeys"?
Why men fight: coercion and consent in explaining morale and motivation
The war at sea and in the air: new technologies and new forms of warfare
Women workers and "unmanly men": gender roles and the war
Mid-term exam
1917: the American entry into the war and the Russian revolution
1917: the Battles of Caporetto and Passchendaele
Political control: generals and politicians in France and Britain
Political control II: German military government
The war in the Middle East: Britain, the Anzacs and the Ottoman Empire
The war in Africa: imperial and colonial war
Describing the war experience: poetry and novels
Depicting the war experience: artistic efforts to visually represent the war
November 1918 and German defeat: a battlefield defeat, or a stab in the back?
The Paris Peace Conference, the Versailles Treaty and its consequences
Political legacies: revolution, resentment and revanchism
Violent legacies: Demobilisation and post-war political violence in Italy, Germany, Poland and Ireland.
Cultural legacies: memory, mourning and myth
Conclusions and Revision Session