EUP416 In the Middle of Europe: The Strategic History of Germany from 1648 to Today

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Oliver Benjamin Hemmerle, M.A. (lecturer), PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Timetable
Thu 12:00–13:30 P21
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
In this course the student should gain general knowledge about German history (especially related to foreign relations and military/defence/security issues); should gain insights into the historiography and the political science debates related to the topic; and should be empowered to understand current policy debates in a better and more informed way.
Syllabus
  • I. Introduction
  • II. From the peace of Westphalia to Enlightenment
  • III. Germany and the French Revolution
  • IV. Germany under/with/against Napoleon
  • V. Germany between Waterloo and the revolutions of 1848/49
  • VI. Defeating democracy, creating unity – The Germany of Bismarck
  • VII. Expansionism without limits (1): Wilhelm II. and WW I
  • VIII. The unexpected and unaccepted defeat (Weimar Republic)
  • IX. Expansionism without limits (2): Hitler, WW II and genocide
  • X. The undeniable defeat (the two German states 1945/49-1989/90)
  • XI. Settings for a future inside Europe (West Germany 1955-1989/90)
  • XII. (Re-)United, surrounded by friends, end of history?
  • XIII. Written examination
Literature
  • P. H. Wilson: German Armies. War and German Politics, 1648-1806 (London 1998)
  • G. A. Craig: The Politics of Prussian Army, 1640-1945 (Oxford 1964)
  • J. Black: Introduction to Global Military History: 1775 to the Present Day (London 2008)
  • A. J. P. Taylor: The Course of German History. A Survey of the Development of German History Since 1815 (London 2001)
Assessment methods
Requirements:
-regular attendance
-reading assignments
-1 hour written examination at the end of the lecture
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught only once.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2008/EUP416