Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Open examination 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Open examination 2000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a detailed and systematic understanding of the historiography of post-1945 Germany.
Demonstrate a detailed and systematic understanding of the main developments in German politics, culture and society since 1945.
Identify and critically evaluate a wide range of relevant primary and secondary material.
Demonstrate an ability to analyse and deploy relevant historical evidence to produce cogent and detailed arguments.
Brief description
In May 1945 Third Reich was defeated and Germany lay in ruins. The occupation of Germany and the development of the Cold War resulted in the creation of two ideologically opposed German states. This module will examine the fall of the Third Reich, the foundation, domestic and foreign politics of the FRG and the GDR as well as their central role in the Cold War. It will explore German culture and society and themes such as memory. The module also looks at the process of re-unification in 1990 and the subsequent Berlin Republic. A range of primary sources will be used alongside secondary literature to examine the key scholarly debates on Germany since 1945.
Aims
The module will provide an additional element of choice for third year students. This module is intended to provide students with an introduction to post-1945 Germany and the key themes in the culture and society of both German states. From the fall of the Third Reich, this module will trace the history of both German states and their re-unification in 1990. Through a range of primary and secondary materials students will become acquainted with developments in politics, economics and culture
Content
1. Introduction: themes in modern German history
2. The end of the unitary Reich
3. Defeat, Expulsion and Occupation, 1945-8
4. Denazification and Occupation Politics
5. The creation of two Germanies
6. The FRG: Adenauer, the Wirtschaftswunder and Westbindung
7. The GDR: Soviet Union in miniature on the Elbe
8. The Berlin Wall Crisis, 1958-1962
9. The 1960s: the consolidation of the German two-state system
10. Brandt and Ostpolitik: two states, one nation
11. Germany until 1970: Review Session
12. State and society in the FRG
13. State and society in the GDR
14. Co-existence and confrontation: the two Germanies in the 1980s
15. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the GDR
16. Re-unification and beyond
17. ‘The past that will not pass away’: Nazism and Communism in German history and memory
18. Conclusion: themes in modern German history
Seminars:
1. The construction of two German states
2. Reconstruction and consolidation
3. State and society in the two Germanies
4. The fall of the Berlin Wall and reunified Germany
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Communication | Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Students will be advised on how to improve research and communication skills through the individual tutorial providing feedback on submitted coursework. |
| Information Technology | Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will develop a range of transferable skills, including time management and communication skills, which may help them identify their personal strengths as they consider potential career paths. |
| Problem solving | Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays. |
| Research skills | Students will develop their research skills by reading a range of texts and evaluating their usefulness in preparation for the coursework and the written examination. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students will develop an awareness of appropriate sources and historical literature associated with the study of post- World War Germany and Europe. |
| Team work | Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6