UHC Western European History II
Age of Empire and the Crisis of Europe
15 March:
We will do an in-depth examination of Germany and France and their internal crisis that led Germany to contemplate war as a way of breaking out of its encirclement and stasis and France's internal problems prior to the Great War.
17 March:
We will finish the discussion from the previous class on France and Germany Discussion today will focus on the outbreak of the war and the Illusions that all the sides in Europe held about the war. We will view sections of the Black Adder Episode “Goodbyeee” in class. We will also deal with the Christmas Truce. Here is an audio file of a Great War Veteran talking about the Truce.
Read For March 22 - We will be begin to examine the descent into barbarism in the 20th Century:
Merriman - pp. 888-926
pp. 32-47 Europe in the Era of Two World Wars
Barbarism: A Users Guide by Eric Hobsbawm" - Courseweb-Course Documents- Barbarism: A Users Guide
For yourself answer questions at:
Watch John Merriman's Lecture on "War in the Trenches"
Recommended Resources for understanding the impact of the Great War.
Images and newsreel - Real Audio from the BBC and the Imperial War Museum - Very moving video.
Archive radio interviews - "There was nothing but brown earth, shell holes and death"
From the BBC
Listen to The Soldiers Stories
Go to BBC History Website to view Short Videos capturing live testimony, video and poetry dealing with the different periods of the war.
BE SURE TO WATCH ALL OF THEM BEFORE THURSDAY!
A WARNING-SOME OF THESE WILL BE VERY DISTURBING.
Read for March 24
pp. 47-57 in Europe in the Era of Two World Wars by Berghahn
Merriman pp. 927-954
The History Guide Lectures:
Courseweb- PowerPoints -Russian Revolution
Textbook Resource http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_west_2/0,11592,2899412-,00.html
Watch Merriman on the Romanov's and the Russian Revolution