September 8:

In today's class we will deal with Imperialism and examine its role in leading to the Great War.  In particular, we will focus on  how it destabilized Europe and how the extreme nationalism of this period was reflected in the Imperialist enterprise.

Recommended:

  Metropolis:  Another German classic dealing with class conflict in the Weimar era. But, this is relevant for the period under study.

Watch Metropolis in Movies Online  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

For more on this film go to:  http://verdantmetropolis.homestead.com/metroindex.html

Also if you want to watch an interesting scene from Star Trek (the original) that deals with the issue of class conflict and the problems states face when the split between ruler and ruled is too great. Go to Courseweb-Videos-Star Trek-Class War.

Recommended Reading:

• Key Figures leading to the War

• The Road to War:  Contemporary documents from the march to war in 1914

September 10

In today's class we will continue our discussion of the Origins of the Great War and the various interpretation, focusing on Sheffield and Ferguson.

Readings for next Tuesday:

• Download Powerpoint:  The Avant Garde and the Great War on Courseweb to use for note taking in class.

• Text Book Resources:  http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_west_2/0,11592,2899340-,00.html

• Go to:  http://www.historyguide.org/europe/lecture1.html and begin to read at:  "By 1848, a revolutionary year throughout Europe."

• Read:
  • Nietzsche, Freud and the Thrust towards Modernism- pt. 1
  • Nietzsche, Freud and the Thrust towards Modernism- pt. 2
• Go to Courseweb-Video Files - Avant Garde - Watch the various videos located there.  They really are helpful in understanding the challenge the Avant Garde presented to the established order in Europe.
• Go to The Rest is Noise and just read through the notes on the Rite of Spring and listen to the various audio Clips. 
• Observe and contemplate:
  • Manet's - "Luncheon on the Grass"
    • Short analysis of it.
  • Picasso's - "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon"
    • Short analysis of it.

Recommended:

• Read through the:
  • The Futurist Manifesto
  • "War the World's Only Hygiene”
• DADA -Just browse this page and read some of the quotes. 
• Eksteins "Paris 1914" on Electronic Reserve

Readings for next Thursday on the Beginning of the Great War:

• Download PowerPoint - "Outbreak of the Great War"

Then Read for Next Thursday:

• 44-52 in Fero

• How It Began:  From the FirstWorldWar.com - Read through this and browse the different sources here

• Print this out and hold on to it for future reference. http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_west_2/0,11592,2899376-,00.html

Audio-Visual Aids:

• Go to the BBC History Website to look at an animated map of how the Schlieffen Plan was to work and how it actually worked.

• Go to Courseweb-Videos-Great War Videos - Then watch all three vides (approx. 4 minutes each). These are excellent and will help you understand why this war is sometimes called "The Incomprehensible."

Recommended:

•  Listen  to Niall Ferguson discuss why W.W.I was the century's worst war and why he blames Great Britain for prolonging the war.

• Read about the Legendary 1914 Christmas Truce:

  • http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/195000/audio/_199768_frank_richards_xmas_1914__1954.ram

  • Personal Recollections in Real Audio - from the BBC's 80th Anniversary Site. There are also links to "Letters Home." The Christmas truce (BBC) Frank Richards of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers recalls the legendary Christmas truce of 1914. He says that as the Germans came over, the British threw off their equipment and went out to meet them, shaking hands and sharing rations.(1954) 

  • Excerpts from letters on the Christmas Truce

  • Go to Courseweb-Videos- The Christmas Truce