Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2022 - HIST 338 B100

World War II (4)

Class Number: 4636

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 10 – Apr 11, 2022: TBA, TBA
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: HIST 225.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the history of the origins and course of the second world war.

COURSE DETAILS:

The Second World War: The Human Cost of Total War

“I ask you: do you want total war? Do you want it, if need be, even more total and radical than we are capable of imagining it today?” (Joseph Goebbels’ Total War Speech, 18 February 1943)

The Second World War was a conflagration that touched all continents, devastated entire countries, and left millions dead and displaced, sometimes permanently. Its destruction was so pervasive that it renewed the international community’s commitment to a United Nations and ushered in an era of relative peace that continues today – no general European or world war has broken out since 1945. This commitment was underscored by the human experience of total war, which was effectively, and lethally, implemented by various belligerent countries between 1937 and 1945. This course examines the concept of total war, how different countries attempted to achieve a total-war economy leading up to and during the military confrontation, how the war affected both combatants and non-combatants in diverse theatres, and the ways that total war lent itself to the perpetration of atrocities in both Europe and Asia.

Please note: this is NOT a thirteen-week military history of World War II. While some key operations and battles will be discussed, the focus is the political and social (i.e. human) impact of war – soldiers, government figures, and civilians, rather than military strategy and tactics, are the subject.



Grading

  • Tutorial attendance and participation 20%
  • (Online) quizzes (10% each) 20%
  • Short essay 20%
  • Final project 40%

NOTES:

This blended course features online-only lectures with associated content, and tutorials that meet in person once a week for two hours.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

  • Cambridge History of the Second World War, in three volumes (2015) (available online via SFU library)
  • Lizzie Collingham, The Taste of War: World War II and the Battle for Food (2013)

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2022

Teaching at SFU in spring 2022 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with safety plans in place.  Some courses will still be offered through remote methods, and if so, this will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the spring 2022 term.