Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2024 - HIST 338 OL01

World War II (4)

Class Number: 5804

Delivery Method: Online

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Online

  • 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 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 the 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 1931 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.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of the semester, you will:
• become familiar with a variety of sources about the Second World War;
• understand how the war affected humans in different ways, including as soldiers and civilians, in urban and rural settings, and as consumers and producers;
• develop an analysis of the role that food played during the war;
• develop critical thinking through oral and written analyses and arguments about specific course-related topics;
• produce a final project focusing on either analysis or historiography of a selected theme/question to demonstrate your learning over the semester.

Grading

  • Discussion Board Posts and Portfolio (Part 1 due week 6 (15%) and Part 2 due week 13 (15%) 30%
  • Quizzes – 10% x 3 30%
  • To Trust or Not To Trust a Site? – That Is the Question (World War II on the Internet) 10%
  • Final Research Project 30%

NOTES:

This course does not have any live meetings – no live lectures, no tutorial. Your interaction with your peers in the weekly Discussion Boards is, therefore, an important component of this course, as an opportunity for you to ask and answer questions with your peers and explore what you’ve learned, on your own time, within small groups. (At the beginning of Week 1, Canvas will randomly assign each student to a small group, no larger than 8 individuals.) You are expected to participate regularly, and often more than once per week, in these Discussion Boards.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

The main text for this course is a three-volume series by Cambridge University Press, which can be accessed entirely online via the SFU library website. You do NOT need to purchase this (although Cambridge University Press would be happy if you did!). This will usually be abbreviated as CHSWW in the syllabus and on the Canvas page. The Cambridge History of the Second World War (2015)
• Volume I: Fighting the War (ed. John Ferris and Evan Mawdsley)
• Volume II: Politics and Ideology (ed. Richard Bosworth and Joseph Maiolo)
• Volume III: Total War: Economy, Society, and Culture (ed. Michael Geyer and Adam Tooze)

Some weeks have additional assigned chapters from books or journals, available via link or download on the Canvas site. If you are unfamiliar with the Second World War and need a bit of help getting your bearings, I'd recommend the following as a brief overview and summary. It's available as an ebook and hard copy on Amazon.ca:
• Andrew N. Buchanan, World War II in Global Perspective, 1931-1953 (2019)

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website 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

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.