dneill@yorku.ca

We begin the course in 1937 with the Japanese invasion of mainland China, and move from there to the lead up to war in Poland in 1939. We then move through major events between 1941-44 including the 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the brutal battles of 1942-43, and the D-Day invasion of 1944. Our goal is to not only understand the major military battles, but also to explore how, in occupied and unoccupied regions, the war affected ordinary lives. We take a global perspective, studying the war in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Soviet Union, the Arab world, Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. Among the topics discussed are the rise of fascism and Nazism, the war’s origins, the German invasion & occupation of Europe, Japanese imperialism in Asia, the growth of national liberation movements, the mobilization and reorganization of the world’s societies and economies for total war, the Holocaust, mass aerial bombings and other acts of violence. We also explore the various ways in which national governments collaborated with foreign occupation forces, and internal resistance movements fought back. We will rely on a rich variety of sources including memoirs, diaries, letters, film, novels, and a wide array of secondary sources.

*TENTATIVE*

Mawdsley, Evan, World War II: A New History (Cambridge, 2020)

Willy Reese, A Stranger to Myself (you can purchase this as a kobo e-book, or you can borrow it for an hour at a time from the internet archive by creating a free account).

*TENTATIVE Grade Breakdown*

Question submissions (2 submissions at 6% each)… ………………………12%

Movie review on discussion board………………………………………………   8%

Facts & Figures Quiz ........................................................................... 10%

Memoir Study: Willy Reese.................................................................. 20%

Debate Day (active) Participation........................................................... 5%

Essay, Podcast or mini-documentary.................................................... 25%

Final Exam (essay-based, take-home)................................................... 20%

We meet twice weekly and attendance is required as this is an in-person class. Students are asked to come prepared with weekly readings completed so that they can participate in discussions. Each class is divided into lecture and discussion.

-Learn factual information about World War Two, including key battles and events, geography and the social and military history of the conflict;

-work with memoirs and personal accounts of the war;

-develop skills including critically analyzing & comparing/contrasting historical views (historiography);

-Enhance writing and/or presentation skills through specific assignments.