Goucher College 2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalogue 
    
    Dec 04, 2024  
Goucher College 2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalogue PLEASE NOTE: This is an archived catalog. Programs are subject to change each academic year.

HIS 118 - Between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Hitler: An Experiment in Germany Democracy (4 Cr.)


Between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Hitler: An Experiment in German Democracy examines the turbulent period of 1919 through 1933. This transitional period between the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Hitler’s Third Reich is often regarded as a failed attempt to create a new republic based on democratic ideals. While Conservatives at the time viewed Weimar as a doomed enterprise due to political inefficiency, sexual deviance, and gender dynamics gone awry, for many Weimar represented an opportunity for reform, an expansion of rights, and freedom of expression. In this course, students will examine the political, social, gender, sexual, and racial dynamics of German life. This includes the role of art in shaping social and political commentary, the influence of eugenics on the welfare state, and the clashes between Socialists and Communists. We will also explore how scholars have characterized the period and the factors they attribute to its downfall. Lastly, An Experiment in German Democracy will prepare us to discuss contemporary usages of the period and the place it occupies in our collective memory. Offered spring 2021. Contreras.