The Second World War was the greatest conflict in history. An estimated 60 million men, women and children died in a war that engulfed the globe and shaped the world in which we live; it is the defining event in the history of the twentieth century. This comparative history course will focus on political, social and cultural aspects of World War Two. It will encompass the war in Europe, and the war in Asia and the Pacific. Topics and themes will include: Hitler and Japan's war aims; Blitzkrieg in Poland and France; the uses of propaganda; civilian mobilisation and total war; the effects of mass bombing; allied leadership, cooperation and division (Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin); civilians under Nazi occupation (collaboration and resistance); racial policies and genocide; wartime espionage; science at war; Japan's occupation of South East Asia; anti-colonialism and the war in Asia; planning for peace and the liberation of Europe; the decision to drop the atomic bomb.

To provide students with an understanding of the major controversies and moral debates surrounding the Second World War.

The following skills will be emphasized.

Critical Analysis:  To be able to read primary and secondary sources critically, perceive bias and possible omission and to filter information relevant to the proposed discussion or essay.

Argument Formation:  To be able to formulate an argument coherently and support it with primary and secondary evidence.

Group Work:  To be able to put forward an opinion in a group and also to be able to contribute to the formulation of a group opinion.

Writing Skills:  To write clearly and cogently on a given topic within a specified time and number of words. 

Research:  To gain a familiarity with the historiography of the Second World War and an appreciation of the primary sources available for research.

2 x 1 hour lectures, 1 x 1 hour tutorial. 

Kitchen, M, World in Flames, Longman.
Beevor, A., Stalingrad, Penguin.