History 697K:
The Weimar Republic
Fall 2005,
Thurs. 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Synopsis:
Seminar on Germany from 1919-1933 on the tumultuous rise and fall of the Weimar Republic. The Republic was arguably the most progressive in the world: Its constitution was the first in a major country that granted women the right to vote and, in addition, guaranteed schooling, health care, and social security for all its citizens. During the Republic, major cities in Germany shared in the broader youth and sexual liberation movements in the world. Yet the birth of the Weimar Republic in the twin traumas of humiliating military defeat and Socialist revolution weakened the regime, which also faced runaway inflation, chronic unemployment, and political instability caused by the Bolsheviks on the left and paramilitary units on the right. The survival of the Republic testified to the nobility of its ideals: The Weimar Republic nurtured an artistic and intellectual community that led the world in science, philosophy, painting, architecture, drama, and film. In this seminar, we explore the political, social, and economic contexts in which the Weimar Republic had its cultural achievements. We assess the value of that culture in its own right while asking the fundamental question: Why did a majority of Germans vote to dissolve this progressive regime and a plurality opt to support National Socialism? Specific units include the Constitution, Weimar Culture, sex and youth reform, Communism and right paramilitary violence, the legacy of the First World War and the Revolution, and the mass mobilization by the Nazi Party.
Syllabus: Not available
Course Website: Not available
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