Department
HISTORY
Course Number
340/440
Course Name: America and the Second World War
AREAS OF INQUIRY
WESTERN TRADITIONS
This form must be submitted to the Faculty Council on Liberal Learning and Academic Life as part of the submission
process.
Please attach a proposed syllabus for this course and the Undergraduate Curriculum Course Proposal Form.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: September 16, 2005
Please answer the following questions:
Check Only One:
 This course is an existing course (in the current curriculum) that we are now proposing for this Area of Inquiry.
 This is a new course that we are now proposing for this Area of Inquiry.
1. Name and contact information for the department chair administrating this course.
Dr. Shumet Sishagne, Chair of the History Department
594-7118
sishagne@cnu.edu
2. In any given semester, how many sections of this course is your department willing to offer?
2 sections
3. Why is this course being offered/what is it designed to achieve (Course purpose/goal)?
This course offers a comprehensive look at the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Second World
War, with an emphasis on the American experience during the years 1939-1945. We will explore the war
from a military, diplomatic, and political perspective – but also for the war’s impact on American social
groups and cultural life. In the broadest sense, we will explore how the United States influenced the
world, and how the world, in turn, changed America. This course will provide students with a better
understanding of historical methods, including an emphasis on primary source analysis and research,
writing, and communication skills. This course is three credit hours and meets the requirements of the
Western Traditions portion of Areas of Inquiry.
4. Check the objectives below that the course will address. The first two objectives are required and every
proposal must include at least one more objective from the list below.
 Critically examine the thought processes that have evolved in Western culture (required)
 Analyze primary works within the framework the course provides (required)
 Place one or more of the historical, artistic, or intellectual traditions of the West in its cultural context
 Describe how the material under study has influenced the development of Western culture
 Connect the historical roots of phenomena with later aspects of the tradition
5. Briefly explain how this class addresses the above objectives. A course may cover more than three
objectives.
a.) The class will explore the Second World War as a critical moment in Western civilization, a
culmination of previous experiences and events but also a series of events that remain relevant today.
We will look at the emergence of the United States on the world stage to superpower status. We will
also focus on the social change that war sometimes brings about. Broadly, the course explores
themes of democracy, totalitarianism, and exhibitions of power.
b.) All three required texts are collections of primary sources and other first-hand accounts. These
sources form the basis for class discussion. Students will read, analyze, and form interpretations
about the causes for war, the nature of dictatorship and demagoguery, the unintended consequences
of decisions, and other themes. With library research assignments (“digs”), students will locate
similar sources, contextualize them, and present their findings to class.
c.) Students will understand that the war as a starting point for understanding events and trends since
1945, including liberalism, civil rights, feminism, future military conflicts, and foreign relations.
They will see how the segments of the population continue to find meaning in the war and
sometimes “use” the war’s memory to suit people’s needs today.
6. Course Assessment: Identify how this course will accomplish the above objectives (choose at least one).
 Participating in class discussion and debate
 Engaging in teamwork and other collaborative exercises
 Writing analytical or evaluative papers, perhaps incorporating original research
 Making oral presentations
 Creating an artistic product or a performance
 Participating in fieldwork
 Other means – please identify
Students will select a topic related to the American home front based on choices presented in
class. (See the attached syllabus.) They will locate a first-hand account (eg. newspaper article,
magazine article) in the library and historicize it. That is, they will provide the context for
understanding that document and analyze its content. Students will then form presentation teams
to introduce their colleagues to this particular aspect of the American home front. We will
weave your presentations into class lecture, discussion, and film excerpts. In this way, students
engage the material in a variety of ways – individually and as groups, orally and in written form,
in the library and in the classroom.
7. Attach a proposed syllabus, which includes a statement of purpose, course objectives, and how these
objectives will be accomplished.
8. If this course contributes to any of the foundations for liberal learning given below, please explain how:
 Oral Communication Literacy:
 Information Literacy:
 Writing Literacy:
Students will conduct library research and write a book review. This assignment promotes
analytical and research skills, confirms that history is a matter of interpretation, and exposes
students to the array of “classics” in the history of America and the Second World War. Each
assignment is personalized for the student based on their interests and unlike another. IN written
form, students will focus on finding the author’s thesis, examining organization strategies,
scrutinizing evidence, and evaluating conclusions. I will offer feedback.
9. Explain how this course connects to Vision 2010 – the CNU Strategic Plan (www.cnu.edu/Vision2010).
This course promotes liberal learning by looking at historical events from interdisciplinary
perspectives, regionally and thematically. The course complements the military bent of the
Newport News community and may connect with veterans groups in the area. Students are
encouraged to develop their own guided research projects that may contribute to the annual
Paideia conference and the History Department’s online journal, the Sextant. Eventually, I
intend to include an overseas study component to this course that will take CNU students to
sights related to the course.
Submission Checklist:
By the deadline, submit a packet with the following documents to the Assistant Dean for Liberal
Learning. Please submit in electronic and hard copy form.
_____ Area of Inquiry Course Proposal Form
_____ Syllabus for the Course
If needed:
_____ Undergraduate Curriculum Committee New Course Proposal Form
_____ Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Changes to Existing Courses Form
America and the Second World War
Christopher Newport University
Spring 2007
Instructor
Dr. Andrew J. Falk
Commonwealth Hall 20
falk@cnu.edu
757-594-8431
Office Hours
MWF 2:00-4:00
and by appointment
Class Meetings
Course Information
www.andrewfalk.pageout.net
This course offers a comprehensive look at the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Second World War, with an emphasis on the
American experience during the years 1939-1945. We will explore the war from a military, diplomatic, and political perspective – but also for
the war’s impact on American social groups and cultural life. In the broadest sense, we will explore how the United States influenced the
world, and how the world, in turn, changed America. This course will provide students with a better understanding of historical methods,
including an emphasis on primary source analysis and research, writing, and communication skills. This course is three credit hours and meets
the requirements of the Western Traditions portion of Areas of Inquiry.
Readings
All readings are available at the University Bookstore. They will also be on reserve at the Smith Library.
1. Paterson and Stoler, eds., Major Problems in the History of World War II: Documents and Essays
2. John Morton Blum, V Was for Victory: Politics and American Culture During World War II.
3. Studs Terkel, The Good War: An Oral History of World War II.
Honor Code
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. All students are responsible for knowing the University's policy on academic honesty. All academic
work submitted in this course must be your own unless you have received permission to collaborate and have properly acknowledged receiving
assistance. It is my responsibility to uphold the University's academic honesty policy and report my suspicions of dishonesty to the University
Judicial System. For more information, please see the handbooks at www.cnu.edu/admin/provost/handbooks.
Policies Regarding Attendance, Special Accommodations, Deadlines, and Disruptions
Regular attendance and substantive participation are expected; habitual absences will affect your final grade regardless
of grades on written work because we have lost valuable contributions to our learning community. Attendance is taken
periodically, especially on dates of significant participation and group work. You are allowed two excused absences
during the semester without penalty. If a student finishes the semester with those two days unused and “in the bank,”
the student is entitled to add a point to the final average for each day. If a student is marked absent for 3 or more days,
the professor reserves the right to penalize a student’s final course average by one point per absence. Please make an
appointment to meet with me about the need for any chronic absences (eg. family, medical, emergency situations) as
early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities: If you believe that you have a disability, you should make an appointment with me to discuss
your needs. In order to receive an accommodation, your disability must be on record in Disability Services located in
the Academic Advising Center, Room 125, Administration Building (Telephone: 594-8763). Please do not offer
excuses for past absences, after-the-fact, late in the semester. Students are responsible for all information conveyed in
class. University policies and deadlines relating to withdrawals will be strictly followed. Students are responsible for
making sure they fulfill all requirements. Make-up assignments require documentation and may contain limited or no
choices granted to students taking the original assignment. Papers turned in after class on due dates will be penalized 5
points on that day and 10 points for each day thereafter. Please turn off all cell phones and refrain from disruptive
activities during class. Thanks in advance!
Requirements, Assignments, and Grades
Participation (10% of course grade)
You will receive a participation grade based on attendance, quality of discussion, and periodic reading
comprehension questions. In general, I recommend that you use the textbook primarily as a resource to clarify
issues that arise during lecture and discussion. More importantly, we will examine primary source documents in
Major Problems and the required books. You are expected to read these assigned readings prior to class and to
participate in class discussion. Please bring the readings to class on those days we discuss them.
Secondary Source “Dig” (10% of course grade)
A “dig” is a brief foray into the historical literature. It promotes analytical and research skills, confirms that history is a
matter of interpretation, and exposes students to the array of “classics” in the history of America and the Second World
War. Each “dig” is personalized for the student and unlike another. Student’s will select a book on Dr. Falk’s sign-up
sheet and write down the author and full title of this monograph. Written by a historian, a monograph is a book-length
scholarly study of a specific topic based on primary sources. Monographs have documented sources (footnotes,
endnotes, bibliography) and typically are published by a university press, such as University of California Press,
Harvard University Press, etc. Dr. Falk will distribute a separate, more detailed handout that will help you complete
the assignment.
Primary Source “Dig” and Student Presentations (20% of course grade)
Students will select a topic related to the American home front based on choices presented in class. (See the syllabus
below.) You will then locate a first-hand account (eg. newspaper article, magazine article) in the library and historicize
it. That is, you will provide the context for understanding that document and analyze its content. Students will then
form presentation teams to introduce your colleagues to this particular aspect of the American home front. We will
weave your presentations into class lecture, discussion, and film excerpts.
Identifications (two, each worth 10% of course grade)
Historians like yourself must recognize the broader significance of distinct items of information. Therefore, you
will provide a written identification of one historical term based on choices presented in class. An identification
will be a concept, person, event, illustration, law, or the like. First you need to answer briefly who, what, where,
and when. More importantly, for the remainder of the paragraph, you should consider its historical
significance. Tie the item to broad themes discussed in lecture or the course. Ask “Why is this important in the
larger scheme of things?” You will have approximately ten minutes to write the concise paragraph in class.
Tests (two, each worth 20% of course grade)
Each exam must be written in a new bluebook. There are two sections: objective and essay. The objective section may
include excerpts from readings to identify, matching, multiple choice, logical chronologies, and short answer. The
potential essay questions are based on lectures and readings covering only half of the semester. The final exam may
include a second, comprehensive question. There will always be choice on the exams. A make-up must be for a
documented absence and scheduled within one week, but students will have limited or no choice on sections of the test.
Class Meetings, Reading Assignments, and Deadlines
Please keep in mind that the course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be
necessary.
I. The Roots of War (to 1939)
This section of the course will introduce and develop themes that will carry us throughout the semester: the rise of political
leadership, isolationism and internationalism, the uses (and abuses) of propaganda, collective security.
Tuesday The Historian’s Craft
Thursday
The Great War and American Memory
Document and Discussion: Charles Lindbergh and “American First”
Tuesday The Rise of Dictators
Thursday
Appeasement
II. World War (1939-1943)
Tuesday Phony War and Blitzkrieg
Thursday
FDR’s Middle Road
Document and Discussion: FDR’s “Quarantine Speech”
Secondary Source “Dig” Due
Tuesday Small or Significant: Allied Operations in 1940
Thursday
Seeds of Defeat: Afrika and Barbarossa
Tuesday The Rise of Modern Japan
Thursday
Days of “Infamy”
Identification #1
Tuesday Turning Point in the Pacific: Midway
Document and Discussion: Admiral King Calls for a Strategic Focus on Japan
Document and Discussion: Allied Leaders Agree to a "Germany-First" Strategy
Thursday
Turning Point in Africa: El Alamein
Tuesday Turning Point in Europe: Stalingrad
Thursday
Midterm Exam
III. The Home Front (1939-1945)
This section of the semester will look at the impact of the war on the home front with the help of student presentations of
primary sources.
Tuesday Managing the Home Front
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
Thursday
“Why We Fight”: Propaganda, Dissent, and Morale
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
Tuesday Hollywood GI: Brave Soldiers or Broken Soldiers?
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
Thursday
Rosie the Riveter
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
Tuesday Good Germans and Bad Nazis
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
Thursday
Conflicting Images: Russians, Chinese, and Japanese
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
Tuesday The Race War
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
Thursday
“Domestic Enemies” and Internment
Document and Discussion: Terkel, Blum
Students Presentations
IV. Inventing a New World Order (1943-1945)
Tuesday Warm Allies: Summitry
Thursday
Cold Allies: The Second Front
Tuesday Normandy and the Race to Berlin
Document and Discussion: Eisenhower Addresses Allied Forces on D-Day
Thursday
Endings and Beginnings: Yalta and Potsdam
Tuesday Holocaust
Document and Discussion: Henry Ford's Dearborn Independent
Document and Discussion: State Department Suppresses News of the "Final Solution"
Document and Discussion: Secretary Morgenthau Denounces the State Department
Thursday
Atomic Bomb
Document and Discussion: Secretary Stimson Raises Concerns about a Soviet Bomb
Document and Discussion: Secretary Stimson Has Second Thoughts on Atomic Secrecy
Identification #2
V. The Collective Memory of War (since 1945)
This section of the semester will look at the intended and unintended consequences of the war on the world and the United
States specifically. It will also examine how Americans remembered and commemorated the war and “the Greatest
Generation” up to the recent days in monuments (the new World War II monument in Washington, DC), museum exhibits
(on the Enola Gay), books (by Stephen Ambrose), political contests (George Bush and Bob Dole), crimes against humanity
(Bosnia, Iraq), and popular culture (Saving Private Ryan). We’ll find that the Second World War is still relevant and people
frame the events to suit their needs.
Tuesday The Search for “Domestic Fascism”
Thursday
Anticolonialism, Civil Rights, and Democratic Principles
Thursday
“Red Fascism” and “Appeasement” after the War
Tuesday Commemorating the “Greatest Generation”
TBA
Final Exam
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
NEW COURSE PROPOSAL FORM
Does this proposal affect Liberal Learning requirements? Yes ___x__ No
1.
Title of Course: America and the Second World War
Proposed Course Number (cleared with Registrar): History 340/440
Prerequisite Courses: History 201 or History 202 or Junior Status
(if you require a minimum acceptable grade greater than the default of D- , please indicate the grade
you require) _________
Catalogue Description (including credits, lecture, and lab hours):
History 340/440 – “America and the Second World War” (3 credit hours): A comprehensive examination of
the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Second World War with an emphasis on the American
experience. The course considers the war from a military, diplomatic, and political perspective, but also for
the war’s impact on American social groups, cultural life, and collective memory.
Is the course cross-listed? If so, what is the number of the other course?
The course is not cross-listed.
**A proposed syllabus, including complete text and/or reference information, as well
as any relevant information to this decision, must be appended.
NOTE: All affected department chairs must sign approval on last page.
2.
For whom is the course primarily intended? Explain why it should be added to the curriculum.
The course is designed for upperclassmen in history and related majors who have completed the American
history surveys (History 201 and/or 202).
This course should be added to the curriculum because the department currently offers few military- or
diplomatic-themed history courses. The course will support ROTC students who need to satisfy requirements.
The subject matter remains topical, relevant, and interesting for students. Such a course may also appeal to
CNU students in particular, many of whom come from military families and communities.
3.
If this course is required, append a description of how the course fits into the curriculum. Indicate how
it affects hours required for graduation.
The course will not be required.
4.
Has this course been offered previously as a special topics course? If so, when? What course number
was used?
The course has not been offered previously.
5.
Has this course, or one closely related to it, been offered at CNU previously?
If so, is that course currently being offered? How does the proposed course differ? When is the last
term the old course will be offered?
The course has not been offered previously.
6.
What is the anticipated enrollment per offering for the next three years? 19 students
During which term will this course first be offered?
This course may first be offered in Fall 2006.
During which semesters will this course regularly be offered?
Beginning in 2008, this course may be offered in either Fall or Spring semesters every two
years.
Print in the 2006-07 (academic year) Undergraduate Catalog.
7.
How will the course be staffed?
Dr. Andrew J. Falk of the History Department will offer it, most often on a two-year cycle.
8.
Does the course involve a particular classroom, special equipment, or costs beyond those usually
associated with a course at CNU? If so, please explain.
No
9.
Is the course repeatable for additional credit? If so, is there a limit to the number of times the course
can be repeated? (e.g., applied music courses)
No
10.
If this course is for an Area of Inquiry
a. Identify the Area of Inquiry
Western Traditions
b. Demonstrate how your course will meet the objectives of this Area of Inquiry
First, the class will explore the Second World War as a critical moment in Western civilization, a culmination of
previous experiences and events but also a series of events that remain relevant today. We will look at the
emergence of the United States on the world stage to superpower status. We will also focus on the social change
that war sometimes brings about. Broadly, the course explores themes of democracy, totalitarianism, and
exhibitions of power. Second, all three required texts are collections of primary sources and other first-hand
accounts. These sources form the basis for class discussion. Students will read, analyze, and form interpretations
about the causes for war, the nature of dictatorship and demagoguery, the unintended consequences of decisions,
and other themes. With library research assignments (“digs”), students will locate similar sources, contextualize
them, and present their findings to class. Third, students will understand that the war as a starting point for
understanding events and trends important to understanding the West since 1945, including liberalism, civil rights,
feminism, future military conflicts, and foreign relations. They will see how the segments of the population
continue to find meaning in the war and sometimes “use” the war’s memory to suit people’s needs today.
This course was approved by:
(Liberal learning core courses must be reviewed by BOTH academic Deans.)
|
Department(s): (1)
Date: ________
(2)
Date: ________
College Curriculum
Committee:
Date: ________
Dean:
Date: ________
Dean:
Date: ________
Undergraduate Curriculum
Committee:
Date: ________
Concur
Changes to the Liberal Learning requirements must be reviewed by the Faculty Senate.
Faculty Senate President:
Date: ________
Provost
Date: ________
Distribution by Provost Office following approval:
Department Chair(s), UCC Chair, Deans, Registrar
** If “Do Not Concur” is checked, please attach a statement of explanation.
Rev. 03/20/05
Do Not
Concur**