Today we are used to thinking of Germany as a peaceful, prosperous and stable democracy, at the heart of Europe politically and economically as well as geographically. But for much of its modern history the picture was very different. A comparative latecomer to statehood, in the 170 years of its existence as a nation-state Germany experienced a dramatic transformation from a maverick to a model state which took in war, dictatorship, occupation and division, as well as rapid industrial development (twice), a dynamic civil society and intense cultural and intellectual experimentation.
This 30 CATS optional second year undergraduate module examines the history of Germany from Unification in 1871 to the Berlin Republic which came into being after reunification in 1990. Students will consider the political, social and cultural history of modern Germany from a variety of historical perspectives in order to understand why in Germany the past is so important to an understanding of the present. We will look at the rise and fall of political ideas and regimes, economic developments, issues of citizenship and ethnicity, attitudes towards gender and sexuality, and how all these affected the lives of ordinary Germans. Along the way, students will have the opportunity to conduct their own research and write a piece of Germany's history.
This is a core module for the Early Modern History MA degree. It
addresses key themes and historiographies, drawing on the expertise of a
wide range of the early modernists at Warwick. Each session will be led
by a different expert, ensuring that students are exposed to as many
different viewpoints and approaches as possible. You will find a listing
of early modern staff in the department here
and some of their publications are included in the illustrative
bibliography below. The module will cover the period c.1450-c.1800, and
although much of it will focus on Britain and European countries it will
also seek to place them in their wider global and colonial context.The
module will help to prepare students for term 2 modules, which take a
more thematic approach.