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School of Humanities

History Graduate Course Descriptions

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Spring 2024

History 416/516 
World War II 
T/TH 4:00 - 5:15 PM 
Dr. Kenneth Swope 
 
This course covers the history of the Second World War, beginning with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and continuing through the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan and the War Crimes Trials afterwards. Citizens of most countries tend to study and remember the war (understandably) from only their own perspective. This class will attempt to rectify that problem by examining the war from the viewpoints of all the major combatants, exposing students to a variety of perspectives and interpretations and utilizing a range of primary source materials. Topics covered include the rise of fascism and militarism in Europe and Asia, the demise of collective security and appeasement, the grand strategies of the major participants, war crimes and atrocities, and the enduring memories of the war around the globe. 
 
 
HIS 417/517 
The Vietnam War 
T/TH 1:00 – 2:15 PM 
Dr. Heather Stur 
 
This course examines the military, political, social, cultural, and international aspects of the Vietnam War. 
 
 
HIS 458/558 
The Soviet Union and Post-Communist Russia 
M/W 11:00 – 12:15 PM 
Dr. Brian LaPierre 
 
For anti-capitalist intellectuals, the Soviet Union was a savior society that promised non-exploitative economic development and classless international cooperation. For its many conservative and liberal opponents, the Soviet Union was a militaristic monster that exemplified godless atheism, aggressive expansionism, and brutal state terror. In this class, we will look at the Soviet Union from all its angles–both good and bad. We will look at a state that dragged Russia from rural poverty to industrial modernity, eliminated illiteracy, equalized gender opportunities, achieved enviable scientific accomplishments, and instituted a generous cradle-to-grave system of state-supported social welfare. On the other hand, we will also look at a state that slaughtered and starved to death millions of its citizens and imprisoned millions more in the service of its utopian ideological goals. Topics to be explored include: the causes and consequences of the revolutions of 1917, Stalinism, the war of annihilation against the Nazis, the Cold War era clash of civilizations, the Gorbachev reforms, and the collapse of communism. 
 
 
HIS 605 
Presenting Heritage I 
W 2:30 – 5:15 PM 
Dr. John Winters 
 
In this course we will read and discuss foundational scholarship on the various histories, theories, and methods of presenting heritage in physical and digital public history spaces. 
 
 
HIS 722 
War and Society Historiography 
T 6:00 – 9:00 PM 
Dr. Kyle Zelner 
 
This course, required of all War and Society Masters students and required/highly recommended for all other graduate students taking a field in War & Society, will explore the various fields and themes of War and Society historiography. The field of War & Society (or what used to be called “New Military History”) has grown tremendously since its inception in the 1980s. Less concerned with strategy, tactics, and weapons than traditional military historians, War & Society scholars study the historic effect of conflict on various aspects of society, as well as the way societal values and culture influenced how wars were fought. 
 
In this class, we will examine representative works on themes such as war and race, ethnicity, gender, class, and culture/mentalité, as well as issues such as the cultural turn in military history, soldier recruitment and motivation, unit histories, the experience of battle and army life, home fronts, and the Military Revolution debate. In addition to the course being a good introduction to the diversity of the field, many of the books/articles for the class are on the War & Society Graduate Reading List, which will allow students the opportunity to read these vital works and then discuss them in class–an excellent preparation for comprehensive exams. 
 
The book list for this class is not complete at this time, although it will be ready with plenty of time for students to purchase copies on their own. A few of the books we will read are: 
 
Morillo, Stephen and Michael F. Pavkovic. What is Military History? 3rd rev. ed. (Cambridge (UK): Polity Press, 2017). 
 
Clifford J. Rogers, The Military Revolution Debate: Readings on The Military Transformation of Early Modern Europe. (Boulder: Westview Press, (1995). 
 
Lynn, John A., Battle: A History of Combat and Culture. Boulder: Westview Press, 2003. 
 
Assignments will tentatively include a number of book reviews of assigned readings, class discussion, a historiographical paper, and a take-home final exam question which will prepare students for their comprehensive exams. 
 
 
HIS 726 
American Historiography since 1865 
W 6:00 – 9:00 PM 
Dr. Heather Stur 
 
This course is a survey of the historiography of the US since 1865. 
 
 
HIS 732 
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Modern British History 
M 2:30 – 5:15 PM 
Dr. Katya Maslakowski 
 
This seminar provides a historical and historiographical introduction to Britain and the British Empire. Our discussions will unpick the often-made claim that Britain was one of the prime makers of the “modern world.” As the first industrial nation and with an empire that spanned the globe, Britain was a powerful force throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. This status presents a number of fascinating historical questions, including how important the empire was to that power, how liberal were British institutions, and why revolution never reached its modern shores. This course will cover how historians have come to understand those topics, and Britain’s role more broadly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will look particularly at historical debates about the nature of economics, class, empire, sexuality, and British liberalism to help explain the country’s curious stability during a period of revolutionary change. We will ask how new historical methods and approaches have challenged and transformed our understanding of British modernity. This class welcomes all humanities graduate students with an interest in Modern Britain and the British Empire. 
 
 
HIS 785 
Oral History Seminar 
Th 2:30 – 5:15 PM  
Dr. Kevin Greene 

 
HUM 502 
Digital Humanities Practicum 
M 6:00 – 9:00 PM ONLINE CHAT 
Dr. Patrick Hoehne 
 
Want to uncover a counterfeiting ring? 
 
In this interdisciplinary graduate-level course, you will learn to use innovative computational tools and methods to contribute to a largescale digital humanities project. This semester, the class will work on a project centered around the reconstruction of a far-reaching, closely affiliated band of horse thieves and counterfeiters whose criminal activities spanned the length of the antebellum Midwest. This is a hands-on, apprenticeship-style course where you will receive training in tools like GIS mapping and network analysis and then apply those tools on real, public-facing research. All students will receive contributor credit for their work, and will leave with a toolkit of valuable digital skills. 
 
While some students complete HUM 501 before taking HUM 502, it is not a requirement. Taking both courses makes you eligible for the Digital Humanities Badge. 

 

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