School of Humanities
School of Humanities
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.