Brief History of the Third Reich
This article from Encyclopedia Britannica provides a comprehensive overview of Germany between 1918 (the end of the First World War) and 1945 (the end of the Second World War). The Third Reich lasted from 1933 to 1945, but the Nazi party had its roots in the confusion and disruption that came with Germany’s defeat in the First World War, the abdication of the Kaiser (emperor) and the attempt to set up a democratic society. The period between 1918 and 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic; Weimar is a town in eastern Germany where representatives met to create the constitution for the new republic.
Germany from 1918-1945 by Karl A. Schleunes. (Weimar Republic: pp 1-16. Third Reich: pp. 16-29).
Your task: what is the most interesting thing you learnt about the Third Reich that you didn’t know before?
Please note: when contributing to the discussions, if you’re responding to someone’s post, using “Reply” rather than “Start a New Thread” makes it easier for everyone to follow the discussion. Use “Start a New Thread” only if you’re talking about something different or want to take the discussion in a much different direction.
National Socialism
This article from Encyclopedia Britannica details the history of the National Socialist movement. National socialism was a fascist ideology, a mass movement, and a political party, the Nationalsozialistische Deutsch Arbeiterpartei (= National Socialist German Workers’ Party).
National Socialism by Encyclopedia Britannica.
Your task: how would sum up the main points of National Socialism?
Please note: when contributing to the discussions, if you’re responding to someone’s post, using “Reply” rather than “Start a New Thread” makes it easier for everyone to follow the discussion. Use “Start a New Thread” only if you’re talking about something different or want to take the discussion in a much different direction.
25 Points
As the fledgling Nazi party was trying to get off the ground, they came up with a manifesto that summarized their political intentions and social beliefs. This is commonly known as the 25 Points.
25 Points from the Jewish Virtual Library.
Your task: which points underscore the racist underpinnings of the Nazi party?
Please note: when contributing to the discussions, if you’re responding to someone’s post, using “Reply” rather than “Start a New Thread” makes it easier for everyone to follow the discussion. Use “Start a New Thread” only if you’re talking about something different or want to take the discussion in a much different direction.
Optional: Chronicle of the Third Reich
The Chronicle of the Third Reich is a four-part documentary on the history of the Third Reich. It is about 3 hours and 20 minutes, so it takes some time to watch. But it is very comprehensive, so I wanted you to know about it in case you’d like to watch it. It will reinforce and expand what you’ve learnt in this introductory module. You might want to see it all at once – binge watching that’s a bit different from spending the entire weekend watching the latest Netflix series – or you might want to dip into it from time to time during the term. T
Your task: if you’d like to share some of your impressions of the video, please feel free to do so.