HISTORY 304 - THE HOLOCAUST

Dr. Donald Schwartz                                                         dschwart@csulb.edu
Office: FO2-105A                                                             (562) 985-5090
Hours: Tues-Thurs, 1:30-3:30 pm                                      Spring 2002
 

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Course Description
Schedule of Assignments
Useful Internet Sites
Movie Review Assignment
Holocaust Related Movies
Term Paper Assignment
Bibliography


This course examines the attempted destruction of European Jews byNazi Germany during the Second World War. Students will trace theroots of anti-Semitism in European history, the origins of Hitler'santi-Jewish assault, and the process from ghettoization to extermination. Students will consider issues of controversy such as whether there was necessarily a connection between age-old anti-Semitism and the Holocaust; whether the mass murders were part of a well-conceived plan; whether other countries and/or institutions bear special responsibility. Other topics include the role of
ideology in the treatment of European Jews, the role of ordinary Germans in the extermination process, Jewish resistance inside Europe, the Western response during the war, the world reaction
fifty years after, and correlations between modernism and the Holocaust.

In addition to required readings (listed below), each student will be required to write a research paper of approximately 10-15 pages. The guidelines for this paper is contained in the Readings book, which you will purchase for this course.

There will be three examinations in this course: two mid-term exams and a final exam which will be comprehensive. Final grades will be determined on the following basis:

2 Mid-term Examinations = 40%
Paper = 20%
Movie Review = 10%
Final Examination = 30%

Required readings:

1. Yehuda Bauer, A History of the Holocaust, Danbury, CT: 1982
2. Donald L. Niewyk, The Holocaust, Lexington, MA: 1992
3. Readings in the Holocaust, which is available at L.B. Copies, 4400 E. 7th Street, opposite Wilson High School on 7th Street. (7th Street and Ximeno)

In addition to keeping up with assigned readings, students will be expected to keep current with daily news reports concerning Holocaust-related issues.
 

SYLLABUS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

Jan. 30 INTRODUCTION

Feb. 1 ANTI-SEMITISM IN MODERN GERMANY
Bauer, Ch. 1

Feb. 6 FILM: "THE LONGEST HATRED"
Bauer, Ch. 2

Feb. 8 CHRISTIAN ANTI-SEMITISM
Readings, 1 and 2
Bauer, Ch. 3

Feb. 13 THE JEWS IN HITLER'S MENTAL WORLD
Bauer, Ch. 3; Readings, 3

Feb. 15 THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC
Bauer, Ch. 4

Feb. 20 THE EVOLUTION OF NAZI JEWISH POLICY
Bauer, Ch. 5; Readings, 4

Feb. 22 GERMAN JEWRY IN THE PREWAR ERA
Bauer, Ch. 6; Readings, 5

Feb. 27 KRYSTALLNACHT
Film, "Krystallnacht"
Readings, 6

Mar. 1 POLAND--THE SEIGE BEGINS
Bauer, Ch. 7

Mar. 6 EXAMINATION # 1

Mar. 8 LIFE IN THE GHETTOS
Bauer, Ch. 8; Readings, 10, 11, 12

Mar. 13 DEBATE OVER THE ORIGINS OF THE HOLOCAUST
Niewyk, Introduction, Ch. I

Mar. 15 BEGINNINGS OF THE HOLOCAUST
Bauer, Ch. 9; Readings, 7, 8, 9

Mar. 20 FILM, THE WANNSEE CONFERENCE
Film review due

Mar. 22 WEST EUROPEAN JEWRY
Bauer, Ch. 10; Readings, 13

Mar. 27 COLLABORATIONIST GOVERNMENTS
Readings, 14

Mar. 29 THE HOLOCAUST EXPERIENCE
Niewyk Ch. II; Readings, 16

Apr. 3 THE QUESTION OF JEWISH RESISTANCE
Niewyk, Ch. III; Readings, 17 and 18

Apr. 5 EXAMINATION # 2

Apr. 17 THE WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING
Bauer, Ch. 11; Readings, 15

Apr. 19 THE MOTIVATION OF THE KILLERS
Niewyk, Ch. IV; Readings, 19

Apr. 24 GENTILES DURING THE HOLOCAUST
Niewyk, Ch. V; Readings, 20

Apr. 26 POSSIBILITIES OF RESCUE
Niewyk, Ch. VI; Readings,21-24

TERM PAPERS DUE !!!!!!!!!!!!
 

May 1 THE UNITED STATES AND THE HOLOCAUST
Film, "America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference"
Bauer, Ch. 12; Readings, 25-27

May 3 PERSONAL TESTIMONY: HELEN AND JOSEPH FREEMAN
Job: The Story of a Holocaust Survivor

May 8 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH,SWITZERLAND, AND THE HOLOCAUST
Readings, 28-32

May 10 THE LAST YEARS OF THE HOLOCAUST
Bauer, Chs. 13, 14

May 15 HOLOCAUST DENIAL AND THE HOLOCAUST IN AMERICAN LIFE
Readings, 33-35

May 17 OTHER VICTIMS, OTHER GENOCIDES
Readings, 36-40
 

MAY 22 FINAL EXAMINATION -- 2:45-4:45
 




HISTORY 304 MOVIE REVIEW ASSIGNMENT
 

Film is a very powerful tool which can, at times, portray events as no literature can. Cinema can also distort and falsify the past. This assignment requires you to write a critical analysis of one of the films listed on the following pages. The components of the paper are as follows:

Introduction - Your opening paragraph should indicate the title of the film you chose, and what issues the film focuses on which are related to the Holocaust.
 

Body - The main part of the paper should address how the film depicts these issues relate to the Holocaust. This part of your paper should address the following:
 

Conclusion - Your concluding paragraph should contain your overall evaluation of the film in terms of to what degree it helps our understanding of particular issues related to the Holocaust.

Length - No more than six and no less than four double-spaced typewritten pages, with 1" margins on left and right. I will be looking for quality rather than quantity.

Due Date - MARCH 20, 2001

No excuses will be accepted for papers submitted late. If you know you will be absent on
the due date, submit your paper prior to that date. If you are sick, contact a class member
and have her/him deliver the paper on the due date. One full letter grade will be deducted
for each day late.

GUIDE TO HOW YOUR PAPERS WILL BE GRADED

Your film papers will represent 10% of your final grade and will therefore be graded on a 10-point basis. A maximum of six points will be allotted for content, two points for structure and organization, and two points for spelling, grammar and composition. If you have had difficulty writing papers in the past, I strongly urge you get assistance from the Writer's Resource lab in order to bring your paper up to acceptable standards.

9-10 points: exceptional originality of insight, well-written and well-organized; exceptionally
well-articulated thesis statement; general points are supported by illustrative examples or other
supporting evidence.

7-8 points: clear indication of thoughtful analysis, acceptable grammar and sentence structure; clear thesis statement. Fluid writing.

5-6 points: Competent understanding of the films and the times they portray; some analysis although not necessarily insightful or compelling; comparisons are somewhat off the mark. Some errors in spelling, sentence structure, sentence fragments and dangling participles.

3-4 points: Superficial understanding of the themes and issues portrayed in the films. Vague thesis statement in which the reader is unclear at the outset of what the central point of analysis will be. General points are made without clear examples or references to the movies. Information from the film is summarized without any clear relationship to overarching themes. Numerous grammatical and spelling errors. Little evidence of rigorous editing-reads like a first draft.

1-2 points: Off-track for all or most of the essay. The writer ignores the requirements of the paper, for example discussing historical context apart from the films chosen for review. Very weak thesis statement, or no statement at all. The reader struggles to find coherence in the paper. Transitions between major points are difficult to follow. Does not meet the minimum competency for a college-level essay, displaying consistent ignorance of, or lack of attention to, basic rules of grammar.