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HI593G: HITLER (2024-2025)

Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:06


Course Overview

Hitler is omnipresent in public life and yet remains an enigma. This course examines Hitler’s politicization and radicalization, as well as the ideas that have shaped the social behaviour of himself and his followers. It looks at how Hitler prominently shaped the 20th century and was shaped by it. Finally, in asking what Hitler means to audiences in the 21st century, it explores the normative political, social, and cultural lessons that people have drawn from Hitler’s ideas and actions.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term Summer School Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Professor Thomas Weber

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Distance Learning

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

While Hitler tends to be reduced to a one-dimensional cardboard-cut-out villain outside of academia, inside academia there has been a tendency in recent years to diminish Hitler’s importance and to push Hitler to the side-lines. During the course, we will examine the degree to which Hitler did, or did not, matter as an actor in his own right. We shall do so by studying Hitler’s Mein Kampf, as well as a number of other documents. In the process, we shall discuss, amongst other questions, what difference Hitler’s texts and speeches made, how Hitler staged himself, why Hitler staged himself in the way that he did, and how Hitler’s transformation and radicalization had come about. We explore the nature of his rule, what we can learn about the nature of politics by studying Hitler, as well as his place in the 21st century.

A selection of scholars, policymakers, writers, curators, and film-makers will join us for a number of sessions to discuss their attempts with students of making sense of Hitler. The course will thus look at the latest thinking on Hitler as a historical figure, and it will attempt to understand the role of Hitler in today’s world.

Seminar discussions will be based on a broad range of primary and secondary sources to be read on a weekly basis.

This course is inspired by Aberdeen’s 2040 vision of creating a more inclusive, international, interdisciplinary, and sustainable future. In studying the breakdown of civilization and dignity, as well as the triumph of racism, violence, and a disregard for the lives of others and for the environment which we inhabit, it helps to tease out the success factors for building a more inclusive and resilient future. It does so by taking a multi- and interdisciplinary approach, bringing together scholarship and ideas from the world, exposing students to guest speakers from several countries.


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 70
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Feedback will be provided by course coordinator online via MyAberdeen

Word Count 3000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseTo understand and critique the evolution of the figure of Adolf Hitler from an obscure agitator to the leader of the National Socialist Party and to the author of up to three books.
ConceptualAnalyseTo comprehend and analyse scholarly debates surrounding Hitler
ConceptualApplyTo appreciate and practise methodological and conceptual issues relevant to the study of Hitler.
ConceptualCreateTo tease out the success factors for a more inclusive and resilient future.
ConceptualEvaluateTo understand, analyse, and evaluate the significance and impact of Hitler’s role in today’s world.
ProceduralCreateTo offer analytical explanations rather than mere descriptions of the key developments in the period based upon a critical engagement with both sources from the period and subsequent histories.
ReflectionEvaluateTo assess and judge issues which were, and remain, controversial and emotionally charged.

Policy Brief

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Policy brief about the success factors for building a more inclusive and resilient future (in line with the Aberdeen 2040 vision) that emerge from a study of Hitler.

Feedback will be provided online via MyAberdeen

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseTo comprehend and analyse scholarly debates surrounding Hitler
ConceptualApplyTo appreciate and practise methodological and conceptual issues relevant to the study of Hitler.
ConceptualCreateTo tease out the success factors for a more inclusive and resilient future.
ConceptualEvaluateTo understand, analyse, and evaluate the significance and impact of Hitler’s role in today’s world.
ProceduralCreateTo offer analytical explanations rather than mere descriptions of the key developments in the period based upon a critical engagement with both sources from the period and subsequent histories.
ReflectionEvaluateTo assess and judge issues which were, and remain, controversial and emotionally charged.

Formative Assessment

Response Paper

Assessment Type Formative Weighting
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Write ten weekly 500-word response papers to the readings set for any given week (students may choose to focus on the readings for one of the two weekly sessions)

Peer Feedback will be provided online, weekly, via MyAberdeen

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseTo understand and critique the evolution of the figure of Adolf Hitler from an obscure agitator to the leader of the National Socialist Party and to the author of up to three books.
ConceptualAnalyseTo comprehend and analyse scholarly debates surrounding Hitler
ConceptualApplyTo appreciate and practise methodological and conceptual issues relevant to the study of Hitler.
ConceptualCreateTo tease out the success factors for a more inclusive and resilient future.
ConceptualEvaluateTo understand, analyse, and evaluate the significance and impact of Hitler’s role in today’s world.
ProceduralCreateTo offer analytical explanations rather than mere descriptions of the key developments in the period based upon a critical engagement with both sources from the period and subsequent histories.
ReflectionEvaluateTo assess and judge issues which were, and remain, controversial and emotionally charged.

Resit Assessments

Policy Brief

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Policy brief about the success factors for building a more inclusive and resilient future (in line with the Aberdeen 2040 vision) that emerge from a study of Hitler.

Feedback will be provided online via MyAberdeen

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 70
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Feedback will be provided by course coordinator online via MyAberdeen

Word Count 3000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseTo understand and critique the evolution of the figure of Adolf Hitler from an obscure agitator to the leader of the National Socialist Party and to the author of up to three books.
ConceptualEvaluateTo understand, analyse, and evaluate the significance and impact of Hitler’s role in today’s world.
ConceptualAnalyseTo comprehend and analyse scholarly debates surrounding Hitler
ConceptualApplyTo appreciate and practise methodological and conceptual issues relevant to the study of Hitler.
ProceduralCreateTo offer analytical explanations rather than mere descriptions of the key developments in the period based upon a critical engagement with both sources from the period and subsequent histories.
ReflectionEvaluateTo assess and judge issues which were, and remain, controversial and emotionally charged.
ConceptualCreateTo tease out the success factors for a more inclusive and resilient future.

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