HISTORY 210 (WAR IN WESTERN CIVILIZATION)

FALL 2003

 

Professor John J. Hurt

208 John Munroe Hall, 831-2388

Office Hours: T, Th: 2-3 p.m. (and by appointment)

hurt@udel.edu

 

Mr. Patrick Shea, Teaching Assistant

128 John Munroe Hall, Desk 1

Office Hours: T, Th: 2-3 p.m. (and by appointment)

patshea@udel.edu

 

Required Books:

     Ambrose, Stephen. D-Day.

     Keegan, John. The Face of Battle.

     Walter, Jakob. The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier.

     Winter, Denis. Death’s Men.

 

 

SEPTEMBER

 

4—Introduction; the Greek Style of War

 

9—Roman Warfare

 

11—Medieval Warfare

 

16-CLASS DISCUSSION (POP QUIZ?): Keegan, “Agincourt.”

     SPECIAL NOTE: Class begins at 1 p.m. today.

 

18—The Gunpowder Revolution, 1300-1600

 

23—Firepower on the Battlefield, 1600-1789

 

25—Napoleonic Warfare

     BOOK REVIEW DUE: 500-750 words, Jacob Walter, Diary.

     THIS DEADLINE IS ABSOLUTE. IF YOU DON’T HAND IN YOUR PAPER, YOU ARE DEEMED TO HAVE DROPPED THE COURSE.

 

30—CLASS DISCUSSION (POP QUIZ?): Keegan, “Waterloo.”

 

OCTOBER

 

2—FIRST TEST

     Assgn: All of the Above

 

7—Military Technology and the Path to World War I

 

9—1914

 

14—Tanks, Planes, and Poison Gas

 

16—Verdun

 

21—CLASS DISCUSSION (POP QUIZ?): Keegan, “The Somme.”

 

23—TO BE ANNOUNCED

 

28—Victory (?) in World War I

 

30—CLASS DISCUSSION: Denis Winter, Death’s Men.

     BOOK REVIEW DUE: 1,000 words on Winter.

     NO EXCUSES; ABSOLUTE DEADLINE; SEE ABOVE

 

NOVEMBER

 

4—Towards World War II

 

6—SECOND TEST

     Assgn: Everything since First Test

 

11—The Battle of France, 1940

 

13—The Battle of Britain, 1940

 

18—Russia, 1941

 

20—U.S. Army in World War II

 

25—Air Power

 

DECEMBER

 

2—DISCUSSION (POP QUIZ?): Ambrose, D-Day.

     BOOK REVIEW DUE: 1,000 words on Ambrose

     NO EXCUSES; ABSOLUTE DEADLINE; SEE ABOVE

 

4—The Campaign in Europe, 1944-1945

 

9—Victory in Europe

 

COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAMINATION: DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

 

CLASS ATTENDANCE

     Class attendance is obligatory.  You may have two unexcused absences, but every unexcused absence above two will reduce your final grade by one increment (e.g., from a B+ to a B, and so on).  Excused absences are, in principle, unlimited, but a substantial number of them will make it impossible for you to succeed in this course.  The University defines excused absences as those resulting from medical emergencies, religious observances, representing the University on an athletic team, and the like.  These must be documented.  Leaving class early without permission counts as an absence.

 

PUNCTUALITY

     You are also required to come to class on time. If unusual circumstances make you a few minutes late, please let me know after class what happened to you. Tardiness constitutes disruptive behavior.  Anyone who is chronically tardy will be asked to drop the course.

 

BOOK REVIEWS

     These must be handed in on time, and they must be exclusively your own work. Don’t copy material from the web. Concentrate on the texts assigned; no need for extra research or reading. If you miss the book review deadline, you are deemed to have dropped the course: we just don’t grade your papers after that.

    

             TESTS, FINAL EXAMINATION, AND GRADING

     The tests and the final examination each count 25%; book reviews and pop tests, if any, count the last 25%. The tests and the examination are essay in character.  Bring a blue book to class.

 

READING

     Read the books thoroughly.  You should know the themes that the authors treat, as well as the information and evidence that they use to explain those themes.  You are to complete the readings by the day of class discussion, and you are expected to participate fully in the discussion.

 

CELL PHONES

     Turn them off when entering the classroom. If your cell phone rings during class, it will seized and sold at auction.