HS3T82-Axis at War: Life and Death in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, 1936-45

Module Provider: History
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Prof Patrick Major
Email: p.major@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Part 3 Options involve the study of specific periods, subjects or types of history.

Aims:
Part 3 Options involve the study of specific periods, subjects or types of history.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module it is expected that the student will be able to:

• identify and explain the main issues and events studied


• acquire a detailed knowledge of the events through extensive reading in specialised literature


• locate and assemble information on the subject by independent research


• appraise critically the primary sources and historical interpretations of the subject


• organise materialand articulate arguments effectively in writing, both under timed conditions and in assessed essays.

Additional outcomes:
The module also aims to encourage the development of oral communication skills and the student's effectiveness in group situations. Students will also develop their IT skills by use of relevant web resources.

Outline content:

We explore the everyday history of extraordinary times for Italians and Germans under fascism and in the crucible of war. Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany had entered World War Two as Axis allies, but from 1943 Italy was embroiled in a virtual civil war, occupied in the north by the Germans and in the south by the advancing Allies. We shall examine morale on the home and fighting front through a range of primary sources, from propaganda posters and newsreels, to diaries, secret police reports and even bugged prisoner-of-war conversations. What were ordinary Italians and Germans hearing on the radio? What did they see in the cinema? The module places a premium on cultural representations of the fascist experience, and will screen a weekly film, as well as giving you an opportunity to read some of the classic literary texts of Primo Levi or Hans Fallada. We also ask why there was no meaningful resistance in Nazi Germany, but armed partisans fought in Italy in an unholy alliance of Marxists, liberals, Catholics and British and US intelligence. It finishes by revisiting the moment of liberation and the violence that accompanied it on the cusp of the new global conflict, the Cold War. The seminars will follow the following themes: 1. Home Fronts: Volksgenossen and Brava Gente? 2. Propaganda: Cinecittà and ‘ProMi’ between Hollywood and the BBC 3. Fighting Fronts: From El Alamein to Stalingrad 4. Occupation: from Mare Nostrum to General Plan East 5. Helpless Bystanders?: Ordinary Italians and Germans, the Vatican and the Holocaust [6. no formal teaching] 7. Cracking-Point?: Axis Morale under the Bombs 8. Collaboration: Vichy and Salò 9. Resistance: Patriotic Struggle or Civil War? 10. Liberation and Retribution: the Pax Americana in the Emerging Cold War 11. Bad Memories: Remembering (and Forgetting) the Past

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Seminars, requiring preparatory reading and investigation, may include informal and interactive presentations by the module teacher; structured group discussion; short seminar papers by students; occasional tutorials; team-based simulation exercises and debates; examination of primary and secondary sources. Students are expected to carry out self-directed revision in the Summer term. Staff will be available for consultation as necessary.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	10
Seminars	20
Project Supervision	1
Guided independent study:	169
Total hours by term	200	0	0
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written exam	50
Written assignment including essay	50

Summative assessment- Examinations:
One two-hour paper requiring two answers to be taken at the time of the Part 3 examinations.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:
Students will write one essay of not more than 2,500 words, to be submitted electronically via Blackboard by 12 noon on the Monday of week 9 of the term. Five marks will be deducted if the coursework essay exceeds 2,625 words (ie 5% over the word limit).

Formative assessment methods:
1,000 words or 2 pages of A4 maximum to include, at the module convenor's discretion, an essay plan, bibliography, book review or other preparatory work towards the summative essay.

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
A mark of 40% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:

Failed coursework must be re-submitted by 12 noon, on the third Friday of August.

A candidate who has failed or has not achieved at least Third Class Honours in the Final Examination for a Bachelor’s degree at the first attempt shall have the right to be re-assessed on only one further occasion at the next opportunity (normally August), and, if they elect to be re-assessed, may only be re-assessed in those modules in the Final Part in which they achieved less than 40. Subject to this restriction, a re-examinee may select those modules in which they wish to be re-assessed. A re-examinee will be given a mark for the re-assessed module which reflects the candidate’s performance in the re-assessment. This mark will be recorded on the candidate’s transcript and Diploma Supplement. However, the mark to be used in determining the classification is the higher of (a) the first attempt mark or (b) the lower of 40 and the mark achieved in the re-examination. A candidate who is re-assessed in the Final Part of a Bachelor’s degree shall be eligible for classified Honours, which shall be determined on the basis of the full array of marks relevant to classification, including capped re-assessment marks. The classification itself is not capped. The registration of a candidate who fails the Final Examination at the second attempt shall be terminated and shall not normally be permitted to register for an alternative programme at the same or a higher level. Candidates whose registration is terminated due to failure in the Final Examination may be eligible for a lesser award.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1. Required text books: Purchase of textbooks is not compulsory, but students should consider setting aside £25 per course to cover the purchase of useful books


2. Specialist equipment or materials:


3. Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear:


4. Printing and binding:


5. Computers and devices with a particular specification:


6. Travel, accommodation and subsistence:

Last updated: 30 March 2023