1

 History of Germany

“My pity is too deep, my grief and sympathy are with this unhappy nation.... "

— Thomas Mann, Doktor Faustus

HIST 263

Instructor: Dr. Sam A. Mustafa

How to reach me:E-mail Home, evenings: smustafa@optonline.net  Office: smustafa@ramapo.eduWebsite www.sammustafa.com (click on "Classes")

Office B-205 Phone: 7410

Required Readings, Part I: Books to be Purchased by all Students.Klaus Mann, Mephisto  (New York: Penguin, 1977)Anna Funder, Stasiland (New York: Granta, 2003)

And all students are required to own a copy of the Chicago ("Turabian") Manual of Style.

Required Readings, Part II: Class Website and Reader PackIn order to save you money, the short readings, whenever possible, are available for download from the classwebsite. Go to: www.sammustafa.com . Click on "Classes," then on "German History." In each case,please print them out and bring them to class for discussion.

Other readings will be handed out in a “reader pack.”

 Academic Honesty: All students must comply with the college’s Policy on Academic Integrity. If I catch youcheating, plagiarizing, or committing any other academic dishonesty, I will immediately refer you to theOffice of Academic Affairs. Penalties can be as severe as expulsion from the college.

 Disabilities: If you need course adaptation or accommodations because ofdocumented disability, please makean appointment during my office hours. 

Grading Policy:Grades are based on a total of 1000 possible points, as follows:

First Paper 100Final Semester paper 300Fact Quizzes (4 x 50) 200Final Exam 200Discussion Participation 200

TOTAL 1000 points

serving extra times as discussion leader +25 each

missing more than 2 classes -25 eachmissing class when you're a discussion leader -50 pts. ! 

 

Attendance and Lateness Policy

Attendance to all classes is mandatory and will be recorded. Each student may taketwo unexcused absences

in the semester. After that, each unexcused absence counts as -25 points against the final grade.

Lateness: Coming late to class and/or leaving early is rude to me, and disrupts the class for others. Tell

me in advance if you are going to need some special time out of class, and we will make arrangements.

Otherwise, for each time you arrive late or leave early, I will count it as an absence.

 

  2

 Explanation of the Assignments:

1. The Papers

For this class you will do a research paper in two segments or revisions. You will submit to me a research

proposal, then we will discuss your proposal, and I will help you get started. The proposal may be submitted

by email, or in writing, but must be submitted by Thursday, February 12.

This is an investigatory, fact-finding paper: you are presenting a summary of what is known about Topic

X. You may choose any topic relevant to German History, but you must get my approval. This first paper

should be about 3000-4000 words in length, and should use at least six sources, of which one must be a

primary source. (We will discuss what that means in class.) This first edition is worth100 points. 

I will grade this and suggest revisions and further work. Then you will expand and revise the paper so

that the second edition is 4000-5000 words, and uses at least eight sources, of which two must be primary

sources. This second, final edition is worth 300 points.

1-a. Paper Policies: “The Rules” 

All students must sign the “Rules for Written Assignments” sheet available on the course website, and turn

it in with their initial paper proposals. Failure to do so will result in a 10-point penalty each class day, until

it is done.

It is your responsibility to read and understand these rules and to apply them to your work.

1-b. Electronic Paper Submission 

Unless you make a specific request otherwise, all papers must be turned in electronically. They should

be MS-Word documents, written and formatted according to the “Rules” (see above), and attached to an

email. To be considered “on time,” a paper must be received by me before class-time on the due date  

listed on this syllabus.

2. Fact Quizzes: 200 points

Rather than a mid-term exam, this class has four short “Fact Quizzes” on the lecture and reading materials.

Each quiz will be ten short-answer questions, 50 points per quiz.

3. Discussions: 200 points

There will be many class discussions, some lasting an entire class period, others only part of it. The

discussions are based on readings that you must do beforehand. You are expected not only to be in the room,

but also to have read all the assignments, and to be prepared to discuss them, or at the very least to ask

questions about them.  Being alert and participating in the discussions counts for 20% of your grade: that's

two full letter-grades! 

In most cases, I will ask 3-4 people to act as "discussion leaders." Everybody in the class must serve as a

discussion leader at least once in the semester. The discussion leader's job is to ask questions and get the

other people engaged in examining the reading assignments. Please read the "How to be a discussion leader"

section on the course website.

4. Final Exam: 200 points

The final exam will comprise two essays (100 points each).

5. Experiential Learning: The 2009 German ElectionsIn keeping with Ramapo College’s “Experiential Learning Component,” all students are asked to performfive hours of self-directed study outside of class.

If students want to earn up to 50 points of extra-credit, they can produce a mini-paper on the 2009German elections, which will be underway during our semester. Instructions and guidelines will be postedon the course website.

 

  3

Class Outline

Th 1-22 Lecture

M 1-26 Lecture

Read 1. Tacitus Germania and 2. 

 Arminius (in that order!)

Th 1-29 Discuss Germania and Arminius 

M 2-2 Lecture

Th 2-5 Fact Quiz 1 

Read Kant, plus Frederick the

Great & Voltaire

M 2-9 Discuss Kant, Frederick the Great

& Voltaire

Th 2-12 Read Brendan Simms

Rules sheet due: signed, in class

First Paper Proposal (topic) due in

class

M 2-16 Discuss Brendan Simms

Th 2-19 No Class today; I'm at a

conference

M 2-23 Read  Fichte, and Mustafa,

Ferdinand von Schill 

Th 2-26 Discuss  Fichte & Schill

M 3-2 Fact Quiz 2 

Th 3-5 Lecture

M 3-9 Lecture

Th 3-12 First Papers Due

 Mon 3-16 & Thur 3-19: Spring Break

M 3-23 Read  Mephisto 

Th 3-26 Fact Quiz 3 

M 3-30 Discuss  Mephisto 

Read Kershaw and Hitler

Th 4-2 Discuss Kershaw and Hitler

M 4-6 Read Goldhagen vs. Browning

Th 4-9 Discuss Goldhagen vs. Browning

M 4-13 Watch Conspiracy 

(get here 5 min early to see it all)

Th 4-16 Fact Quiz 4 

 M 4-20  Read Stasiland  

Th 4-23 Lecture

M 4-27 Discuss Stasiland (45 min) 

45 min: Start: Goodbye Lenin

 

Th 4-30 Watch Goodbye Lenin 

M 5-4 Lecture

Final Papers Due 

FINAL EXAM:  TBA