HIST 349 — World War Two
This course examines the origins, conduct, and conclusion of World War Two, the most violent conflict in human history. Topics include the racist and fascist basis of German and Japanese aggression, the ideological conflict between fascism and communism (with democracy in-between), the strategic and tactical military history of the war, mobilization and industrial organization of the belligerents, German and Japanese occupation, resistance and collaboration, the Holocaust, life on the Allied home front, the use of massive air bombing by the Allies, the development and decision to use the atomic bomb, and the wars effect beyond the European and Pacific theaters in India, Africa and Latin America. Students will consider several historical studies on the conflict, and complete their own research project using primary resources. Local archives will also be considered, including items in the Southwest Minnesota History Center, the SMSU Library, and the Fagen Flyers WW2 Museum in Granite Falls.