AA312 ~ Total War and Social Change: Europe 1914-1955

 

I am almost at the finishing line for the course I'm currently studying - AA312 Total War and Social Change: Europe 1914-1955. I've completed all of the coursework and I'm just putting together my final tutor marked assignment of 4,000 words (there are six assignments in total). The exam still looms on the horizon, but that (and my final result) is not going to alter my opinion of the main body of the course. So, now seems as good a time as any to share my thoughts about this course.

This level 3 course explores the relationship between total war and social, cultural and geopolitical change. Topics covered include the nature of warfare and the differences in the conduct of the two world wars, revolution, the effect of war on the lives of everyday men and women, the holocaust and genocide, film and propaganda, and the division of Europe following World War II. For anyone who's already used to Open University history courses, you'll know that the course writers don't attempt to tell you what happened; they give you the tools and information you need to figure it out for yourself. Therefore, this is a course that requires a great deal of hard work and analysis on the part of the student.

I'll start off by saying that I have, during the course of this year, learned an immense amount about the two world wars, even though I've only really scratched the surface as it's a vast subject to cover. I have consumed so much information that I really do worry that my noggin will explode if I try to cram one more fact into it. It has been mentally taxing (in a good way), but also emotionally taxing. I found it incredibly difficult, and perhaps other students have too, to study the two conflicts in an objective manner. I grew up with grandparents who talked openly about World War II (my grandfather fought in Burma); the war had only been over for a quarter of a century when I was born and it's never felt remote from me. And who can examine the events of the Holocaust (a subject which I chose to explore for my final assignment) in any depth without being affected emotionally? So, it's been quite a draining course.

The level of reading required is a bit overwhelming too, though looking back I find it difficult to discern between reading that was necessary and reading that was taken on by personal choice due to the fact that the subject is just so fascinating.

The stack of white books (bottom left) in the photograph below are the course books provided by the Open University (click on the image to see a larger photo). The two books on top of those are the set books which you have to buy: Europe, 1880-1945, by J. Roberts, and Total War and Historical Change, edited by A. Marwick, C. Emsley, and W. Simpson (I found the former to be a bit tedious to be honest).

You are, apparently, supposed to be able to complete all of the assignments, aside from the final one, without needing to go beyond these course books and the two extra set books, but I found it necessary to look elsewhere all the same (as have other students). So, the books piled on top of those just mentioned are those I bought to flesh things out a bit. The Upheaval of War: Family, Work and Welfare in Europe, 1914-1918, edited by R. Wall and J. Winter, is an excellent book which I found to be invaluable. I also recommend The Origins of the First World War by A. Mombauer. Mein Kampf was not so great (Hitler liked the sound of his own voice, even on paper), but it provided insight into the inner workings of the Führer's mind.

The pile of books on the right, all containing information about the Holocaust and Nazi racial policy, were used to complete the double TMA of 4,000 words at the end of the course. There was a choice of eight topics, so there was something for everyone, and I chose the Holocaust. From looking at the suggested reading lists that accompanied the other seven subject choices, I imagine that students who chose one of those had similarly tall piles of books to get through. In particular, I found The Path to Genocide: Essays on Launching the Final Solution, by Christoper Browning, and The Racial State: Germany 1933-1945, by Michael Burleigh and Wolfgang Wippermann, to be excellent. 

As you really need access to the books for a prolonged period of time, borrowing them from a library (if there are any left) isn't a practical option, so your book bill can mount up a bit. The Upheaval of War alone was £40, and I had to buy secondhand copies of Reworking the Past and From Weimar to Auschwitz from the States (at an overall cost of £80), as there were none available in the UK (well, not that I could find at the time anyway). 

I also bought a few dvds: A Film Unfinished: Nazi Propaganda and the Warsaw Ghetto,  The World At War: The Ultimate Restored Edition, and the BBC documentaries The Nazis - A Warning From History, Auschwitz: The Nazis & 'The Final Solution', and The Great War. I spent quite a few hours in front of my computer watching those; The World at War has a whopping great 11 discs and The Great War has 6.

You may by now be getting the (accurate) impression that this course takes over your entire life. It is rather exhausting and sometimes distressing, involves an immense amount of reading and at times threatens to scramble your brains, but it is consistently fascinating and highly rewarding. For me it has sparked a somewhat obsessive interest that will probably remain for the rest of my life. I would recommend this course to anyone with even the faintest interest in the two world wars. Unfortunately, it will run for the last time next year (the final registration deadline is the 3rd January 2013).

Comments

[Diane Posselius]

I very much enjoyed reading your remarks, Gina. Both my father and my husband fought in WWII so I have heard many anecdotes. But the British people were so much more closely involved in these conflicts on a daily basis that their responses, anecdotes, and memoirs form a priceless contribution to the broader history of these horrific events.

[Ann Matthews]

I too am doing this course. I have found things out that I had not known before, and you are correct in saying it does take over your life! I am at present trying to run down some notes on women in different countries before the exam on Thursday. I am worried that the information will fall out of my head on Thursday the minute I open the exam paper, however I have been able to hold conversations with others about the subject, which is always a plus!

I agree it is a tough course but interesting, and you do need to get so many books in order to understand the material.

Good luck
TTFN
Ann

[Gina Collia-Suzuki]

Like you, Ann, I am worried that everything will fall out of my head on Thursday. At the moment there are revision cards all over the furniture, and the fridge door is in danger of falling off under the weight of the notes that have been pinned to it with magnets. Ah, 'tis all par for the course. We'll all be fine the moment we turn over those exam papers and get to work. All the same, best not to tilt our heads too far sideways, just in case our ears are used as exits.

I'm really going to miss this course. It really has taught me so much, and it's changed my approach to studying/research. It's been priceless.

Very best of luck for Thursday!

[Colin Gough]

Many thanks for the review on this module. It has helped me make a decision and so I have just registered for the February start.

I am going into it with a certain amount of trepidation as it will overlap by a couple of months with A200. Also, although I have 90 level 1 credits under my belt, A200 is my first level 2 and this will be my first level 3! The trouble is that, when I first started on the degree this was one of the modules that I wanted to do and I didn't want to miss out.

Time will tell whether I am ready for it.

Thank you once again.

[Gina Collia-Suzuki]

Hello, Colin. I'm glad the review helped!

It's a fascinating course, and a very rewarding one. It's well worth the effort. It's really well organised, so everything falls into place really well. It's tough on the old noggin, and there might be times when it's absolutely overwhelming, but when it's over you'll miss it immensely. I do.

I had a slight overlap when I started the course, but the first couple of TMAs for AA312 are not too hard going, so it didn't cause too much of a headache.

AA312 is definitely hard work. But to be honest, now that I've gone from doing a third level course back to doing a level 2 one, I miss the challenge (and the freedom that more independent study gives).

All the best,

Gina

[John Stobart]

Dear Gina,

Many thanks for this. I have today enrolled for this course despite being only part way through A207 Enlightenment to Romanticism. I saw that AA312 is being "presented" (an odd word, I think) for the last time in February 2013 so I felt I had to take it. I have been "humming and haa-ing" about doing it for months but your review helped me make up my mind.

I have found to my immense disappointment that the OU have dropped the American Studies course that they used to do: D214 United States in the C20th. I have bought the course books for it second hand and they look wonderful.

John