HIST 890 (01) - Seminar: Historical Expl

History of the Holocaust

The attempt to annihilate the Jewish people in Europe by the Nazi German government with the assistance of its allies and collaborators during World War II casts a heavy shadow over the twentieth century and raises important historical, political, cultural, moral, and existential questions down to the present day. This course will examine the origins, development, and legacy of the Holocaust. It will study antisemitism; the rise of the Nazi Party; Nazi Germany’s implementation of racist and antisemitic policies that culminated in the creation of death camps; Nazi conquest and occupation; and the regime’s ultimate defeat at the end of World War II. Particular attention will be paid to the experiences of the victims of Nazi policy; Nazi ideology; varied responses to Nazi antisemitic and racist policy (from indifference and collaboration to resistance); and the broader historical, cultural and ideological context out of which Nazism emerged and spread.