Course Syllabus

Battlefield Europe: Military History of World War II

Description of course

On June 6th, 1944, Allied forces from Britain, France, Canada and the US arrived to the beaches of Normandy. This landing would spell the end for Nazi Germany. While much has been said about the bloody Omaha beach battle and the US efforts, this enormous and complicated invasion was planned for years by people from numerous countries and brought about by thousands of individuals. In this course we will study the decisions made at the highest levels, the conditions and experiences of the fighting men, and the predicament of the civilians trapped in the middle of the unfolding battles. Finally, we will study the impact of the invasion, both then and in collective memory post-WWII.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course students will:

• gain a historical overview of the Second World War;
• gain an in depth knowledge of the Normandy Invasion on D-Day in 1944;
• learn the basic tools and methods of the design of history through the study of World War II. 

Faculty

Torben Jørgensen.  Cand.mag. (History, University of Copenhagen, 2003). With the Danish Jewish Museum, 2007-2008. Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies, Department for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, 2003-5. Researcher, Danish Center for Holocaust and Genocide Research, 2000-3. Author of books and articles on the Holocaust and other genocides. With DIS from 2008.

Readings

The following book, A War to Be Won, is available as an ebook under 'modules'.

• Allan Reed Millett and Williamson Murray: A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War, 1937-1945 MA 2000
• Hein Severloh: WN62. Latvija 2016
• C.B. MacDonald: Company Commander. NY 1955

Approach to teaching

By nature, I am a storyteller and a lecturer. I put a premium on approachability. Humor, trust and the sense of ownership of history is important to my teaching style. My ideal class takes student questions as a point of departure for discussions.

Expectations of students

Prepare for class via readings and questions. Always try your best.

Grading

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org