WORLD WAR II MINI-PRESENTATIONS

This small assignment asks you to engage in an hour or more of intensive research in preparation for a short and informal five-minute presentation.  In consultation with your classmates, you will pick one of the subjects below.  The goal is both to convey the epic scope of World War II by introducing a collection of more focused topics than typically would be highlighted in lecture and also to see if these topics can then provide interesting perspectives upon larger themes.  If you choose a country, try to offer both a very concise overview of how World War II impacted upon the nation in question and to assess how the war has been remembered by the country's citizens in the decades since its end.  A number of the country studies include links to news articles from my War and Memory class that are of relevance to the latter issue.  You are responsible for both the mini-presentation and an accompanying short Journal entry for this project.

POSSIBLE TOPICS

• Austria:  How have Austrians struggled to come to terms with their relationship with World War II?  An extensive series of news articles can be found at http://www.misterdann.com/wardisaustria.htm .

• Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania):  How were these three small states torn apart by the war?  How significant are the differences here?  News articles on war memory can be found at http://www.misterdann.com/wardisbaltic.htm .

• Denmark:  What is the history of Denmark during the war?

• Finland:  What was the history of Finland's war with the Soviet Union and how did this impact upon the years that followed?

• Greece:  How was Greece affected by World War II?

• Hungary:  What were the consequences of Hungary's alliance with Germany?

• Italy:  Focus upon the war within Italy itself rather than upon the actions of Italian soldiers abroad.

• Norway:  Outline the history of the Nazi occupation and the Quisling regime.  An interesting topic that has been in the news recently is that of the children of Nazi officers and Norwegian women.  Interesting audio documentaries can be accessed at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/1691452.stm and at  http://www.radionetherlands.nl/features/cultureandhistory/030618children.html .

• Poland:  No European nation was more influenced by World War II than Poland.  Outline that history.  A good selection of news articles can be found at http://www.misterdann.com/wardispoland.htm .

• Switzerland:  How have recent revelations about World War II challenged Swiss citizens' understanding of themselves and their nation?  Most of the news articles at http://www.misterdann.com/wardisswiss.htm  focus on the role that Swiss banks played in the Holocaust.

• Ukraine:  Like the Baltic states, the Ukraine was caught between the Nazis and the Soviets.  Some news articles that explore the Ukraine's attempts to redefine its relationship with Russia can be found at  http://www.misterdann.com/wardisukraine.htm  .

• Battle Of The Atlantic: Provide a basic overview of naval warfare in the Atlantic.  A short overview of the war on the seas can be found at BBC - History - The Battle of the Atlantic .

• Blitzkrieg: How did new German strategies lead to decisive victories early in the war?  See BBC - History - Blitzkrieg .

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer: How did this anti-Nazi resister struggle to reconcile his theology and his war-time actions?

• Children In War-Time Germany: Describe life in Germany during the war for non-Jewish children.

• D-Day Anniversaries: How has the invasion of Normandy been remembered on its 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries?  What is most interesting about the official commemorations?

• Dunkirk: What was the "miracle at Dunkirk" and how has it been portrayed in the decades since the end of the war.  See the 60th anniversary news feature at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/dunkirk/default.stm .

• Fall Of France, 1940: Describe and account for the speedy defeat of France.  A short BBC is at BBC - History - The Fall of France.

• Fall Of Berlin, 1945: Describe the end of the war in Germany.  A short BBC article can be found at BBC - History - The Battle for Berlin in World War Two.

• Anne Frank: How did this girl become a world icon of the Holocaust?  How has the emphasis upon her as a symbol influenced people's understanding of the Holocaust?  One useful site is sponsored by the Anne Frank Center, USA .

• French Resistance: What are the history and myth of the French Resistance?

• IBM And The Holocaust: Do you agree with those who would portray the corporation as World War II number-crunchers of evil?

• Liberation Of The Death Camps: What were the details on the ground at the time of the liberation of such camps as Auschwitz, Mauthausen, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald and Dachau?  What does a focus upon the days surrounding the liberation reveal?  An introductory BBC article can be found at BBC - History - Liberation of the Concentration Camps .

• London Blitz: Describe the London Blitz.  What role does it play in British national mythology?

• Night Witches: What is the story of the female fighter pilots who defended Russia?

• Nuremberg Trials: What were the significant details and most important legacies of these post-war proceedings?  The BBC World War II History Homepage has two articles:  BBC - History - Nuremberg: Nazis On Trial and  BBC - History - Making Justice at Nuremberg, 1945 - 1946 .

• Vatican And World War II: What choices were made by the Pope and the Vatican during World War II? 

• Women In War-Time Britain: How did gender roles change in the United Kingdom?