History 350 Fall 2006

The Americanization of Europe

TTh 4:30-5:45, Hearst 105

Dr. Kristian Blaich

Hearst 317a, 504-3464

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:30-2:30; and by appointment

Since the early twentieth century, Europeans have been fascinated by concepts of modernity, especially concepts that originated in the United States. This class will examine the causes and effects of Europeans’ adaptation of American institutions and cultural forms. Particular attention will be paid to the experience of World War II, the effects of American popular culture, US foreign policy, and the exportation of capitalism and commercialism. We will discover that “Americanization” was not just a process by which Europeans simply accepted foreign ideas and institutions; rather, we will see how Europeans appropriated, transformed and—in some cases—resisted these concepts. The result was intense debates about national, gender and generational identities.

Requirements and Grading

·Class participation (20%): Discussion of readings will make up the core of class meetings. Attendance will be factored into your participation grade, but note that good attendance on its own will not ensure a high participation grade. Attendance is mandatory, and no distinction will be made between "excused" and "unexcused" absences. You may miss up to two classes for any reason and with no penalty. Any more than that will result in a reduced final grade. Missing more than six absences will result in a final grade of F or FA in the course.

·Response papers (30% total; 10% per paper): For the books by Hixson, Poiger, and Kuisel, you will write response papers of two pages each. These are due in class on the days indicated below and will serve as a basis for discussion. The book responses should consider the author's purpose and point of view, the book's value to you as a student, and any other reactions that you might have. Comments will be graded with a check, check-plus, check-plus-plus or check-minus. Late response papers will receive a grade of check- minus-minus, which will negatively affect the final grade.

·Research paper (25%): Each student will submit a research paper of approximately 10-12 pages on a topic selected by the student.

·Final Exam (25%): Primarily essay format covering material from the entire semester. More details will be provided near the end of the term.

Required Readings

For purchase at the OU bookstore:

Walter Hixson, Parting the Curtain

Richard F. Kuisel, Seducing the French: The Dilemma of Americanization

Mary Nolan, Visions of Modernity: American Business and the Modernization of Germany

Uta Poiger, Jazz, Rock, and Rebels: Cold War Politics and American Culture in a Divided Germany

Readings denoted with * will be distributed in advance in the form of several course packets.

Honor Code: “Because Oglethorpe students and faculty expect each other to be truthful in the intellectual endeavor they share, academic work at the University is done under the provisions of an Honor Code. Oglethorpe students affirm their commitment to the Honor Code with a written pledge on each piece of graded work, as requested by the instructor. Both students and faculty have the responsibility of reporting suspected violations” (The O Book).

Cheating: (a) The unauthorized possession or use of notes, texts, or other such materials during an examination. (b) Copying another person’s work or participation in such an effort. (c) An attempt or participation in an attempt to fulfill the requirements of a course with work other than one’s original work for that course.

Plagiarism includes representing someone else’s words, ideas, data, or original research as one’s own, and in general failing to footnote or otherwise acknowledge the source of such work. One has the responsibility of avoiding plagiarism by taking adequate notes on reference materials, including material taken off the internet or other electronic sources, used in the preparation of reports, papers, and other coursework.

University Policy on Course Withdrawal: Students withdrawing from a course may do so through the 9th week, or two weeks after the published mid-semester date with a “W”. For two weeks between the 9th and 11th weeks the grade “W” or WF” may be given at the discretion of the instructor. Students withdrawing after the Friday that falls on the 11th week will receive a grade of “WF”. Only in the event of medical emergency or hardship may students appeal a grade of “WF” to the Provost.

University Policy on Incompletes: If a student is unable to complete the work for a course on time for reasons of health, family tragedy, or other circumstances the instructor deems appropriate, the grade “I” may be assigned. If the student completes the work within thirty days of the last day of exams of the semester in question, the instructor will evaluate the work and turn in a revised grade. Any “I” not changed by the professor within forty five days of the last day of exams will automatically be changed to a grade of “F”.

Class Schedule

Week 1 Introduction

Tu, 8/29

Th, 8/31 *Kevin Lally, Wilder Times. The Life of Billy Wilder, 310-326

Week 2 Defining Americanization

Tu, 9/5 *Heide Fehrenbach / Uta Poiger (eds.), Transactions, Transgressions, Transformations, xiii-xxxvii

*Rob Kroes, If You’ve Seen One, You’ve Seen the Mall, Intro and Chapter 1

Th, 9/7 H.G. Wells, A Future in America. A Search After Realities (1906), Chapter 1 (10-14), Chapter 4 (51-64), Chapter 11 (139-151), Chapter 15 (190-194)

Week 3 Embracing American Modernity

Tu, 9/12 Mary Nolan, Visions of Modernity, 17-42, 50-57, 58-70 (skim), 70-82

*Anton Kaes, et al., The Weimar Republic Sourcebook, nos. 150 (Kayser)

In-class film clips: Metropolis

Th, 9/14 Nolan, 131-133, 149-155, 167-178, 206-226

Kaes, nos. 151 (Zweig), 152 (Gottl-Ottlilienfeld), 153 (Sieburg)

Week 4 The Critique of Americanism

9/19 Nolan, 108-127

*Kaes, nos. 281, 285 (Baum), 287 (Anita)

9/21 *Peter Jelavich, Berlin Cabaret, 154-186

*Kaes, nos. 139 (Keyserling), 154 (Kracauer), 155 (Halfeld), 228 (Gerstel), 233 (Goll), 234 (Goebbels), 235 (Kästner)

Week 5 The Fascist Response: Rivaling America

9/26 *Michael Kater, "Forbidden Fruit? Jazz in the Third Reich"

9/28 *Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Fascist Modernities, 70-88

*Eric Rentschler, The Ministry of Illusion, 99-122

Week 6 War and Military Occupation

10/3 *David Reynolds, Rich Relations. The American Occupation of Britain, 1942-1945

10/5 *Hans Woller, "Germany in Transition from Stalingrad (1943) to Currency Reform (1948)

*Thomas A. Schwartz, "Reeducation and Democracy: The Policies of the United States High Commission in Germany"

Week 7 Transformations?

10/10 *Volker Berghahn, "Resisting the Pax Americana? West German Industry and the United States, 1945-1955"

*Arnold Sywottek, "The Americanization of Everyday Life? Early Trends in Consumer and Leisure-Time Behavior"

10/12 *Michael Ermarth, ed., American and the Shaping of German Society, 166-210

Week 8 Propaganda and Culture in the Cold War

10/17 Walter Hixson, Parting the Iron Curtain, ix-xvi, 1-119

10/19 Walter Hixson, Parting the Iron Curtain, 121-233

Response paper due

Week 9 Rebels without a Cause: Americanizing Youth

10/24 Uta Poiger, Jazz, Rock and Rebels, 1-30 (skim), 31-70

10/26 Poiger, 71-105

In-class film clips: Die Halbstarken

Week 10 Troubled Relations: the State vs. the Youth

10/31 Poiger, 106-136

Film (on your own): Berlin, Ecke Schönhauser

11/2 Poiger, 137-205

*T.R. Fyvel, Troublemakers, 191-202, 233-46, 253-54, 270-73, 277-85

Response paper due

Week 11 Nationalism and Americanization I

11/7 Richard Kuisel, Seducing the French, 1-36

In-class film clips: Jour de Fête

11/9 Kuisel, 37-130

Week 12 Nationalism and Americanization II

11/14 Kuisel, 154-211, 231-237

Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, The American Challenge, 132-136, 139-151, 231-237

Response paper due

In-class film clips: Mon Oncle

11/16 David Ellwood, "Comparative Anti-Americanism in Western Europe"

Week 13

11/21 No class: continue work on your research papers, email me progress report

11/23 Thanksgiving – no classes!

Week 14 Americanization as De-Sovietization

11/28 Poiger, 206-228

Kuisel, 212-230

11/30 Student presentations

Week 15 Limits of Americanization, Globalization

12/5 Student presentations

12/7 *Richard Pells, Not Like Us, 279-334

*Fehrenbach / Poiger (eds), 224-236