Historians have long tried to understand how modern Germany could descend, in the space of a few years, into brutal terror, racial warfare and genocide. This course explores the origins of Nazism in German history, the rise of the National Socialist Party and the nature of Nazi rule, from the seemingly inauspicious Nazi movement's early years after the First World War to the Holocaust and to the Third Reich's final collapse in 1945. The course explores the historical context of Nazism, including the allied regime of Italian Fascism. Students will examine Nazi state and society from multiple perspectives to achieve a deeper understanding of the Third Reich, and will gain a familiarity with the state of historical research in this area.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the history of Nazi Germany;
- critically evaluate key interpretations of Nazi Germany's social, cultural and political history;
- analyse and integrate primary and secondary sources into written work; and
- demonstrate the significance of Nazi Germany for today's world.
Indicative Assessment
- Essay Proposal: 500 words. (5) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Research Essay 2,500 words (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Final Examination (3 hours). (35) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Lecture Responses (5 x 200 words) (10) [LO 1,2,4]
- Class participation (10) [LO 1,2,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorial and tutorial-like activities; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Key readings will be supplied through WATTLE.
Preliminary Reading
Karl Dietrich Bracher, “The Role of Hitler,” in Walter Laqueur, ed., Fascism: A Reader’s Guide (1976), 211-225.Hans Mommsen, “Hitler’s Position in the Nazi System,” in From Weimar to Auschwitz (1991), 163-188.
Ian Kershaw, “Working towards the Fuehrer,” in Hitler: 1889-1936: Hubris (1998), 527-591.
Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2973 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | In Person | N/A |