Key facts
Details for course being taught in current academic year
Level 3 - 36 credits - spring and summer terms
E-learning links
Resources
Course description
Course outline
This course concentrates on the impact of the Second World War on social, cultural, economic and political relations in Britain 1938-45. The extent to which the war had a profound impact on British society is the subject of vigorous debate among historians in secondary literature. A complicated historiography exists for many of the topics included in this course, and the reasons for this changing interpretation of the past will be explored. The topics covered by this course include: 1930s appeasement, civil defence and preparation for war, civilian evacuation, the blitz, the fall of Chamberlain and the Churchill coalition government, Dunkirk evacuation, war economy, rationing, agriculture, women in factories and auxiliary services, combatants’ experience, D-Day landings, American service personnel in Britain, Beveridge report and the post-war welfare state, the General Election of 1945. The emphasis of History Special Subjects is to examine a particular period in detail using primary sources and subsequent monographs and articles. Primary sources include: Parliamentary Papers; government publications, contemporary social investigation and comment; contemporaneous essays and monographs; oral historical accounts; memoirs and diaries, films, paintings, poems, photographs etc. Subsequent analysis, in the form of books and articles are secondary sources.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, a successful student should be able to:
1) Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of a closely defined topic;
2) Situate, evaluate and analyse primary historical sources;
3) Relate the interpretation of primary sources to secondary interpretations;
4) Construct sophisticated written arguments that demonstrate intellectual maturity and integrity;
5) Provide a coherent oral expression of their views.
Assessments
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Unseen Examination | Summer Term (3 hours 30 minutes) | 100.00% |
Resit mode of assessment
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Unseen Examination | (3 hours 30 minutes) | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
Teaching methods
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring+Summer Terms | SEMINAR | 3 hours | 1111111111 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Contact details
Dr Christopher Warne
Assess convenor
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/history/profile112524.html
Dr Hester Barron
Assess convenor, Convenor
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/history/profile211496.html