Short courses

Summary

‘Never again’ is the oft repeated warning concerning the Second World War. Part of preventing such a recurrence is a better understanding of its origins and causes. From defeat at the end of World War One, how did the new Weimer republic replace the German empire but then itself fragment and foster the rise of Hitler? How did Hitler transform Germany into a one-party dictatorship with renewed military ambitions? And how did Neville Chamberlain arrive at appeasement as a containment strategy and why did it fail so spectacularly?  

Join this course to find answers to these important questions in a comprehensive account of the unfolding crisis of the inter-war years. A history revealing worrisome parallels with our own unstable times. 

Over a series of talks, our expert tutor will explain: 

• the key figures and events shaping Germany 1918-1939 and the UK’s policy of Appeasement from 1933-1939 
• the key political, religious, and military developments that shaped these events 
• the key archives, sources, and first-hand accounts available 
• the main historical debates concerning these times 

You will also have the chance to discuss and reflect on what you learn with other students and the tutor in seminars 

Choose this course if you want to learn: 

• more about the key figures and specific events leading up to the Second World War including Hitler and Chamberlain. 
• Germany and the UK’s social, political, military, economic and territorial development during this time