Syllabus

Weeks 1-2: History, Literature, and WWII – Rise of Nazism
Begin to explore the relationship between history, literature, and the writer and to introduce the historical period and the geo-political region. Look at the rise of Nazi Germany and the race for domination of the North.

Wed. 9/28

Timeline and Key Dates Lecture Notes
Byron Nordstrom, “Norden and WWII,” p. 291 – 309 Lecture Notes
Course goals and requirements

Mon. 10/3

Hayden White, “The Historical Text as Literary Artifact” Lecture Notes
Martti Häikiö, “The Race for Northern Europe,” pp. 53-97 Lecture Notes
Film clips from “The World at War” etc.

Wed. 10/5

Mark Mazower, "Hitler's New Order 1938-1945” from Dark Continent
Film clips from Leni Riefenstahl, “Day of Freedom” (1935)
See Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” (1937);
Excerpt (in class) from Virginia Woolf, The Three Guineas (1938)
Letter #1 due

Weeks 3-4: Denmark: Collaboration, Resistance and Rescue
Investigate the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany in 1940-45, exploring various views on collaborative government policy and the role of the resistance movement. The reading includes letters from Hitler’s Berlin, written in 1940 by Danish writer Karen Blixen. This study is set in the context of current debates regarding Denmark’s official “policy of negotiation” with the Wehrmacht. We will also consider the historic 1943-rescue of Denmark’s Jewish population.

Mon. 10/10
Discussion Questions: Word | Acrobat PDF

Henrik Nissen, “Adjusting to German Domination,” 111 – 126**
Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen), selected “Letters from a Land at War” (1940/48)**
Film: “Denmark: Living with the Enemy” (30 min)

Wed. 10/12

Henrik Dethlefsen, “Cooperation, Negotiation or Collaboration?,” pp. 193 – 196.
Hans Kirchhoff, “Denmark” in Resistance, pp. 93-124**
From Kim Malthe-Bruun’s letters, “Resistance and Prison,”(1945) pp. 137 – 175**

Mon. 10/17

Emmy E. Werner, A Conspiracy of Decency (entire)
Documentary Film: “The Power of Conscience” (60 min.)

Wed. 10/19

Tove Ditlevsen, “Oranges” (1948)**
Henning Poulsen, “Denmark at War? The Occupation as History”, 98 – 113**
(Begin introduction to Norway and Sigrid Undset)
Letter #2 due

Weeks 5-6: Norway: Occupation, Resistance, and the Quislings
Explores the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, considering the role of resistance fighters as well as “quislings” in the context of Norway’s postwar war-crimes trials. We will study the memoirs of important novelists Sigrid Undset and Knut Hamsun; the first who was forced to flee occupied Norway and the second who supported the Axis.

Mon. 10/ 24

Sigrid Undset, excerpt from Return to the Future (1942), pp. 3 - 81**
Flim clips/Invasion of Norway

Wed. 10/26

from Andenæs, Riste & Skodvin, Norway and The Second World War, pp. 41 – 135**
MIDTERM QUIZ (30 minutes)

Mon. 10/31

Knut Hamsun, On Overgrown Paths (1948)**
Clip from Jan Troell’s motion picture Hamsun (1997)

Wed.11/2

Knut Hamsun, On Overgrown Paths, continued
Ole Kristian Grimnes, “Occupation and Collective Memory in Norway”**
[Documentary “Quisling” directed by Svein Rune Nyland (2005)]
Letter #3 due

Week 7: Sweden : Neutrality, Collaboration, and Humanism
Explores the paradox of Sweden’s neutrality during WWII which has come increasingly into the spotlight during the past decade. We will also look at the role of Swedish humanitarian aid and the myth and legacy of Raoul Wallenberg.

Mon. 11/7

Lecture by distinguished guest.
Alf W. Johansson, “Neutrality and Modernity: The Second World War and Sweden’s National Identity” in War Experience, pp. 163-187**
TERM PAPER ABSTRACTS DUE

Wed. 11/9

Stig Ekman, “Skilful Realpolitik or Unprincipled Opportunism?” in War Experience, pp. 188 – 205.**

Weeks 8-9 Finland at War: Literature and National Identity
Considers the difficult position of Finland during the “Winter War” of 1939-40 (between the Soviet Union and Finland) and the “Continuation War of 1941-44,” when Finland was an ally of Nazi Germany. We will discuss a contemporary novel by Antti Tuuri depicting the Winter War, as well as Väinö Linna’s influential postwar novel, The Unknown Soldier (1954) which depicts the Continuation War. We will discuss the role of the Finnish wars in shaping national identity.

Mon. 11/ 14

Guest lecture by Karoliina Kuisma; Introduction to Finnish history, language, and culture.
Begin Antti Tuuri, The Winter War (2002)

Wed. 11/16

Fred Singleton, “Finland in the Second World War”**
Antti Tuuri, The Winter War (2002)
Letter #4 due

Mon. 11/21

Väino Linna, The Unknkown Soldier, Chapters I – II**
Pekka Tarkka, “Love and War” and "Morale Crisis"**
Clips from “The Unknown Solider” (1955), directed by Edwin Lane

Wed. 11/23

Matti Klinge, “Finland and the Experience of War” in War Experience, p 114 – 129**
Film clips: “The Winter War” (1988), directed by Pekka Parikka

Week 10 The Baltic States: Tragedy, Memory, and Buried History
The Baltic states faced two brutal occupying powers during WWII. We will survey the fates of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, occupied by Soviet troops in 1940, attacked and occupied by Germany in 1941, and re-occupied by the Soviets in 1944.

Mon. 11/28

David Kirkeby, “The Tragic Years,” pp. 349-378**
PEER-EDITING WORKSHOP (bring complete draft of research paper)

Wed. 11/30

Guest presentation by translator Irena Blekys
Dalia Grinkeviciute, “Memories: By the Laptev Sea,” pp. 653 – 665**
TBA: Jan Kross, “Lead Piping” from The Conspiracy and Other Stories
Letter #5 due

Week 11: Class Conference
During the final week, we will evaluate the course findings by presenting individual research papers in a “conference” organized into topic-specific sections.

Mon. 12/5

Fourth-Annual UW Conference on War and Occupation in the North (Paper Presentations)

Wed. 12/7

Research Papers and Course portfolios due
Final quiz (30 minutes), evaluations, and class celebration.