HIWD 555 World War II

This course is a comprehensive examination of the causes, course, and significance of World War II.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

World War II is the most costly war that the world has ever known and caused significant changes in the world, as old power structures collapsed and new ones arose. This course will provide the student the opportunity to explore why the war occurred, how it was fought, and what the consequences were for the 20th century.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (6)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to write a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be 150–250 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge, with constructive analysis and insights that contribute to the class discussion and provide a thorough, accurate review of course content. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads and provide engaging, insightful, and constructive feedback that respectfully critiques, challenges, and/or supplements each peer’s interpretations. Each reply must be 100–200 words. For all posts, the student must cite specific examples/evidence from relevant sources to substantiate his or her conclusions in current Turabian notes-bibliography format.

Research Paper: Topic Proposal Assignment

The student will complete a 1–2-page topic proposal describing a debatable topic to be researched. The topic will address a research question of historical significance to the World War II era that can be addressed with graduate-level detail and depth in a 10–15-page research paper. This assignment will serve as the first milestone toward completing a 10–15-page research paper for the Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment. The proposal will include the following: an explanation of the historical significance of the topic; a clear and concise research question; and a research plan that describes the accessibility and value of important sources (both primary and secondary) for the project. A minimum of four specific collections or sources (not just depositories or databases) must be identified and discussed in the research plan.

Book Review Assignments (2)

The student will write two book reviews that focus on each of the following books: Browning’s Ordinary Men and Symonds’s The Battle of Midway. Each book review must be 2–3 pages. The student must use current Turabian author-date format to cite 1–2 specific examples from the book to substantiate the analysis. The book review should not be a mere summary but should accurately capture the book’s thesis, explored research questions, key conclusions, structure, and strength of argument as a way to identify the book’s value to fellow scholars. The book’s thesis should be conveyed in the book review’s introduction, and well-developed, unified, and coherent paragraphs with transitions should be used throughout. The book review must begin with a Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style citation of the book as a heading. The paper must be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and page numbers. No cover page is necessary for this assignment.

Research Paper: Bibliography Assignment

The student will compile a 10-source bibliography in current Turabian notes-bibliography format that reflects an adequate level of research on the approved topic from the Research Paper: Topic Proposal Assignment. This assignment will further the progress toward the Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment. The student should incorporate 5 scholarly secondary sources and 5 relevant primary sources. The bibliography must be organized by type of source, then alphabetically by author’s last name. The bibliography must use hanging indents and be single-spaced with an extra blank line between each source.

Research Paper: Thesis Statement and Outline Assignment

The student will complete an outline of how the main points of the research paper will be organized. The outline must include the proposed title, a draft of the student’s introduction with an engaging hook and a clear and concise thesis statement, 2–4 main points with 2–3 sub-points each, and a draft of the student’s conclusion. The outline’s points must be written in parallel form and organized in a clear and logical manner to support the thesis. Bullet statements may be used instead of complete sentences. More detailed instructions for the outline are contained in the assignment instructions. This assignment serves as the third and final milestone toward the completion of the Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment.

The student will complete a 1–2-page constructive reflection assignment on the feedback from the three milestone assignments (Research Paper: Topic Proposal Assignment, Research Paper: Bibliography Assignment, and Research Paper: Thesis Statement and Outline Assignment) and on the writing guidance provided throughout the course, with a focus on how the feedback is shaping the Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment. The assignment should be 4 well-developed paragraphs, one for each of the milestone assignments and one for writing tips. The student must use a single heading in current Turabian format at the top of the assignment, and the assignment must be double-spaced with 12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins. No cover page is necessary for this assignment.

Research Paper: Final Submission Assignment

The student will write a 10–15-page research paper in current Turabian notes-bibliography format that focuses on a topic of historical significance within the scope of the World War II era. The paper must incorporate all writing tips presented in the course and all feedback from the first three milestone assignments (Research Paper: Topic Proposal Assignment, Research Paper: Bibliography Assignment, and Research Paper: Thesis Statement and Outline Assignment). The paper must serve to defend the student’s research conclusions on a specific research question with a scope appropriate for a paper of this length, with a coherent and compelling line of evidence and analysis, a strong thesis statement in the first paragraph, and a level of detail and depth commensurate with graduate-level writing. The student must use footnotes to cite a minimum of 7 scholarly secondary sources and 7 primary sources with accurate information that is appropriately and effectively used. The paper should include well-developed, unified, and coherent paragraphs with transitions. The paper must be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and page numbers. The paper will begin with a cover page and end with a bibliography, neither of which will be included in the page count. The bibliography must be organized by type of source, then alphabetically by author’s last name.