Welcome
We are pleased that you selected this independent study course to fulfill your unique educational needs. You are now a member of the Center's large and diverse student body—a student body that comes from all parts of the United States and many parts of the world.
Although the freedom to choose when and where to study is a privilege, it is also a responsibility that requires motivation and self-discipline. To succeed at independent study, you will need to develop a study plan by setting realistic goals and working toward them.
Please contact the office of MU Disability Services if you need to arrange accommodations for completing your coursework.
Course Introduction
This course provides a survey of German civilization and culture from 1850 to the present. In a course of this nature one can cover only selected political and social developments, historical events, and cultural achievements. The course will present an overview of the stormy socio-political events of this period and focus on certain cultural developments that both reflect the troubled times and contribute to the path Germany takes in the twentieth century.
This course is writing intensive, which means that you will be asked to submit several 3–5 page essays. For some of these essays, you will have the chance to rewrite them so as to improve your grade. Please make sure to read carefully through the information on grades and assessment for this course. It provides important hints and guidelines for how to compose your best work. You should also be prepared to manage your time such that you can complete all assignments with enough time to meet your goal for completing the course.
Time Limit for Course Completion: 9 months. All assessments must be submitted and graded within this time.
Course Keycode: 2309
Textbooks/Materials
Required Textbooks/Articles
- Mary Fulbrook. A Concise History of Germany. 2nd Ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
- Jackson J. Spielvogel. Hitler and Nazi Germany: A History. 5th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2005.
- Henry Ashby Turner, Jr. Germany from Partition to Reunification. Rev. ed. Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1992.
The following articles are provided as PDFs in Lesson 2:
- Douglas Kellner. “Toward a Reinterpretation of Expressionism.” In Passion and Rebellion: The Expressionist Heritage, Eds. Stephen Eric Bronner and Douglas Kellner: 3–39. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988.
- Siegfried Kracauer. “Caligari.” In From Caligari to Hitler. Revised and Expanded Edition: 61–76. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2004.
Required Films
- Robert Wiene, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1919)
- Leni Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will (1934)
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder, The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
All films selected for use in this course are available in VHS or DVD formats and can be rented for a nominal fee from many video rental stores or rented online through Netflix. If the rental waiting time for older films is too long, you might consider purchasing them through Amazon or some other resource.
External Websites
Throughout this course, you will find links to useful websites. These links will include guided instruction on how each link can be used—whether as a supplemental resource, a place to go for practice, or for reference on course assignments.
Broken or incorrect links. We check for broken links regularly, but let our support staff know if you find one and we will get it fixed right away.
How to Study for This Course
Additional Study Hints
- Submit your first progress evaluation early. For university courses, a minimum of six weeks must elapse between the date you submit your first progress evaluation and the date you take your final exam.
- Know how you will be assessed. Look at the grading scale and read all the information on any assignments, projects, and exams.
- Review the exam information page before taking any exam. This page includes descriptions of the exam(s), if any, required for this course. Keep in mind that, unless otherwise stated on the exam information page, CDIS exams are supervised and must be taken at an approved site. Approved sites will be listed when you are prompted to request an exam during the course.
- Be able to do all lesson objectives. Learning is active, and courses at any level are often designed with objectives or actions that can be done as evidence that you have learned something. One advantage of independent study is that learning objectives are clearly written for each lesson.
- Review the hints for independent study. This is an independent study course and is likely different from other courses you have taken. Begin by reviewing these hints, which will help you adjust your computing and study habits so you will have the best chance of earning the grade you want.
- Download an "Independent Study Planning Sheet" (pdf) to track your progress. The number of lessons, progress evaluations, and exams will directly affect how long it takes to complete any given CDIS course. As you work through this course, check your schedule often to make sure you're on track. Keep in mind that all progress evaluations and exams must be submitted and graded within the course time limit.
Technical Specifications
To complete this course, you will need access to a computer with a modern Web browser (see recommended browsers below), a working Internet connection (56k dial-up or broadband), word processing software, and disk space to save your work.
Recommended Web Browsers
- Windows: Internet Explorer (version 7 or 8) or Firefox 3.5.
- Mac OS: Safari 4 or Firefox 3.5.
Your browser should support graphics at a screen resolution of 800 × 600 or higher, run JavaScript (the browsers above do by default), and accept cookies, which are used solely to verify your login. This course has been designed to be accessible to all students, including those using assistive technologies.
Portions of this course may require Adobe Flash Player.
Word Processing Software
You will be required to upload documents in Word 97–2003 (.doc) or Rich Text (.rtf) format. These documents can be created in Microsoft Word or another office suite that saves in the .doc or .rtf format, such as the open-source OpenOffice online. The Center does not provide or support any word processing software; however, OpenOffice is available free-of-charge at the above link.
or 
You may need to view PDF documents as part of this course.
Virus Protection
It is suggested that you have virus protection software on your system. Virus protection software will help to protect your system (and ours) against computer viruses. Students can visit the anti-virus software page from the Division of IT for more information.
Other Technical Specifications
In order to participate in the interactive timeline in Lesson 9, your computer must have the most recent version of Flash player, which you can download for free from the Adobe Flash Player Web site.
Students with Disabilities
If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, please let the student services staff at Mizzou Online know as soon as possible.
If disability related accommodations are necessary (for example, a note taker, extended time on exams, captioning), please register with the Office of Disability Services, S5 Memorial Union, 573-882-4696. For other resources for students with disabilities, visit the Disability Resources site from the MU Chancellor.
To receive testing accommodations for this course, you must provide a memo of accommodation, issued from the MU Office of Disability Services, to Mizzou Online Student Services prior to requesting exams.
Begin Coursework
Starting with the first lesson, study the lesson's learning objectives and complete the reading and/or film assignment(s). Then read through the lesson's commentary. Make sure to consult at least some of the additional sources listed under Further Readings so as to deepen your understanding of the issues presented in the commentary. Although you will not be tested over this material or asked specific questions about it, reading through these texts will substantially increase your chances of writing a superior essay. Take notes and make sure you understand all the material presented in the readings. Follow this procedure for each lesson. Complete lesson essays in the order they are presented in this course.