LFU:online

Topic may vary from semester to semester. The course may be repeated for credit.

This course examines the political organization and transformation of Central Europe from the medieval period through the mid-twentieth century. It starts with the origins of the Holy Roman Empire (or Holy German Empire), its growth and ultimate dissolution in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. The course grounds this dissolution in the previous three centuries of Western European and Russian imperialism in the Americas and Asia, as well as the Ottoman Empire’s advance into southeastern Europe. Rising from the ashes of the Holy Roman Empire came the more modest Austrian Empire, junior partner to Prussia in the German Confederation long before the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, which led to Austria’s exclusion from the Confederation. In reaction Austria confederated with Hungary to form the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but once again served as Germany’s junior partner in World War I, only to be swallowed whole in the Anschluss of 1938. This course explains the history of German nationalism since the Napoleonic Era (and the awkward relationship between Austria and Germany) as the Germanic peoples’ tragic attempt to achieve an empire comparable to those of Britain, France and Russia.
Required Field Trips:
1. Dachau, Germany-- Students will learn about the Holocaust and how it fits into the history of European imperialism and racism.
2. Students will participate in a second, afternoon-length field trip to a site near Innsbruck. See the syllabus for details.

The University of New Orleans International Summer School program has a mandatory class attendance policy. All students are required to attend class for all morning classes and any required afternoon and/or weekend fields trips and lectures. No unexcused absences are allowed. However, LFU students who have to miss a UNO class due to LFU examinations in the first two weeks of our program, can receive one excused absence for this. Any further unexcused absences will result in an academic penalty. Each faculty member determines the penalty for missed classes. Most professors deduct a letter grade for each additional missed class day. For details, please refer to your course syllabi, which will be distributed on the first day of class. The listed ECTS credits are a recommendation by the University of New Orleans Innsbruck Summer School, based on contact hours, anticipated out-of-classroom requirements such as field trips, and projected workload for readings, assignments, and exam preparation. Mail: Center-New-Orleans@uibk.ac.at