CHST 603 - History of the Third Reich Course Resource Guide


Welcome to the Embedded Library, included within the following posts are the tools necessary  for completing CHST 603 History of the Third Reich. These include but are not limited to: encyclopedias, dictionaries, key periodical indices, the means to locate print material at the University of Toronto's library and resources that aim to aid you during the essay writing and citation process.

1. Introduction to the Class
2. Key Terms
3. How to Search the University of Toronto Catalog
4. Reference Materials
5. Periodicals and Databases
6. Multimedia and Primary Sources
7. Internet Sources on the Third Reich
8. Resources on Essay Writing
9. Chicago Manual Style Citation Guide


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This course guide was created for INF 1310: Introduction to Reference at the Faulty of Information, University of Toronto. 

1. Introduction to the Class


Course Description/Objective

Over sixty years after the death of Adolf Hitler and the destruction of Nazi Germany by Allied armies the Third Reich continue to fascinate both academic and amateur historians. It is a period of time continuously embroiled in controversy and yet piques the curiosity of millions. The question becomes whether or not the Nazi state found its roots in the German past and cultural history, or was rather the product of modern crises and economic catastrophe. The course aims to combine a chronological, biographical and thematic approach to explaining the history of the Third Reich by covering Germany's historical roots leading to the emergence of the Nazi party, the rise of Hitler, and the fall of the Third Reich's fascist police state.

As outlined by the professor the objectives of CHST 603 are:
  1. To examine the Third Reich in its contemporary setting and to establish a factual framework for its history.
  2. To understand the relationship between National Socialism and the conduct of foreign and domestic policy.
  3. To improve your ability to think critically and to analyze data by undertaking the kind of research required for an upper level university essay or a professional or academic report or publication and to write and present it clearly and effectively.
Tentative Lecture Schedule
  1. Introduction to History of the Third Reich
  2. Roots of the Third Reich 1871 - 1919
  3. Struggle for Power 1920 - 1932
  4. Seizure of Power 1933 - 1934
  5. Consolidation of Power 1934 - 1939
  6. The Nazi Revolutionary State 1933 - 1936
  7. From Appeasement to Blitzkrieg 1936 - 1941
  8. Germany at Total War 1941 - 1943
  9. The Making of the Racial State 1933 - 1940
  10. The Final Solution 1941 - 1943
  11. The Fall of the Third Reich 1944 - 1945
  12. Aftermath 1945 - 2009
Required Textbooks:
  1. Klaus P. Fischer, Nazi Germany:  A New History, (New York:  Continuum, 1995.)        
  2. Christopher R. Browning, Ordinary Men:  Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solutionin Poland, (New York:  HarperPerennial, 1998.)  [second edition]




2. Key Terms


Lecture 1:
An Introduction to Nazi Criminality (1933-1945) & a Brief History of Germany (98CE - 1918)

Lecture 2: 

Lecture 4:

Lecture 5:
Lecture 6:
Lecture 7:

Lecture 8:

Lecture 9:

Lecture 10:
Lecture 11:

Lecture 12:

Lecture 13:

3. How to Search the University of Toronto Catalog


When searching the University of Toronto Library it is important to note that the subject headings used for your topic may differ between databases. It is important to locate the terminology used by that database in order to search as efficiently as possible.

The University of Toronto includes a series of helpful how-to guides on their websites that facilitate the search process.
Subject Headings Relevant to Topic:
  • Nazi German
  • Anti-Nazi Movement
  • Auschwitz
  • Facism
  • Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945
  • National Socialism
  • Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
  • Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Parte
  • Nazi Persecution
  • Nazi Propaganda 
  • War Crime Trials
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • National Socialism History
  • German History 1933-1945
  • Germany Politics and government 1933-1945

4. Reference Materials

Warning: As outlined in the course syllabus general books, dictionaries, atlases, textbooks and encyclopedias DO NOT count towards the minimum number of sources required for the essay assignments. They are however an excellent place to begin preliminary research into a topic and can be used for clarifying events, individuals, concepts. All call numbers listed are located at the University of Toronto Robarts Library.

Encyclopedias:

Print Resources:
  1. The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich (DD256.5 .G73613 1991) [This is a subject specific encyclopedia that focuses on providing extensive coverage on the topic of the Third Reich, the bibliography contained within it provides its readers with an excellent jumping off point for subsequent research.
  2. Modern Germany: An Encyclopedia of History, People and Culture, 1871-1990 (DD14 .M64 1998X V. 1) [While not specific to the World War II or Third Reich, this encyclopedia provides a general overview of German history, society and culture. It is particularly relevant for establishing a context on which to base Adolf Hitler's regime.]
  3. The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History (D25 .A2 D8 1993) [While encompassing a period far more vast than that studied in this course it also contained a wealth of information pertinent to the military technology and tactics used by Hitler's Germany.]
  4. Encyclopedia of German Resistance to the Nazi Movement (DD256.5 .L4813 1997X) [An encyclopedia focused covering the figures, leaders, groups and movements involved in resisting the Nazi party and ideology from its inception to the end of World War II.]
Online Resources:
  1. Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction (D424.E94 2006) [Providing a general overview of European events throughout history with a focus on the First World War until the post Cold War period.]
  2. The Oxfard Companion to World War 2 [A general encyclopedia focused on the World War II period. Serves as a fantastic introductory reference source and contains 1,800 entries written by more than 140 international contributors. It covers every aspect of the war including detailed surveys, politics, grand strategy, domestic and economic issues, resistance and intelligence services, campaigns, battles, and military operations as well as influential people, slogans and phrases.]
Dictionaries:
  1. The Penguin Dictionary of Twentieth Century History (D419 .P34) [A comprehensive compilation of individuals, events, culture, technology, politics and economics of the twentieth century. Brief and to the point it covers a period ranging from 1914-1990.]
  2. Dictionary of Concepts in History (D13 .R52 1986) [This companion text outlines multiple definitions of historical terms often used in academic writing.]
  3. Dictionary of German Biography (DD85 .D3813 2001) [Covering the 9th century to the present this dictionary has compiled over 60,000 entries on people from the German-speaking world providing its readers with a key resource for identifying figures relevant to this class.]
  4. Nazi-German: An English Lexicon of the Language of the Third Reich (PF3680 .M48 2002X) [A quick and ready reference guide to the kinds of terminology and language used by Hitler's regime.]
Bibliographies [Bibliographies are particularly useful for finding citable sources for use within your assignments.]
  1. The Germans after World War II: An English-Language Bibliography (Z2240.3 .P38 1990)
  2. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi epoch : an annotated bibliography of English-language works on the origins, nature, and structure of the Nazi state (Z2241 .N27 M33 1998)
  3. The Hitler Library: A Bibliography (Z997 .H6657 G37 2001X)
Atlases and Maps: 
  1. World War Two Chronological Atlas: When, Where, How and Why (D743 .M46 1989)
  2. Concise Historical Atlas of World War Two: The Geography of Conflict (G1038 .H52 2005)
  3. The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Third Reich (DD256.5 .O93 1996)
  4. The Times Atlas of European History (G1797.21 .S1 T56 1994b)

6. Multimedia and Primary Sources


There are a wealth of sources on the topic of World War II, specifically relating to the Third Reich and Nazi Germany that can shed light on the subject or even act as primary sources for use within a research essay.

Video:
  1. Triumph of the Will [A video directed by Leni Riefenstahl documenting the 1934 Nuremberg rallies. Created as a propaganda tool it contains speaches by Hitler, Goebbles, Hess and a variety of other high ranking Nazi officials and party members. It provides a first hand account of a Nazi rally. 
  2. The Nazis: A warning from History [Written and produced by Laurence Rees this BBC documentary  examines the history of the Third Reich and the circumstances that precipitated Hitler's rise to power.]
  3. A History of Hitler's Empire [A detailed documentary covering the legacy of World War I to the final days of Hitler's Regime.]
Primary Sources/Special Collections:
  1. Conditions & Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940-1945 [Available online and in microform this collection contains documents outlining the reactions of British foreign office officials in German-occupied territories.]
  2. Post-War Europe: Refugees, Exiles and Resettlement, 1945-1950 [Available online this collection contains material that documents the struggle following the end of the war, specifically the experiences of refugees during the war's aftermath.]
  3. The Emil J. Gumbel collection: political papers of an anti-Nazi scholar in Weimar and exile, 1914-1966 [A collection of eight microfilm reals documenting the struggles of an anti-Nazi scholar.]
  4. Testaments to the Holocaust [This microfilm collection contains eyewitness accounts, propaganda, newspaper clippings and photographs from 1933 to 1945.]

5. Periodicals and Databases

Journal Databases, Indexes and Portals [These are the resources you will be using to locate academic journal articles suitable for the research you will be doing while completing assignments.]
  1. Arts and Humanities Citation Index [As indicated in its title, this resource contains an index of Arts & Humanities jounrals.]
  2. JSTOR [A inter-discipline database that is of particular use to those studying within the Arts & Humanities containing a massive quantity of articles]
  3. Project Muse [Another vast repository of academic articles.]
  4. Historical Abstracts [Provides its users with a massive listing of History specific periodicals.]
  5. Scholars Portal [A general portal containing a massive quantity of information relevant to a variety of subject matters.]
Specific Academic Journals of Relevance:
  1. History and Memory [This journal focuses on the problem of understanding the National Socialist and Fascist epoch, its impact, and its representation. For academic audiences.]
  2. European History Quarterly [A quarterly peer reviewed journal that has earned an international reputation as an essential resource on European history.]
  3. German History [A German centric history periodical it focuses on articles related to the region in question.]
  4. Journal of Contemporary History [Journal of Contemporary History is an international forum for the analysis and discussion of 20th century history: the people, periods, places and critical issues.]
  5. German Studies Review [The journal publishes articles and book reviews in history, literature, culture studies, political science, as well as interdisciplinary topics relating to the German-speaking areas of Europe encompassing primarily, but not exclusively, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.]

7. Internet Sources on the Third Reich


What follows is a list of internet sources relating to or on the Third Reich. These sources range in quality from excellent to dubious and must all be approached with caution. While it is not recommended that any of these be used as citable research for an academic paper they may prove useful for preliminary research and topic formation.

General Resources on the Third Reich:
Third Reich Military Resources:
Operations on the Eastern Front and Balkans
Artifacts From the Third Reich:
General History Reference Sites

    8. Resources on Essay Writing

    The following are a list of resources aimed at helping students improve their writing by walking them through the creation of a solid and well-rounded research paper. They provide information and tips on forming your topics, locating resources, organizing and compiling research, as well a writing and editing a paper.

    9. Chicago Manual Style Citation Guide


    As described in the course syllabus, history essay writing is based on the presentation of proof conforming with the rules of evidence in an expositive argument. As dictated by the professor the Chicago Style of footnoted citation is to be used to lead and guide the reader through the evidence backing the persuasive discourse of the text above it.