Under Nazi Occupation: resistance and collaboration in Western Europe module (HY31045)

​​This module focuses on France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway under Nazi occupation during the Second World War. You will explore how the Nazi regime operated in each country, how civil servants, police forces and other authorities in each country responded to the Nazi regime and occupation, and how different groups in society in each country either collaborated with or resisted the Nazi regime. 

​The module topics include the persecution of Jewish people and other ethnic, religious, political, and social groups; varieties of resistance and the resisters’ dependence on Great Britain; the liberation of occupied countries in 1944 and 1945; and the rebuilding of civil society in the aftermath of armed conflict. You will also examine how the memories of war and occupation have been understood in the decades since. 

​The module draws on a wide range of primary sources, both visual and textual (in English translation).  The visual materials include documentaries and films. Teaching takes place through weekly seminars and student-led workshop groups. You will do group work in the workshop groups, write weekly module portfolio entries on workshop themes, and engage in anonymous peer review of the module portfolio entries of other students. 

​What you will learn 

​In this module, you will: 

• ​Examine the variety of Nazi occupation regimes across France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway 
• ​Engage with a wide range of primary sources, visual and textual (in English translation) 
• ​Study the historiography of the Nazi occupation in Western Europe 
• ​Develop critical, analytical, and communication skills through seminars, group work in weekly workshop meetings, and written work 
• ​Practise self-directed learning and reflect on feedback to improve your work 

​By the end of this module, you will be able to: 

• ​Understand the variety of Nazi occupation regimes and the responses of different social groups in the occupied countries 
• ​Demonstrate knowledge of the persecution of Jewish people and other groups in the occupied countries 
• ​Engage in comparative analysis across the four occupied countries 
• ​Read and analyse primary sources critically, addressing methodological and interpretative issues 
• ​Think and argue logically and persuasively in oral and written form 
• ​Show initiative and self-discipline in learning​

Assignments / assessments

​​Module portfolio (40%) 

• ​A portfolio of weekly entries written and submitted during the teaching semester  
• ​You receive feedback from your tutor on the first draft entry (if submitted on time) 
• ​You are encouraged to revise your draft entries for final submission, taking account of anonymous student peer review and the feedback from your tutor 

​Written exam (60%) 

• ​This will be taken during the Exam Diet at the end of the semester​

Teaching methods / timetable

• ​​Weekly seminars and student-led workshop groups (three hours per week in total for eleven weeks) 
• ​You will engage in anonymous peer review of draft module portfolio entries 
• ​Tutor feedback on the first draft portfolio entry (if submitted on time)