PBL Faculty Institute - "Appeasement in the Twentieth Century" Lynn Mally and David Johnson

"Appeasement in the Twentieth Century"

Lynn Mally and David Johnson

History 41C
Europe in the Twentieth Century

Problem 1: "The Munich Accords"
Problem 2: "Appeasement after Munich: The Case of Kosovo"

Appeasement in 20th Century European History

This two-part PBL assignment is designed for an introductory class in Twentieth Century European History to be taught in Spring 2001. This course, History 41C, is one of the History Department's introductory surveys. It meets requirements for the History major and campus requirements for Humanistic Inquiry. Usually, the course draws about 100 students. It meets three times a week for 50 minute lectures and once a week for required sections with approximately 25 students each.

Course Objectives

Content Goals:

To teach the basic outlines of 20th century European history, including the origins and outcomes of the two world wars, the rise of communism and fascism, the effects of the Cold War, and the changing face of Europe as a result of decolonization and the fall of Communism.

Skill Goals:

To show students how historians work. Historians construct analyses by assessing primary source documents relevant to their topic and by taking into account the work of those who have addressed the subject before them. They are also influenced by the problems and methodologies of the time period in which they are writing.
To develop writing skills, especially the ability to structure an original argument based on primary sources.
To develop research skills, including basic library work and web-based searches facilitated by the History Librarian and teaching assistants. The assignments will encourage students to work together to develop their research skills.
To examine how politicians, journalists, and the general public make use of historical comparisons to explain and justify current practices.

PBL Assignment One
The Munich Accords

Content Goals: In this project, you will learn about the complex historical context that made the 1939 Munich Accords possible. In this agreement, the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, allowed Hitler to annex part of Czechoslovakia in exchange for a promise of peace, a strategy that has come to be known as "appeasement." You will discover a wide range of factors that political leaders need to consider to make foreign policy decisions. In addition, you will examine interpretations of the long term consequences of this agreement for European history.

Skill Goals: You will learn how historians arrive at interpretations of the events and processes they examine. Their fundamental building blocks are called "primary sources," relevant documents generated during the time period they are studying. You will also learn to construct a persuasive historical argument using primary sources. The group process will allow you to widen your research base and test your arguments for their accuracy and persuasive power.

For this project, you will be provided with a limited list of primary source documents relevant to the Munich Accords. These are meant to get your discussions started. You must also locate relevant documents on your own. Below is also a list of good sources for additional material.

Use these to generate an answer to the question: From the standpoint of the British government in 1939, did the Munich Accords represent a reasonable alternative to another world war? Your 1000-1200 word paper must include a clearly stated thesis; the factors that you considered to come to a decision about the British government's actions; and the references to the evidence you used to make your case.

Group Process: You will break up into groups of four (including a recorder, a facilitator, a critic, and an organizer) and begin work on the assignment during the fourth week of the quarter. All of you will have read the provided primary sources. You will then determine what else you need to know to answer the question. Each group member will take responsibility for finding more information. During the week, on e-mail, you will share your questions and sources with your fellow group members and your TA.

During the fifth week in discussion sections, the groups will meet again and discuss the additional information you have located. At this session you will also determine elements that you find essential to the final paper and work out tentative outlines. During the week, you will share your written outline with fellow group members and your TA on e-mail.

The final paper will be due in section in the sixth week. You will also hand in an assessment of the group process. Your TA will use this evaluation, as well as your e-mail contributions, when calculating your grade for class participation. The completed written assignment will count for 20% of your final grade.

Required Documents (available on the course website)

Chamberlain's letters to his sisters, March 1938
Official British strategy toward Czechoslovakia, May 1938.
Chamberlain's radio broadcast, 27 September 1938
The Munich Accords
Churchill's Speech to Parliament, 5 October 1938

Some Sources for more material (on 2 hour reserve in the Library)

Winston S. Churchill, The Gathering Storm
Anthony Eden, Facing the Dictators
Neville Chamberlain, In Search of Peace
Documents on British Foreign Policy, Series II and III
Parliamentary Debates: House of Commons, fifth series
The Times (London) (available in the microfilm collection)

PBL assignment #2
Appeasement after Munich-the Case of Kosovo

Since 1938, the "lessons of Munich" have been evoked many times by politicians, journalists and the general public. According to this interpretation, the British should have known better than to make compromises with an expansionist dictatorship because the only power such regimes recognize is force. When NATO forces became involved in Kosovo in 1999, many influential politicians, including the American Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, justified intervention as a way to avoid "another Munich." In this analogy, Milosovic, the Serbian leader, was compared to Hitler. Western leaders who were not willing to use force were compared to Chamberlain.

In this assignment you will write a position paper for Madeline Albright giving your assessment of the comparison to the Munich Accords as a way to justify NATO's policies.

Content Goals: You will learn about the complex situation within the former Yugoslavia that made NATO leaders believe that intervention was necessary in order to stop human rights abuses and political destabilization. In addition, you will investigate why this decision was extremely controversial and has provoked extreme criticism, especially from Russia.

Assignment Goals: You will test the assumptions made in this comparison of the situation in the former Yugoslavia in 1999 to Czechoslovakia in 1938 Are there persuasive similarities? Or is this an emotional appeal?

In this assignment, you will continue with the same groups as were formed in the first PBL project. The role stay the same (recorder, facilitator, critic, and organizer) but you can switch roles within the group. Your task is to write a position paper for Madeleine Albright providing a critical account of her comparison of the situation in Yugoslavia in 1999 to Czechoslovakia in 1938.

Beginning in the eighth week of your discussion section, you will begin discussion in groups of documents on Kosovo. You will begin by informing yourselves about the recent history of Kosovo and the factors that led to international involvement.

The final position paper, 700-1000 words, is due in section the tenth week. It will count for 15% of your final grade.

Course Outline

Week One

Lectures-The Background for World War I. Lecture assignment-who was responsible for the war?

Sections-Introductions, assessments of the start of the war. Is it possible to assign blame?

Week Two

Lectures-The Consequences of the War. The Russian Revolution and the Versailles Treaty. Lecture assignment-draw a map of Czechoslovakia.

Sections-Begin work with primary documents. Examine excerpts from the Versailles Treaty.

Week Three

Lectures-Instability in the 1920s; the rise of the Nazis in Germany. Lecture assignment-who supported the Nazis?

Sections-Examine some of the writings of Hitler; examine Western European political responses to the rise of Hitler

Week Four

Lectures-The coming of the Second World War; Two views of the Munich Accords; Research skills aimed at the PBL assignment

Sections-Students begin discussion of their PBL assignment on the Munich Accords

Week Five

Lectures-The Second World War; another peace. Lecture assignment-drawing the borders of a new Europe.

Sections-Students share research and draft outlines for the written assignment.

Week Six

Lectures-The Cold War, Eastern Europe, Lecture assignment--Why no Western intervention in Hungary?

Sections-First PBL assignment due. Students share their findings.

Week Seven

Lectures-Decolonization, the Cold War moves abroad; effects on European societies.

Sections-Assignments to help students use the web to search contemporary news events.

Week Eight

Lectures-Challenges to Capitalism and Communism. Youth rebellions East and West; Czechoslovakia's "Socialism with a Human Face." Lecture assignment-tracing the influence of Western music in the East Bloc.

Sections-Begin research on second PBL assignment

Week Nine

Lectures-The End of the East Bloc. Lecture assignment-Who won the Cold War?

Sections-Continue research on second PBL assignment

Week Ten

Lectures-New Instability in Europe. Kosovo

Sections-Present position papers on Kosovo.

Role Definitions

Facilitator-

Keeps the group on track, maintains full participation. Can take part in the discussion, but mainly tries to make sure that other members talk and do their share. This person will be in charge of making sure that everyone contributes to exchanges on e-mail.

Recorder-

Records assignments, strategies, unresolved issues, data; convenes group outside of class; keeps group record sheets.

Organizer-

At the end of each session, this person determines the tasks that the group members will need to do for the next sessions and the steps they need to take to further their progress.

Critic-

This group members challenges the group consensus and urges people to examine problems from different points of view. S/he also makes sure that information is well-documented and not based simply on hear-say.