Minutes on the Meeting of Monday, March 7, 2005

Darrah Lustig

1) We began our class with an informal discussion of which languages we currently speak or are learning, which was prompted by the title of Jake’s midterm essay written in French. We then moved on to speak about the titles of our papers in more detail in an effort to understand the significance that a proper and interesting title carries. Professor Mahoney read the titles of our papers out loud and asked us the following questions:

Which of these are interesting?
Which of these titles makes us want to continue reading the paper?

As a class we mentioned three titles that stuck out among the group including: “Napoleon, Clearer of New Ground,” which was contributed by Rose. She further explained the significance of her title as demonstrating the correlation between Novalis and Napoleon. Novalis, which is the chosen penname of Friedrich von Hardenburg, translates to "Clearer of New Ground". “Napoleon: Little Man, Big Impact” was conceived of by Angi. Her title evoked the discussion about the German word for inspiration which is Einfall. It literally translates to something that falls upon you. “Echoes of Napoleonic Innovation and Evidence of Greater European Aspirations,” by Darrah, was not discussed in great detail, but it was agreed that the title was interesting.

2) Professor Mahoney then discussed our papers. They have been graded, but rather than hand them out in class, Professor Mahoney would like to arrange individual meetings with each student. In the meetings we will speak about our most recent paper, our upcoming research paper and comments, suggestions and questions about the class and our writing style in general. The range of grades was wide, from an A to a C-. Content and Organization compiled the highest percentage of the grade at 70% followed by 30% according to writing style, title, punctuation and overall appearance. Professor Mahoney explained that neither of the two grades were dependent on each other though they may tend to be. The acceptable length of our paper was brought up by Cherise. Professor Mahoney assured us that the length of the paper was not set in stone but merely an approximation.

3) An important topic which we addressed in regards to our papers was how to properly cite quotations. Many of us failed to cite individual authors from our textbook The Idea of Europe, edited by Anthony Pagden. To this effect, Professor Mahoney distributed packets photocopied from the MLA (Modern Language Association) Handbook as to how to go about this task. Professor Mahoney stressed that there is an art to choosing the right quote and explaining it well. Patrick brought up the difference between footnotes and bibliographies to which Professor Mahoney made the comment that the MLA is not the only source we may use to learn how to correctly cite our papers. He also maintains that the more information included in the citation the better as long as it is all relevant and useful, (i.e. page numbers are always useful). We looked at the bibliographies at the end of each chapter in our textbook The History of the Idea of Europe, edited by Kevin Wilson and Jan van der Dussen. Professor Mahoney hopes that these examples will provide a template which will improve our future written work. As an additional aide, Professor Mahoney took a poll in the class as to whether we would benefit from a tutorial with a reference librarian. Accordingly, Professor Mahoney will see to the arrangements. He further added that there are many materials available to us in the Seminar Room for the German/Russian Department in Waterman 420 where we may use the books for research.

4) Professor Mahoney then handed out another packet from the text Europe Reborn: A History, 1914-2000, by Harold James which had been a prospective textbook for our class and is available in the Seminar Room. The selection that we received includes detailed information about World War I, including statistical approximations as to the death toll in each country (51). The author explains why Hitler and the Nazis were able to induce World War II so easily. Residual fear from World War I shrank opposition in an effort to avoid war but really escalated Hitler’s power to such a height that nothing could be done to stop his campaign.

5) The packet also contains the 14 Points of Woodrow Wilson (which is supplemented by reading on page 86 in our textbook The History of the Idea of Europe). 14 Points is the name given to the proposals of President Woodrow Wilson designed to establish the basis for a just and lasting peace following the victory of the Allies in World War I. The 14 Points were delivered to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in 1918. We are able to read those points on pages 69 to 72 in the text by Harold James. The idea of critiquing the morals of Europe is explored on page 86 as well. As a class we drew our own parallels to the French Revolution and the participation of Novalis and Napoleon to the Idea of Europe. We deduced that Novalis’s idea of religion was the moral force behind the European unification that he hoped for while Napoleon made drastic political changes and prepared to implement them across Europe as part of a “one-size fits all” program. Rose discussed Woodrow Wilson’s role in implementing the League of Nations which was another organization that aspired to unify Europe in some way. We made reference to Immanuel Kant’s idea of “perpetual peace” on page 70 which the League of Nations looked to. Also on page 70, Professor Mahoney referred to Henry Cabot Lodge, who proposed amendments to the League of Nations before the U.S. would agree to its terms.

6) We briefly discussed the consequences of World War I. Austria and Germany were blamed for the war and were forced to accept that blame and consequently pay for the damages due to war which was a condition of the Treaty of Versailles and which indebted Germany and Austria to other world powers (and provoked the political instability which set the stage for Hitler’s rise to power in Germany). Other conditions included Austria’s inability to mandate its own politics. After World War I the aim of international politics turned to finding and maintaining peace in Europe. The idea strikes the world that perhaps Europe is not the center of culture and civilization which it was imagined to be. Other ideas include the desire to form distinct ethnic communities out of the remnants of the Russian, Ottoman, German and Austro-Hungarian empires.

7) We then discussed our assignment, pages 83-106 in “The History of the Idea of Europe.” We have begun to read the second essay entitled “The Nation Supreme The Idea of Europe” by Peter Bugge. His essay provides a summary of the years immediately prior to World War I through 1945. The introduction to Bugge’s essays provides us with the structure of his argument. He stresses the difference between projects for Europe and perceptions of Europe and will explore the two in more detail under the following subsections. We realized as a class that it is Napoleon who would have been categorized under projects and Novalis under perceptions, but we also realize that the two ideas are very closely related.

8) We discussed the political plans which comprised the projects that Bugge will speak about including the idea of “Mitteleuropa” or “Central Europe” (1915) proposed by Friedrich Naumann on page 90. The political plans intended to make a virtue out of necessity by creating a self sufficient economic block out of wartime Germany and Austria-Hungary. There is talk of a “common market” within the new center of Europe while Germany has been cut out of international trade due to the British naval blockade. Instead of prohibiting Germany this ban forced the country to become self sufficient and create the products which it lacked like artificial fertilizer (which was also a key to resurrecting munitions as a vital component to the economy). The idea of “Mitteleuropa” resurfaces again in the 70s and 80s in the shape of the search for a cultural identity in Europe among the countries which served as battlegrounds for international power struggles (i.e., Germany in the Cold War). Patrick mentioned the Treaty of Versailles and its aim to keep Germany unarmed and at peace; separating Russia from Germany; and the balance of power to prevent war which included conditions under which German power had to be diminished by decreasing the size of the German army, returning land to France and parceling land out to other countries including Poland.

9) We then discussed the emergence of the Czech Republic by way of T.G. Masaryk, the father of the Czech Republic. Masaryk aimed to make the Czech Republic an essential part of the new Europe. As World War I came to a close he proposed an idea of a new Europe which stressed self determination in the face of people being swallowed whole by multi-ethnic nations (i.e. Austria-Hungary). Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and Estonia all appear within the new Europe which is reconfiguring the look of Europe. Masaryk wanted to break with the autocratic regimes of the past and make the nation-state important. He advocated for the new state of the Czechs and the Slovaks which produced Czechoslovakia. Yugoslavia was also a creation in the aftermath of World War I that no longer exists.

10) Lastly Professor Mahoney reminded us that we have another chance to view the Bosnian movies if we have not already (which invitation has also been e-mailed to the students). On Sunday, March 12 we will have the opportunity to see these films for free at the Roxy Theatre in downtown Burlington.

11) Our next assignment is to read as far as page 113 in our text “The History of the Idea of Europe” which covers the topic of Fascism, Nazism and Europe - projects of a deadly kind.