SCAND 445/JSIS A 442: Winter 2022
War and Occupation in the Northern Europe: World War II as History, Fiction, Media and Memory.
Tu/Th 2:30 - 4:20: Classroom (starting 1 Feb.): Seig Hall 225
Professor: Marianne Stecher-Hansen, Department of Scandinavian Studies.
Office hours by Zoom appointment (email: marianne@uw.edu).
Teaching Assistant: Ian Gwin, MA student in Scandinavian Studies (email: iangwin@uw.edu)
Course Description:
During World War Two, the Nordic and Baltic regions were clenched between two belligerent powers: the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. While Finland resisted Soviet aggression from the East, Denmark and Norway suffered military occupation by Nazi Germany. Sandwiched in between two warring powers, neutral Sweden avoided occupation by making concessions to the Axis powers. Farther west and beyond the immediate path of war, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands were occupied by the Allies (the British and Americans). In the Arctic region, Greenland (then a colony of Denmark) also held strategic significance for the Allies.
This course offers an analysis of the history of the Nordic region during the Second World War in close conversation with some historical, literary and cinematic texts.
Emphasizing the ‘Eastern” (Soviet) pressure on Finland and the Baltic states in relation to the ‘Western” (Nazi) occupation of Norway and Denmark, this course investigates the difficult fates of these small nations in the northern periphery of Europe. We will read historical scholarship in order to provide a context for studying literary fiction, essays, and memoirs from this historical period. Some of the selected texts are written by famous writers of the period (for example, John Steinbeck and Sigrid Undset); others are written by veterans, resistance fighters, or = survivors. We consider the representations of invaders, collaborators, resistors, and victims of persecution in various texts, some of which were published under political censorship. We also look at how these wartime texts represent the experience of military aggression and occupation by a foreign power. Finally, we will consider how national and cultural memory shapes the representations of WWII experiences in 21st-century cinema and historiography.
Note to enrolled students: Assignment dates and readings for each class meeting are posted below.
The readings and films are posted under "Modules." Assignment guidelines are posted under "Assignments."
Student Learning Goals:
- To gain knowledge of the history and literature of the Nordic region during World War Two.
- To develop a vocabulary for the study of war and occupation (key terms: alliance, collaboration, neutrality, occupation, resistance) and to support effective cross-cultural communication skills.
- To exercise the skill of analysis in discussion of wartime literature, films, and memoirs (making use of such key concepts: agency, audience, censorship, narrative, propaganda, reception, and rhetoric).
- To enhance critical thinking about societal issues such as power, inequality, civil disobedience, activism, and social change movements.
- To develop the practice and skills of inquiry-driven research and scholarship.
The Diversity Requirement:
This course fulfills the UW diversity requirement, which requires all undergraduates to take a minimum of 3 credits that focus on the sociocultural, political, and/or economic diversity of the human experience at local, regional, or global levels. This requirement is intended to help UW students develop an understanding of the complexities of living in increasingly diverse and interconnected societies. Courses that fulfill the diversity requirement focus on cross-cultural analysis and communication; and historical and contemporary inequities such as those associated with race, ethnicity, class, sex and gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, religion, creed, age, and socioeconomic status. Therefore, course activities in this class on “War and Occupation in the Nordic Region” encourage thinking critically about topics such as power, inequality, marginality, and social movements, and support effective cross-cultural communication skills.
Assignments and Evaluation for SCAND 445/JSIS A 442 A:
Grades will be based on two short essays, and a term paper, and a final test as well as class participation.
20% Two short essays (3-pages each; 10% each)
20% Participation: In-class and online "Discussions" (10%), and “Class conference” (10%)
10% One-page paper proposal and a bibliography.
10% Final Quiz, consisting of multi-choice questions
40% 8 – 10 page term research paper,
All students are advised to make use of the class guide in order to get started with the research for the term paper: http://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/scand445.
You can also make an appointment with our librarian, Dan Mandeville (dcman@uw.edu) who will help you get started with your research.
Further, you are encouraged to make use of UW campus writing centers, such as Odegaard Writing & Research Center https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/ for assistance with the final research paper.
Possible areas of investigation for term research papers:
- Analysis or close readings of particular literary texts, memoirs or testimony, around a particular concern, theme, or idea.
- Interpretation and contextualization of literary fiction or memoirs, published during wartime in a particular Nordic or Baltic country or a comparative study of two countries.
- Research into the roles of Indigenous Nordic peoples (Greenlandic Inuit and/or Saami peoples) in WWII and impact of war and occupation on their communities.
- Investigation of a particular topic in Nordic war history, literature or cinema that focuses on the representation of power, inequality, civil disobedience (resistance), and/or social movements.
- Analysis of the representation of invasions, occupations, or resistance movements in the construction of national myths and political identities of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and/or Sweden.
- Analysis of textual and/or cinematic representations of war or occupation in the context of a particular critical paradigm.
- Analysis of the ‘revisionist’ tendencies of postwar and recent scholarship dealing with WWII in the Nordic and Baltic
Required Texts:
The following books required (available at U-Bookstore, shelved under SCAND 445):.
1. Väinö Linna, Unknown Soldiers. Penguin Modern Classics, [1954] 2015. (ISBN: 978-0-141-39365-0)
2. John Steinbeck, The Moon is Down, Penguin Classics [1942] 1995. (ISBN 978-0-14-018746-5).
3. Göran Rosenberg, A Brief Stop on the Road from Auschwitz, trans. By Sarah Death. Granta, [2012] 2014. (ISBN: 978-1-78378-130-0).
4. Marianne Stecher-Hansen, ed. Nordic War Stories: World War II as History, Fiction, Media and Memory. Berghahn Books, 2021 (ISBN 978-1-78920-962-4 ebook, available on Canvas and via UW libraries).
In addition, there are numerous required readings posted on CANVAS (under weekly ‘Modules’).
Religious Accommodations Policy: “Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).”
Weekly Reading Schedule: Fall 2022
Week #1: Introduction and Overview (2 meetings):
How do historians ‘narrate’ the plot of the war or wars in the North? How does memory and cultural memory shape our understanding of the past generally and World War II specifically? We will begin by exploring the relationship between history and literary texts and by surveying the historical period and the geo-political region. We will consider briefly the rise of Nazi Germany in relation to the Soviet Union in the 1930s and the race for domination of the Nordic and Baltic regions.
(Assigned reading is either posted on Canvas or in required books for course and should be read in advance of lectures)
Tu. 4 Jan (remote meeting by Zoom):
Introduction: Course goals and requirements/The ‘Plot’ of the Race for the North
READ: Marianne Stecher-Hansen, “Introduction” to Nordic War Stories, 1 – 15. (on Canvas under “Modules” and eBook, Nordic War Stories)
READ: John Keegan, “Do We Need a New History of the Second World War?” (on Canvas)
Thu 6 Jan (remote meeting by Zoom):
READ: Martti Häikiö, “The Race for the North,” 53 – 73 (only first 20 pages of article) (on Canvas)
READ: Aleida Assman, “Canon and Archive,” pp 97 – 107. (on Canvas)
Weeks 2 and 3: Finland; The Nazi-Soviet Grip -The Finnish Wars - Unknown Soldiers (4 meetings):
We take a close look at Finland during the Winter War of 1939—1940 (between the Soviet Union and Finland) and consider the “Continuation War of 1941-44,” when Finland was a ‘co-belligerent’ (ie ally) of Germany. We will discuss selected chapters from Linna’s famous novel, Unknown Soldiers, depicting the Continuation War 1941 - 1944 and discuss how this collective novel depicts the Finnish war experience. We will also ask the question: What is a ‘war novel’? Finally, we will consider the battle over the Finnish cultural memory of the World War II.
Tu 11 Jan:
READ: Juhana Auneslouoma, “Finland in WWII: Tragedy, Survival and Good Wars," Nordic War Stories, pp. 21 - 32.
READ: Oula Silvennoinen, “Janus of the North? Finland 1940 – 44; Finland’s road into alliance with Hitler,” Hitler’s Scandinavian Legacy, 129 – 143 (on Canvas).
WATCH: Film clips in-class/on Canvas: “The Winter War” (1988), by Pekka Parikka; and Film clip: “Fire and Ice: The Winter War” (2005).
Thu 13 Jan:
READ: Linna, Unknown Soldiers, Chapters 1 – 2: pp. 1 – 69.
READ: Julia Pajunen, “The Battle over Finnish Cultural Memory of War,” in Nordic War Stories.
Guest lecture by TA Ian Gwin - English translation from Finnish of Linna's novel, Unknown Soldiers.
(Monday 17 January is Martin Luther King Day)
Tu 18 Jan:
READ: V. Linna, Unknown Soldiers, Chapters 12 – 13, pp. 334 – 386.
READ: Juhana Auneslouoma, "Two Shadows over Finland," Hitler's Scandinavian Legacy (on Canvas).
Thu 20 Jan
READ: Linna, Unknown Soldiers, Chapters 14 – 16, pp. 387 – 466.
WATCH: Trailers/clips of film adaptations, The Unknown Soldier (1955; 1985; 2017)
DUE: Sat 22 January: Essay #1 on Narrating History/Finland's Separate Wars/Linna's novel, Unknown Soldiers.
Weeks 4 and 5: Norway: Allied and Occupied--Allied Propaganda – Steinbeck and Unset (3 meetings)
We will explore the position of Norway as both allied and occupied during World War II, and look at the role of civilian resistance as well as that of Quisling’s NS party. We will consider books written in the service of the Allied cause, including Sigrid Undset’s work of 1942, published originally in the US, as well as John Steinbeck’s novella, The Moon is Down (1942) that enjoyed a wide underground readership in occupied Western Europe. Lastly, we will consider how the 'cultural memory' of the Norwegian experience in World War II is depicted in recent cinematic productions.
Tu 25 Jan: Invasion of Norway – Views from the Allied Front
WATCH: Invasion of Norway “The World at War” (clip on Canvas)
READ: Tom Kristiansen, “The Norwegian War Experience: Occupied and Allied,” from Nordic War Stories,
READ: Sigrid Undset, “”Norway, Spring 1940” from Return to the Future (first chapter only)
Optional READ: Christine Hamm, “Sigrid Undset’s Problematic Propaganda,” in Nordic War Stories.
Thu 27 Jan: Literature or Propaganda?/Collaboration or Resistance
READ: John Steinbeck, The Moon is Down (pp. 1 – 50).
READ: Ole Kristian Grimnes, "Norway's Occupation and Collective Memory." (on Canvas)
WATCH: Documentary (2005), clip depicting Vidkun Quisling's 1945 trial & execution (on Canvas)
Tu 1 Feb: Acts of Resistance – Patriotic Memories
READ: John Steinbeck, The Moon is Down (pp. 51 – 112)
Optional READ: Gunnar Iversen, “Acts of. Remembering – Norwegian Occupation Drama,” in Nordic War Stories.
WATCH film trailers and clips: The King’s Choice (2016) and The 12th Man (2017) [Optional Watch: entire films on Amazon Prime Video]
Week 5 - 6 : Occupied Denmark: Cultural Memory and Postwar Cinema (3 meetings):
Next, we investigate the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany. We consider the Danish government’s “policy of negotiation” (policy of collaboration) as well as the resistance movement, as it has been constructed in the national memory and made the subject of documentaries and postwar films.
Th 3 Feb: Occupation and Cooperation
READ: Sofie Lene Bak, “Danish Historical Narratives of the Occupation,: The Promises and Lies of the 9th of April,” in Nordic War Stories.
READ: H.C. Andersen, "The Wicked Prince - A Fairy Tale." (on Canvas)
WATCH: Documentary film, Denmark -Living with the Enemy (on Canvas)
Tu. 8 Feb. Legacy of Resistance and Rescue - Memoir and Literature
READ: Kim Malthe-Bruun’s letters, “Resistance and Prison,”(1945) pp. 137 – 175.
WATCH: Trailer for 'Flame and Citron" (2008)
Thu 10 Feb. Revisionist historical narratives - new Danish Cinema
READ: Tove Ditlevsen, "Oranges," short story (on Canvas).
READ: Marianne Stecher-Hansen, "The War Film as Cultural Memory in Denmark; April 9th and Land of Mine," in Nordic War Stories.
WATCH: "Land of Mine" (2015) (on Canvas)
DUE: Sat 12 February – Essay #2 (on Occupied Norway and/or Denmark)
Week 7: Absent from Cultural Memory? – The Arctic: Indigenous Peoples in World War II
During week 7, we will talk about 2 overlooked areas: Danish territories in the North Atlantic (Greenland and Iceland) during WWII, and then about the Arctic region of Scandinavia and the role of the Indigenous people, the Sami, and the destruction of "Lapland" during WWII.
Tu 15 Feb Greenland, Iceland and the Allies
READ: Niels Aage Skov, “The Use of Historical Myth: Denmark’s World War II Experience” (esp. section about Greenland, pp. 93-95) [on Canvas}
READ: Arctic Convoys (website on Canvas)
Th 17 Feb Arctic front and the Saami
Guest presentation: Prof. Troy Storfjell (Saami), Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma.
READ: Aalehtta, “The Sami and World War II” ( website on Canvas)
READ: Lehtola, Veli-Pekka. The Sámi People: Traditions in Transition. Trans. Linna Weber Müller-Wille. Aanaar, Finland: Kustannus-Puntsi, 2002. (on Canvas). READ pp. 52 - 55.
Optional READ: Gorter-Gronvik and Suprun, “Ethnic minorities and warfare at the Arctic front 1939 – 45”
DUE: Sun 20 February – Abstract and Bibliography
Weeks 8 and 9 Sweden’s Neutrality –Bystander and Rescuer Nation - Holocaust memoir and postmemory
In relation to the war in Finland and occupied Norway, we will consider Sweden’s political neutrality during WWII, a position that has come under scrutiny in the postwar decades. The paradox of Sweden’s humanitarian legacy will be considered. In the context of cultural memory study, we will read the award-winning memoir of the Swedish son of a Holocaust survivor in the context of the role of Sweden as a wartime neutral.
(Monday, 21 February is President's Day holiday)
Tu 22 Feb
READ: John Gilmour, “Sweden’s Ambiguous War,” in Nordic War Stories,
READ: Ken Zetterberg, “The Case of Sweden,” in Hitler’s Scandinavian Legacy, pp. 101 – 124. (on Canvas)
Thu 24 Feb:
Guest Speaker: Karin Filipsson, PhD student.
READ: Goran Rosenberg, A Brief Stop on the Road from Auschwitz, pp. 3 – 74 (“The Place” and “The Wall”)
READ: Johan Östling, “The Rise and Fall of Small-State Realism: Sweden and the Second World War,” in Hitler’s Scandinavian Legacy pp. 127 – 142.
Tu 1 March:
READ: Rosenberg, A Brief Stop on the Road from Auschwitz, pp. 74 - 157 (“”The Carousel” and “The Road”)
Thu 3 March:
Read: Rosenberg, A Brief Stop on the Road from Auschwitz, pp. 275 - 330 (“The Shadows” and “The Aftermath”)
Guest presentation: Ian Gwin, MA-student, on WWII and the Baltic States.
Week 10: Conclusions
Tu 8 March “Class Conference” (Oral presentations of Term papers in Peer Groups).
Th 10 March: In-class peer-group review of study questions/followed by In-class final Quiz (bring SCAN-TRON form and pencil). Review of Instructions and formatting of Final Term Papers and Bibliography.
Wed, March 16: Term paper Research Papers due.
DUE: Final Term Papers - Wednesday, 16 March on Canvas (Final Exam Week)