Unit information: War Crimes (Level I Special Field) in 2012/13

Unit name	War Crimes (Level I Special Field)
Unit code	HIST20025
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Cervantes
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	HIST23008
School/department	Department of History (Historical Studies)
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit explores the question of war crimes in Europe in the Twentieth century. We will address urgent questions about the nature of war crimes, nationalism, ethnic cleansing, and collective responsibility, focusing in particular on two case-studies: the Second World War and the war in former Yugoslavia. What exactly are war crimes and how has Europe dealt with them in the Twentieth century? After the judgment and punishment of Nazi criminals at Nuremberg and elsewhere, war crimes were again the protagonists of another European war, which came about as a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia, and Europe had to deal with the issue once again establishing an international court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which is still trying former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. We will identify and explain concepts relating to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and we will critically appraise primary (such as the Moscow Declaration of 1943, the Universal Declaration and the European Convention on Human Rights, the Rome Statute of 1998 as well as sources from the National Archives, London) and secondary sources to examine the historical context in which war crimes were committed as well as the questions of judgment and punishment, and memory, or the way individuals, communities and nations have dealt with their dark past through remembrance, historiography and the legal settlements mentioned above.

By the end of the unit the students will have:

• The ability to demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the main issues relating to war crimes in Europe in the Twentieth century.
• The ability to locate and assemble information on various aspects of war crimes and human rights in Europe by their own research.
• The ability to identify the key concepts and different viewpoints on the subject.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit students should have:

• identified, analysed, and deepened their understanding of the significance of key themes relating to the concept and history of war crimes
• understood the historiographical debates that surround the topic
• learned how to work with primary sources
• developed their skills in contributing to and learning from discussion in a small-group environment

Teaching Information

Weekly 2-hour seminar Access to tutorial consultation with unit tutor in office hours

Assessment Information

2-hour unseen written examination (summative, 100%)

The examination will assess their understanding of the unit’s key themes, the related historiography as developed during their reading and participation in / learning from small group seminars, and relevant primary sources. Further assessment of their handling of the relevant primary sources will be provided by the co-requisite Special Field Project (HIST 23008)

Reading and References

Bass G.J., Stay the hand of vengeance : the politics of war crimes tribunals, Princeton NJ, Oxford: Princeton University Press (2002).

Bloxham D., Genocide on trial: the war crimes trials and the formation of Holocaust history and memory, Oxford: OUP (2001).

May L., War crimes and just war, Cambridge: CUP (2007).

Robertson G., Crimes against humanity, London: Penguin (2002).