Students experience history up close: Strategic solutions for Europe!

Students experience history up close: Strategic solutions for Europe!

On March 18, 2025, an exciting workshop for the 11th grade of a Nuremberg high school took place, led by Prof. Dr. Peter Geiss and Victor Söll from the University of Bonn. The event was carried out in collaboration with the Friedrich Foundation and took place in Haus Annaberg near Bonn. For the occasion, this was transformed into the Washington State Department of 1946/47.

As part of a simulation game, the students took on the roles of strategic advisors to US President Harry S. Truman. The aim of the workshop was to develop strategic recommendations for a democratic Europe facing Soviet threats. Prof. Geiss noted that strategic questions are hardly addressed in German history lessons. In order to counteract this gap, the approach of “strategy-sensitive history teaching” was launched.

Strategic thinking in history lessons

The aim of the workshop is to support teachers in integrating strategic thinking into history lessons. Students addressed key strategic questions, covering topics such as military strength, diplomacy, deterrence and nuclear risks. It became clear that the aim was not to derive direct answers from the past, but rather to promote strategic reflection and dealing with complex dilemmas.

A central aspect of the workshop was the ethical dimension of strategic thinking in a democratic society. Geiss explained that the workshop is intended to help create a broader basis for strategic thinking among the population. The students showed great interest and commitment during the exercises.

The containment policy and its concepts

In the simulation game, three groups represent different strategic concepts that were influential in US foreign policy during the Cold War:

• Die „Containment“-Strategie von George F. Kennan
• Die Position von Walter Lippmann zur wirtschaftlichen Stärkung Europas
• Das Konzept von Henry A. Wallace für friedliche Verständigung mit der Sowjetunion

These approaches reflect the contents of the Truman Doctrine, presented by President Truman on March 12, 1947. This doctrine was aimed at supporting states such as Greece and Turkey that were threatened by the Soviet Union. Truman distinguished between two ways of life: that of the majority, with freedom and free elections, and that of the minority, characterized by coercion and terror. The support of free peoples was considered necessary to ensure stability and political order and to contain communism.

A central component of the containment policy was the Marshall Plan, which was also drafted by George F. Kennan in 1947. The plan was intended to provide support in the form of money, raw materials and food to European countries and the two German states after World War II. From 1948 to 1952, this plan led to an economic boom in Western Europe, while the USSR put pressure on the Eastern Bloc to prevent it from accepting US aid.

Overall, the workshop shows how important it is to convey historical events and their strategic dimensions in the educational sector. The challenges of the Cold War and the underlying strategic considerations provide students with a valuable perspective on current and future political issues.