Great Revolutions (Summer 2002)
Center for Talented Youth: Johns Hopkins University
Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
Instructor: Dr. Robinson YostTeaching Assistant: Ryan Frace
Comrade Lenin Sweeps the Globe Clean (1920) Matter of Reflection for Crowned Jugglers (1793)
Introduction:
This course introduces students to the discipline of history by examining two influential revolutions: The French Revolution and The Russian Revolution. Though students will learn about the long-term origins, major players, significant events, and lasting consequences of these revolutions, the focus will be on the nature of history itself. How do historians attempt to reconstruct stories about the past? How have the goals, purposes, & methods of history changed over time? What are the pitfalls of interpreting various sources? What does it mean to call particular events “revolutionary”? In what ways are they remembered today and why? Why is it worthwhile to learn about history?
Official Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to explore the question, "What is history?" and to help students understand how historians work by exploring important aspects of the French and Russian revolutions. While this is not a survey course, the study of revolutionary movements is an excellent way to begin the study of history because these movements encompass elements of religious, social, economic, and cultural development which are vital to an understanding of the discipline.
The term "revolution" is often applied only to a short burst of violence or a war of a few years. In this course, however, it also refers to the social, cultural, and political trends that developed over generations and culminated in some of history’s great revolutions. Students focus on the development of class consciousness and revolutionary ideologies and follow these through to the aftermaths of each revolution.
Students analyze primary documents and learn to critically evaluate secondary sources. Instruction in writing historical arguments is a central feature of the course. By considering comparative analyses of different scholars’ work on the same event, students gain not only a better understanding of history but also a greater appreciation for the historian’s craft.
Class Readings:
● Arnold, John H., History: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2000)
● Doyle, William, The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2001)
● Mason, Laura & Tracey Rizzo (eds.), The French Revolution: A Document Collection (Houghton Mifflin, 1999)
● Suny, Ronald & Arthur Adams (eds.), The Russian Revolution and Bolshevik Victory (D. C. Heath and Company, 1990)
● numerous handouts & possible library work
Either death to capitalism, or death under the heel of capitalism (1919)
Week One: History & Historiography
Introduction: What is history? What do historians do? Why & how?
Ancient
The Greeks
The Romans
Early Christian
Medieval
Renaissance & Reformation
Early Modern
Enlightenment
Modern
Postmodern
“The Little Cartesian Devil”: German Peasants Capturing the Little Devil Napoleon
Week Two: French Revolution(s)
Political context: Le Roi Soleil (Absolute Monarchy)
Intellectual context: Newtonianism & The Age of Reason
Economic & Social contexts: European expansion (colonies, mercantilism)
The Revolution(s):
1776- 89American Revolution1794-99Consolidation of Power
1789-92The Revolution Begins1799-1815Napoleonic Era
1792-94Robespierre & the Terror1815-48Europe after Napoleon
Was the Revolution revolutionary? What has it meant? What were the consequences?
Week Three: Russian Revolution(s)
Political Context: Absolutism & the Russian Tsars
Intellectual Context: Socialism, Marxism, Communism
Economic & Social contexts: Agriculture, industry, peasants & urban workers
The Revolution(s):
1880s+Immediate BackgroundMarch 1917Provisional Govt.
1904-05Russo-Japanese War, RevolutionOctober 1917Lenin & the Bolsheviks
August 1914The Great War begins1918-21Reds versus White
1914-17The Eastern Front1924-39After Lenin, Stalinism