HIST 4335-001An Age of Revolutions: Europe in 1700- 1918
Instructor: Dr. Olga Velikanova Spring 2017
E-mail:
Office hours: WH # 237, Thu 4.50- 5.30 pm and by appointment
Course Description:
The course examines Europe in the Age of Revolutions 1700-1918: European political, social, economic, and cultural developments from the Old Regime to the Russian revolution. Topics include the agrarian and industrial revolutions, the Enlightenment as spiritual revolution, the Great French Revolution and the revolutions of 1830, 1848 and 1917. The course will provide a survey of key events and processes of social change while emphasizing in particular ideologies such as nationalism, socialism, liberalism and conservatism. We’ll study the cultural context of the revolutions and how they affected the lives of people. The course is multi-media based: we will draw not only on text and documents, but on visual materials.
Learning Objectives of the course are: to develop students’ ability to think historically, i.e. apply critical thinking to historical context, and conceptualize the facts and events – to see the “big picture”. Students will learn to read historical and political texts critically, to convey their ideas in written and oral form articulating coherent argumentation well-supported with historical evidence.
Required Texts:
John Merriman, A History of Modern Europe. From the French Revolution to the Present, Vol. 2., (M) W.W.Norton & Company, University Book Store.
Sources of the Western Tradition (SWT), by Perry, Wadsworth, Bookstore.
Isser Woloch, Eighteen-century Europe. Tradition and Progress, 1715-1789.(W) Bookstore
Storey, Writing History: a guide for students – in the library on reserve for Velikanova’s classes.
Assignments:
Students are expected to: a) attend regularly; b) complete the assigned readings including online resources BEFORE class; c) contribute to the discussion by asking questions and expressing their thoughts and informed opinion on the readings and topics (5 % for participation in 5 discussions).
Midterm test 30 % - February 28; Map quiz – 3 %- 10th week ; Essay- 29 % due April 25 (see topics in handout). One page essay proposal: topic, thesis, bibliography due on March 23 (or anytime earlier) 3 %; Final exam - 30% - May 9, 1.30 pm.
Course Policies:
Students must attend every session of the course or present a valid excuse to the instructor; failure to do so will result in a reduction of the final grade. Upon accumulation of 10 absences, the instructor can drop a student with “WF”. In the case of absence the student is responsible for obtaining lecture notes from other students. Cell phones must be switched off during the session. When you have short questions do not hesitate to come to me during the break or after the lecture, for consultations you are welcome to come to my office WH 237 during office hours. PowerPoints of lectures you will find at the Blackboard.
Assignments: All assignments must be completed and submitted in order to pass the course. You must keep all your notes and drafts (should issues of plagiarism or cheating arise). Correct use of language is one of the criteria included in the evaluation of all written work.
Due dates: If an assignment is submitted after the due date, the penalty will be three marks per day for up to ten days. Extensions may only be granted in advance by the instructor in case of documented serious illness, personal or family problems.
Plagiarism and cheating: university regulations on plagiarism and cheating will be strictly enforced. These regulations are found in the University Calendar.
SPOT: The student evaluation of teaching effectiveness is a requirement for all classes at UNT. I consider the SPOT to be an important part of your participation in this class.
Students with disabilities seeking reasonable accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with a reasonable accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request reasonable accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of reasonable accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of reasonable accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of reasonable accommodation during faculty office hours or by appointment. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at http://www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323
Class Schedule and Reading Assignments (subject to change):
Week 1. Introduction. The world in the 1700s. Launching Modernity. The Age of Absolutism. Woloch, Ch. 1 (1-17, 23-26, 30-35), Ch.2 (51-59)
· Study the Time-line http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/civil_n2/hist_6.html
· Duc de Saint-Simon: The Court of Louis XIV http://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/17stsimon.asp
· Discussion: Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince (SWT). Question: who among historical or modern leaders followed the instruction? Always read introduction to the author/work in SWT.
Week 2. Social and Economic change in the 18 cent. Agrarian Revolution .The beginning of the Industrial Revolution. England. (W)Ch. 3, 4.
· Discussion: Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (SWT). Explain how his conception of capitalism does or does not match the characteristics of present-day capitalism
Week 3. Revolution in Minds: The Enlightenment.(W) Ch. 7.
· Discussion: Immanuel Kant, What is Enlightenment? (SWT)
· Voltaire, A Plea for Tolerance and Reason (SWT) or On Toleration http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/voltaire.html What reasons does Voltaire give that we should all tolerate each other?
· J.J. Rousseau, The Social Contract (SWT) or
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/rousseau-contract2.html
Question: Why do some thinkers view Rousseau as a champion of democracy, whereas others see him as a spiritual precursor of totalitarianism?
· Denis Diderot, Encyclopedia (SWT) or http://www.hti.umich.edu/d/did/
Question: Relations of Freedom and Authority? Is History useful?
Week 4. Causes of the French Revolution. (M)Chapter 12. Theory of Revolution.
· Arthur Young, Plight of the French Peasants; Grievances of the Third Estate (SWT)
· Emmanuel Sieyes, Bourgeois Disdain for Special Privileges of the Aristocracy (SWT)
· Declaration of the Rights of Man – 1789 (SWT) or
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/rightsof.htm
· Various documents http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook13.html
· Map http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/map33-fr.html
Week 5. The French Revolution. Revolutionary culture. Everyday life. Ch. 12
· The Levy in Mass. (SWT) or
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1793levee.html
· Discussion: Maximillian Robespierre, Republic of Virtue (SWT)
Week 6. Napoleon. The Empire. Expansion and Defeat.Ch. 13 The Congress of Vienna. P. 571-576.
· Napoleon Bonaparte, Documents (SWT)
· Map http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/maptext_n2/napoleon.html
Week 7. MIDTERM: February 28. “Napoleon.” Movie in class. March 2.
Week 8. The Persistence of Revolution. 1815-1830. Russian Decembrist Revolt of 1825. French Revolution of 1830. P. 591-598. Bibliography of the essay due on March 23.
Spring break March 13-18
Week 9. Ideas and Ideologies. Conservatism. The Counterrevolution in Russia. 576-8, 579, 705,. Romanticism. P. 582- 5. Movie “Frankenstein” (1931) in class.
Burke , Reflections… (SWT)
Read romantic poetry “ Faust” by Goethe: Faust’s Study http://www.levity.com/alchemy/faust02.html
Read Wordsworth, Byron and other romantics in class (bonus point)
Discuss: How Romanticism rejected Enlightenment?
Novel “Frankenstein” (1818) in Electronic Library Resource (Optional)
Week 10. Industrial Revolution. Ch. 14. p. 513-568. MAP QUIZ
Statistics on Industrialization see
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/indrevtabs1.html
Railroads http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/indrev6.html
The lives of workers http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1842womenminers.html
Week 11. Ideas and ideologies. Liberalism. P. 579-582 . Socialism. P. 563-8
B. Constant On the limits of Popular Sovereignty. (SWT)
Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels, read online or (SWT)
“Marxism” handout (on Blackboard)
Week 12. The Revolutions of 1848 in Ch. 16. Nationalism. Unification of Italy and Germany in Ch. 17. Crimean War. 688-92; Reforms in Russia, p. 705-725
Movie: Oblomov (debates on national identity)
Documents on the Revolution in France: http://history.hanover.edu/texts/fr1848.html
Darwin, Natural Selection (SWT)
Week 13. Imperialism. European World hegemony. Mass politics. P. 831-858; Ch. 21. p. 820-835, 852-863.
Rhodes, Confession of Faith, (SWT)
Chamberlain, The White Man’s Burden, (SWT)
Week 14. Victorian England. P. 684-8; 692-704 Challenges of Modernity. New Perception of Time. Modernism. P. 798- 819 and p. 842-5. ESSAY DUE April 27!
http://www.victorianweb.org/art/
Discussion: Le Bon, Mass Psychology, (SWT)
Nietzsche, The will to Power, (SWT)
Freud, The Unconscious , (SWT)
Week 15. War and Revolutions: World War I. Ch. 22. Revolutions in Russia. Ch. 23. p.927-945, Movie Rasputin in class
Remarque, The Lost generation, (SWT)
Documents on Romanovs’ Dynasty http://www.alexanderpalace.org/
Document: Lenin on his program: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1899lenin-program.html
Tea club in Victorian England. See http://www.victorianweb.org/art/
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