Purpose of the Course
History is the study of the past in its entirety. It looks at
the politics, economics, ideologies, and societies of peoples and cultures.
There is no one "true" history. Different writers from different
regions and different eras not only interpret the same "facts" differently,
but they also define the historical "process" differently. This semester's
class will stress the role of ideas in history. Readings, lectures,
and assignments will focus on those ideologies which have influenced the
development of the modern world. We will explore the philosophies of nationalism,
liberalism, and socialism because they have shaped our current institutions
and values. We will study the industrial revolution and the growth of nation-states
because they are the basis of our modern industrial society. We will discuss
the rise and decline of Europe, the divergence and convergence of East
and West, and the ebb and flow of imperialism because they help explain
recent economic and political developments.
It is impossible to cover every detail of life in every European country from 1715 to 2000 in one semester. Subsequently, the course will concentrate on the significant ideas which influenced thought and policy in the major European countries in the period. In the process we hope to achieve a better understanding of the present as well as the past.
Course Requirements
Journal. Every student will be expected to keep a journal
summarizing and analyzing the ideas raised in the readings. Journals
will include primary document analyses from Tierney and Scott and the Internet
Modern History Sourcebook [See Primary Document Worksheet];
thematic essays on Candide and Under Fire [See Thematic
Essays Worksheet]; quizzes; class worksheets; and class notes. Because
a knowledge of geography is essential to understanding historical developments,
you will be asked to label maps of Europe in 1815, 1926, and 2000.
Short quizzes will also be given on discussion material in Voltaire and
Barbusse. Worksheets on films will also count as quiz grades. Since
I drop the two lowest grades from your journal, there will be NO MAKE UPS
for quizzes. You may use your journals for quizzes and examinations;
thus, it is to your benefit to have current and thorough entries.
Class Participation, and Attendance. Class participation and attendance improve the class (and your grade). A considerable amount of lecture material is not found in the text or readings, and the discussions are designed to help you better understand the topic. Seven points will be subtracted from your attendance grade for each unexcused absence. Please feel free to ask questions in class or by e-mail or to come by my office if you are uncertain about material in the lectures and/or readings. If you must miss a class for a CofC function, please let me know beforehand.
Oral Presentation. In addition to participating in class discussions of Voltaire and Barbusse each student must sign up to present a related group of primary documents in Tierney and Scott or from the Internet Modern History Sourcebook. [See Primary Document Worksheet for specific details].
Tests and Examinations. Tests and exams will be based on material contained in the lectures, presentations, and readings. There will be two hourly tests and a comprehensive final examination. A note from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies is required to make up an examination.
Grading
Final grades will be based on a weighted average of the tests (40 percent
or 20 percent each); thematic essays (20 percent); class work – quizzes,
worksheets, oral presentation, class participation and attendance (20 percent);
final examination (20 percent). The following grading scale will be used
in determining final grades: A = 90-100; B+ = 86-89; B = 80-85; C+
= 76-79; C = 70-75; D = 60-69; F = 0-59.
Date
Topics, Readings, and Assignments
Jan 14 Course
Introduction
Jan 17 European
Society in the Eighteenth Century
Tierney and Scott 4-6; Perry 370-374
Accounts of the "Potato Revolution," 1695 - 1845
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1695potato.html
Jan 19 Film: The
Day the Universe Changed: Science Revises the Heavens
Perry 410-426
Jan 21 Toward
a New World View
Tierney and Scott 102-106
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/newton-princ.html
https://history.hanover.edu/texts/Bacon/novpref.html
Jan 24 Ideas of
the Enlightenment
Tierney and Scott 106-118; 124-130; Perry 429-449
Jan 26 Quiz;
Discuss Candide
Thematic Essay Due
Jan 28 Film: Politeness
and Enthusiasm
Perry 449-460
Jan 31 Origins
of the French Revolution
Tierney and Scott 163- 179; Perry 465-78
Feb 2 Progress
of the French Revolution
Tierney and Scott 179-196; Perry 478-487
Feb 4 The Napoleonic
Heritage
Tierney and Scott 196-205; Perry 491-506
Feb 7 Map
Quiz on Europe in 1815; Restoration Politics
Tierney and Scott 205-211; Perry 562-570; Map 23.2
Feb 9 Origins
of Industrial Revolution
Tierney and Scott 136-161; Perry 510-519
Feb 11 Consequences
of Industrialization
Tierney and Scott 240-249 and 262-267; Perry 519-529
Feb 14 FIRST HOURLY EXAMINATION
Feb 16 Liberalism
and Conservatism
Tierney and Scott 214-218, 232-237 and 292-94; Perry 542-552
Feb 18 Nationalism
Tierney and Scott 222-231 and 300-307; Perry 555-558, 572-582, 625-634
Feb 21 "The Woman
Question"
Tierney and Scott 249-253 and 287-91; Perry 606-608
Feb 23
Socialism
Tierney and Scott 253-260; Perry 552-555
Feb 25 Marxism
Tierney and Scott 260-262; Perry 596-602
"Interview with Karl Marx"
https://eng.hss.cmu.edu/history/interview-with-marx.txt
Feb 28 Advanced
Industrial Capitalism
Tierney and Scott 332-353; Perry 638-649
Mar 1
Darwinism
Tierney and Scott 277-287; Perry 590-596
Mar 3
Film: Darwin's Revolution in Thought
SPRING BREAK
Mar 13 Imperialism
Tierney and Scott 321-328
Mar 15 Film: The
Magnificent African Cake
Perry 668-693
Mar 17 Unification of
Germany
315-20; Perry 612-625
Mar 20 Fin de Siecle
Society
Perry 696-723
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1918freud-civwelt.html
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/nietzsche-madman.html
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1884newcomb-universe.html
Mar 22 Origins of World
War I
Tierney and Scott 356-370; Perry 729-748
Mar 24 Discuss: Chapter
20 in Henri Barbusse, Under
Fire: The Story of a Squad
https://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/wwone/uf20.html
Thematic Essay Due
Mar 27 SECOND HOURLY EXAMINATION
Mar 29 The Great War
and its Consequences
Tierney and Scott 371-382; Perry 748-754
Mar 31 The Russian
Revolution
Tierney and Scott 385-393; Perry 754-761
Apr 3
Map Quiz on Europe in 1926; Lenin and
the Bolsheviks
Tierney and Scott 393-406; Map 29.3
Apr 5
Fall of Democracy and Rise of Totalitarianism
Tierney and Scott 420-424; Perry 766-769, 799-803, 809-831
Apr 7
Fascism in Italy
Tierney and Scott 424-426; Perry 776-783
Apr 10 Hitler and Eugenics;
Film: Night and Fog
Tierney and Scott 426-433; Perry 783-798
Apr 12 Totalitarianism
in the Soviet Union
Tierney and Scott 406-416; Perry 769-776
Apr 14 World War II
Tierney and Scott 433-451; Perry 836-862
Apr 17 Cold War
Tierney and Scott 458-474; Perry 867-873, 878-885
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1947marshallplan1.html
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1957-ecc-efta-us.html
Apr 19 Building a New
Europe
Perry 873-878;
https://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1942beveridge.html
Apr 21 Post-War Culture
Film: The Sixties 1965-69: The Angry Years
Apr 24 The Collapse
of Communism and its Consequences
Tierney and Scott 476-488; Perry 888-899
https://www.learner.org/exhibits/russia/
Apr 26 Map
Quiz on Europe in 2000; The Contemporary World
Tierney and Scott 492-523; Perry 899-908
Apr 28 FINAL EXAMINATION,
8-11 am
______________________________________________________________________________
The Honor Code of the College of Charleston specifically forbids cheating,
attempted cheating, and plagiarism. A student found guilty of these
offenses will receive a failing grade in the course. Additional penalties
may include suspension or expulsion from the College at the discretion
of the Honor Board. [See the College of Charleston Student Handbook for
definitions of these offenses.]