HIST 1003A: Empire, War, and Revolution in Europe, 1850-1939
Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Sean Eedy
Introduction: This course introduces students to Europe in the latter half of the nineteenth century and into the first half of the twentieth. Some topics covered may include the Crimean War, Neo-Colonialism, the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the rise of European Fascism. Students will see and understand how the spread of new political ideas after the French Revolution came to upset the status quo in Europe. Between lectures and readings, this course addresses questions of class, gender, culture, and politics as they are explored from both a top-down and bottom-up perspective. Though the course cannot cover every event in Europe within the time frame, it provides students with a chronological awareness of some of the more significant events and their impacts on the European continent and its people up to the beginning of the Second World War.
Class Format: HIST 1003 meets once per week for a three-hour block. This time will be split between lecture and a discussion of documents, readings, films, etc.
Aims and Goals: This course allows students the opportunity to develop their critical analytic and communication skills. For some, this course may be their first encounter with historical interpretation and analysis and may also be their first experience with academic essay writing. Being able to interpret historical documents and analyze the works of historians is central to the discipline as is the ability to clearly, concisely, and convincingly argue one’s position. As such, students will be introduced to the historical practice and methodology and the importance of argumentation and the use of evidence in the construction of their writings.
Assessment: Student evaluation in HIST 1003 will come from two written assignments (a primary source analysis and a historiography paper), a weekly quiz drawn from lecture and reading content, and a final exam. There may also be an assignment to introduce students to Chicago-style citations (standard citation style in history) which will be necessary for the written assignments.
Text: Konrad H. Jarausch, Out of Ashes: A New History of Europe in the Twentieth Century (Princeton University Press, 2015). This book is ordered through the Carleton University Bookstore. Be advised, it is also available through online booksellers and as a free ebook through the Carleton University Library. In addition, journal articles will be posted to the course Brightspace page for weekly readings.
Questions: feel free to email me at seaneedy@cunet.carleton.ca