Europe, 1789-1914 (42.326.01)
M.
Hickey Old Science Hall Office 130
389-4161 mhickey@bloomu.edu
Navigation links for this syllabus
Warning re. plagiarism. How to use endnote citation form
Course Description:
This course is an introductory seminar on nineteenth century European history. Historians often refer to the "long nineteenth century," denoting a relatively coherent period of political, social, and economic development from the onset of the French Revolution (in 1789) to the onset of the "Great War" (in 1914).
We will begin the course with a brief overview of the "long nineteenth century." The course then follows two paths simultaneously: one path traces the contours of political, economic, social, and cultural history in three chronological sub-periods (1800-1850; 1850-1880; 1880-1914), by focusing first on Great Britain, then on France, Germany, Russia, and Austria; the second path traces different methods of historical inquiry and writing, with a special emphasis on varieties of social history.
We begin the semester with an overview of "traditional" political and economic history that places the greatest emphasis on political conflict and state power at its highest reaches. We then broaden our focus to look at history, politics, and the state from other perspectives: through the study of "invented traditions," workers' political cultures, deviance, peasant communities, and "high culture."
The course is organized as a reading seminar. You have common assigned readings for each week, which generally range between 100 and 200 pages. At each meeting we will discuss what we have read in common for that week.
Each student also will conduct independent readings towards completion of a term paper, which shall require reading secondary and/or primary sources (beyond the course readings).
Graded assignments:
Your course grade is based upon the following components: seminar participation (10 percent); six précis papers (10 percent each, for a total of 60 percent); and a term paper (30 percent). Each component is described in greater detail below. I expect you to complete each assignment as directed in a manner that is factually correct, employs clear and sound logic, provides appropriate evidence, follows technical conventions of historical writing (including use of source citations), and uses clear, grammatical English.
Grade scale: A final grade of "A" in this course means that your cumulative score on all assignments adds up to 93 percent or more of possible points.
I will enforce university policy on plagiarism. See the linked Warning re. plagiarism. See also the link How to use endnote citation form.
I expect you to attend every class session. In keeping with university policy, absences will be excused only if they are discussed with (and approved by) me in advance or if documented by the university administration. Your class participation grade will fall in direct ratio to the number of unexcused absences.
Unless indicated in class, papers are due on the date indicated in the syllabus. I will deduct 10 percent from the grade of any assignment for each day that it is late.
Required texts:
T.C.W. Blanning, ed., Nineteenth Century Europe: Europe 1789-1914 (NY: Oxford, 2000).
Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, eds. The Invention of Tradition (NY: Cambridge, 1992).
William H. Sewell, Jr., Work and Revolution in France: The Language of Labor from the Old Regime to 1848 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981).
Richard J. Evans, Tales from the German Underworld: Crime and Punishment in the Nineteenth Century (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998).
Christina Worobec, Peasant Russia: Family and Community in the Post-Emancipation Period (DeKalb: NIU, 1995).
Carl Schorske, Fin-de-Siecle Vienna: Politics and Culture (NY: Vintage Press, 1980).
Participation:
The success of this course depends entirely upon your participation. You must attend each session having read and thought about the assigned readings for that week. It is best if you take notes while you read, so that you can record questions you want to discuss in class and write down main points, etc.. You should bring these notes and the books to class each week. I will be posting some discussion questions on this course website during the semester.
Your participation grade will be based upon the quality (and not just the quantity) of your contributions to our discussions. You can contribute by asking as well as by answering questions, by offering thoughtful critiques of what others say as well as by presenting your own interpretations, etc. But do not try to "fake" your way through discussion.
Participation will account for 10 percent of your course grade. As already noted, your class participation grade will fall in direct ratio to the number of unexcused absences.
Précis papers:
For each of the books that we read in common this semester, you will write a 1-2 page précis.
A précis is a very sharply focused summary. In your papers, without quoting the text, you must explain
a) the author's main question or the "problem" they are trying to solve in the essay
b) the author's thesis
c) the basic structure of the author's argument
d) the most important evidence the author presents to prove that argument.
Notice that I am not asking if you agreed with the author or if you "liked" the argument; I'm asking you to explain the argument. If you understand what you are reading, then you should be able to explain the main point in one or two pages.
The papers are due on the dates indicated in weekly schedule.
I will base your précis grades primarily on the accuracy, clarity, and logic of your papers (note--clarity includes use of proper grammar and punctuation) Each précis will account for 10 percent of your course grade. I will deduct 10 percent from your paper grade for each day that the paper is late.
Term Paper:
You will write a 10 page (minimum length) term paper on any topic of 19th century European history that interests you. I must approve your topic and I must approve a list of sources that you will use for the paper.
You may write a research paper that presents analysis of primary sources or you may write a historiographic essay that compares and contrasts the arguments of other historians.
First: Find a topic about which you would interested in reading more.
Second: Either in person or via e-mail, explain the topic to me.
Tell me as precisely as you can what topic you want to write about and what kinds of sources you hope to read. If I think that your topic is "do-able" I will ask you to present me with a reading/source list. If not, I will ask you to pick a different topic.
You must have my formal approval to proceed with the paper and I will not grade any term paper that I have not approved. You must complete this stage in the term paper process by the end of Week 3.
Third: Find sources!
Use the library's catalog and databases to locate books and articles in historical journals on your topic. By historical journals, I mean scholarly journals such as The American Historical Review, The Journal of Modern History or The Journal of Social History that publish original research by historians.
You must locate the equivalent of at least 3 books (you can substitute 4 articles for 1 book).
Fourth: Either via e-mail me or in person, present me with complete bibliographic information on the sources that you will use for your paper (be sure that you have a copy for your own use). The list must use the following form:
Fifth: Read your sources!
Sixth: Write the paper.
The paper will be due at our final exam session.
I will base your grade primarily on the accuracy, clarity, and logic of your paper and your use of sources (remember, clarity includes proper use of grammar and punctuation).
Weekly schedule of assignments:
Week 1. 16 January. Basic Housekeeping.
Discussion of Syllabus and Assignments.
Course Overview.
Week 2. 23 January. Overview of European History, 1789-1914, Part I.
Read Blanning book, discuss essays by
Week 3. 30 January. Overview of European History, 1789-1914, Part II.
Read Blanning book, discuss essays by
You must have approval of your term paper topic by the end of this week.
Week 4. 6 February. Great Britain/Invented Traditions, Part I.
Read Hobsbawm and Ranger book, discuss essays by Hobsbawn (ch. 1), Trevor-Roper, Morgan.
Précis on Blanning due.
Week 5. 13 February. CLASS CANCELLED DUE TO BAD WEATHER. WE WILL DISCUSS THIS WEEK'S READINGS ON 20 FEBRUARY; PAPER DUE DATE ALSO SET BACK ONE WEEK. PLEASE BE SURE TO ANSWER THE LINKED STUDY QUESTIONS ON THE ESSAYS BY CANNADINE AND HOBSBAWM.
Week 6. 20 February. Great Britain/Invented Traditions, Part II.
Read Hobsbawm and Ranger book, discuss essays by Cannadine and by Hobsbawn (ch. 7).
You must have approval of your term paper reading list by the end of this week.
Week 7. 27 February. France/Workers' Political Cultures, Part I.
Read and discuss Sewell, Work and Revolution, pp. 1-142.
Précis on Hobsbawm and Ranger due.
Week 8. 6 March. France/Workers' Political Cultures, Part II.
Read and discuss Sewell, Work and Revolution, pp. 143-284.
Week 9. 20 March. Germany/Deviance, Part I.
Read and discuss Evans, Tales from the German Underworld, pp. 1-135.
Précis on Sewell due.
Week 10. 27 March. Germany/Deviance, Part II.
Read and discuss Evans, Tales from the German Underworld, pp. 136-222.
Discussion assignments:
Chapter 2: Bertelson, Hass, Osborne, Gibbons, Landis
Chapter 3: Brennan, Henrickson, Ruane, Glica, Miller
Chapter 4: Butz, Johnson, Schwering, Godec, Mowad, Yurkza
Conclusion: everyone!
Week 11. 3 April. Russia/Peasant Communities, Part I.
Read and discuss Worobec, Peasant Russia, chs. 1-3.
Précis on Evans due.
Discussion assignments:
Introduction: everyone!
Chapter 1: Bertelson, Hass, Osborne, Gibbons, Landis
Chapter 2: Brennan, Henrickson, Glica, Miller, Yurkza
Chapter 3: Butz, Johnson, Ruane, Schwering, Godec, Mowad
Week 12. 10 April. Russia/Peasant Communities, Part II.
Read and discuss Worobec, Peasant Russia, ch. 4-conclusion.
Chapter 4: Bertelson, Hass, Osborne, Gibbons, Landis, Mowad
Chapter 5: Brennan, Henrickson, Glica, Miller, Yurkza
Chapter 6: Butz, Johnson, Ruane, Schwering, Gibbons
Week 13. 17 April. Individual Reports on Term Paper Reading Projects
Précis on Worobec due.
We will spend time discussing your individual readings for your term papers. This will involve informal presentations, in which you spend about 15 minutes telling people about your topic and what you have learned about the topic so far.
Week 14. 24 April. Individual Reports on Term Paper Reading Projects
We will spend time discussing your individual readings for your term papers. This will involve informal presentations, in which you spend about 15 minutes telling people about your topic and what you have learned about the topic so far.
Week 15. 1 May. Individual Reports on Term Paper Reading Projects
We will spend time discussing your individual readings for your term papers. This will involve informal presentations, in which you spend about 15 minutes telling people about your topic and what you have learned about the topic so far.
Summary discussion of semester's readings.
Précis on ANY ONE CHAPTER of Schorske book due. (
Week 16 (Finals Week)
Term Paper due.