CSS 418: Sophomore History Tutorial

The Emergence of Modern Europe

 

Time: F, 2-4:00

Bldg/room: PAC 411

Tutor: Prof. E. Grimmer-Solem

Office: PAC 418

Office hours:  t.b.a.

Phone: 685-2397

E-mail: egrimmer@wesleyan.edu

 

 Week 1   Week 2   Week 3  Week 4  Week 5  Week 6  Week 7  Week 8  Week 9

 

Course description:

 

This tutorial analyzes the formation of modern European society from the late 18th to the last quarter of the 20th century. Most attention will be placed on Britain, France, Germany and Russia as these countries were shaped by, and responded to, demographic, economic, social, political and intellectual forces that led to revolutions, political and social reforms, new modes of production, changes in social hierarchies, and new forms of warfare. Much attention will be placed on the social and political consequences of the French Revolution and industrialization, but empire, the origins and consequences of the two world wars (including the Russian revolution and the rise and defeat of Nazism) will also come under extensive discussion, as will the creation of a more stable and prosperous postwar European order. Europe’s links to Africa, Asia and the Americas will be discussed in the context of industrialization, imperialism and the First World War. In addition to developing knowledge of the most important processes that have shaped the modern world, this tutorial seeks to foster a critical awareness of the varieties of historical narrative, the skills needed to interpret historical primary sources, and the possibilities and limits of history as a tool of social investigation.

 

 

Course requirements:

 

You are expected to write essays weekly for nine weeks corresponding to the tutorial topics and questions posed on the syllabus below. Tutorial sessions meet each Friday to discuss the topic of the week and the essays that were written for it. Students are not assigned grades but are given feedback on their weekly written work. The essay must be completed and printed out before the tutorial session on Friday; this essay provides the basis for discussion and will be submitted to me at the end of class. Keep in mind that if you fail to do the readings or complete the essays on time, the value of the session is undermined not only for you but for everyone else in the tutorial. Moreover, given the pace of the tutorial, it is nearly impossible to catch up if you fall behind. Failure to complete an essay on time or absence from the tutorial is therefore entirely unacceptable and can be grounds for dismissal from the CSS. Late essays or absences will be accepted only under extraordinary circumstances (i.e., medical or family emergencies) and only by contacting me in advance.

 

When the tutorial sequence is completed, I will give each student a written and oral assessment of their work. Copies of these assessments are filed with the CSS office where they may be read by other tutors or the program chairs as needed. At the end of the sophomore year, you will take a comprehensive written and oral exam testing your knowledge of the tutorial topics. This exam will be conducted by external examiners.

 

 

Essay instructions (please read carefully):

 

After completing the readings, carefully devise a thesis that responds directly to the tutorial question. State this thesis explicitly in the introductory paragraph of your essay along with your main supporting arguments. In the body of your paper carefully demonstrate your thesis by developing the supporting arguments paragraph by paragraph, making use of the tutorial readings where needed. Make short parenthetical or very brief footnote references whenever citing, following the Chicago style (consult Turabian, A Manual for Writers 7th ed. for guidance on researching, the process of writing, citation conventions and on matters of style). Properly introduce your sources when quoting, but avoid lengthy quotations. Do not quote from secondary sources unless the point cannot be paraphrased. Take great care to make effective transitions between the different points of your argument. Your essay must demonstrate familiarity with the readings, critical thinking, independent judgment, and be persuasive. It is unacceptable merely to repeat opinions or positions from the sources; you must demonstrate why you agree or disagree with those positions in a critical and informed manner. Thoroughly proofread for proper grammar, spelling, tense and diction. Before submitting the final draft, have a classmate, friend or writing mentor read through it for clarity and coherence. If no one is at hand, read it aloud to yourself. In writing, always aim for succinctness and economy. Avoid the passive voice and jargon whenever possible. A now classic guide for this kind of writing is George Orwell’s essay Politics and the English Language. Please be sure to read it before starting on your first paper. Ideally, your papers should be five pages long; at the very most they may sometimes extend to seven pages. Do not under any circumstance exceed this limit. Papers exceeding seven pages will not be accepted. Your papers must have 1 ¼ inch left and right margins, 1 inch top and bottom margins, be double-spaced, paginated, and printed or typed with a 12-point font on 8 ½ x 11” paper. I will only accept paper copies of your essays. Do not use a smaller font or manipulate margins or spacing to get around the page limit. Papers deviating from these formatting rules will be rejected.

 

 

A word on plagiarism

 

With the widespread use of the web, plagiarism has become easier and consequently an increasing problem on many campuses, including Wesleyan. Plagiarizing is taking and passing off as one’s own the ideas or writings of another person, whether from the web or from printed sources. Plagiarism can also occur if you paraphrase passages of someone else without clear references to that source. Plagiarism is an act of dishonesty and a violation of the University’s Honor Code. Consequently, clear cases of plagiarism will normally result in dismissal from the CSS and University disciplinary action. Be warned that while the web has made plagiarism more tempting, the same technology makes it easier to catch plagiarists. If I suspect plagiarism, I reserve the right to enter suspected passages of papers into search engines and Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection service contracted by Wesleyan.

 

 

Required texts:

 

Baker, Keith Michael, ed. The Old Regime and the French Revolution. Vol. 7, University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1987. ISBN: 0226069508

 

Boyer, John W. and Jan Goldstein, eds. Twentieth Century Europe. Vol. 9, University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1987. ISBN: 0226069540

 

Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN: 0192802046

 

Fulbrook, Mary, ed. German History since 1800. London and New York: Arnold, 1997. ISBN: 0340692006

 

Furet, François. The French Revolution 1770-1814. Translated by Antonia Nevil. Oxford: Blackwell, 1988. ISBN: 0631202994

 

Goldstein, Jan and John W. Boyer, eds. Nineteenth Century Europe: Liberalism and Its Critics. Vol. 8, University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1988. ISBN: 0226069524

 

Hobsbawm, E.J. The Age of Empire, 1875-1914. New York: Vintage, 1989. ISBN: 0679721754

 

Howard, Michael. The First World War. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2002). ISBN: 0192804456

 

Joll, James, The Origins of the First World War, 2nd ed. London and New York: Longman, 1992. ISBN: 0582089204

 

Kershaw, Ian. Hitler. Profiles in Power. Harlow and New York: Longman, 1991. ISBN: 0582437563

 

Landes, David S. The Unbound Prometheus: Technological Change and Industrial Development in Western Europe from 1750 to the Present, 2d ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN: 052153402X

 

Laqueur, Walter. Europe in Our Time: A History, 1945-1992. New York: Viking, 1992. ISBN: 0140139699

 

Overy, R. J. The Origins of the Second World War. 2d ed. London and New York: Longman, 1998. ISBN: 0582290856

 

Pomeranz, Kenneth. The Great Divergence: Europe, China, and the Making of the Modern World Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000. ISBN: 0691090106

 

Sperber, Jonathan. The European Revolutions, 1848-1851. 2d ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN: 0521547792

 

de Tocqueville, Alexis. The Old Régime and the French Revolution. Translated by Stuart Gilbert. New York: Anchor Books/Doubleday, 1983. ISBN: 0385092601

 

 

Recommended text:

 

Merriman, John M. A History of Modern Europe. Vol. 2, From the French Revolution to the Present. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. ISBN: 0393924955

 

Note: the required texts can be purchased from Broad Street Books. Merriman, A History of Modern Europe is a reliable general history text and should be consulted as needed for background information, context and chronology, but it should not be quoted or cited in your essays.  

 

 

Guides to better writing:

 

Since writing essays is central to this course, the following works should be consulted to answer questions regarding proper grammar, punctuation, the process of writing and matters of style:

           

Gordon, Karen Elizabeth. The Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed. New York: Times Books, 1984. Olin PE1112.G58 1984

 

Gordon, Karen Elizabeth. The New Well-Tempered Sentence: A Punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed. New York : Ticknor & Fields, 1993. Olin PE1450.G65 1993. 

 

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations, 7th rev. ed. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Olin LB2369.T8 2007

 

 

Tutorial schedule

 

WEEK 1: The French Revolution

 

1.)    University of  Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 7:

·        Sieyès, What is the Third Estate?, pp. 154-79.

·        The Tennis Court Oath, p. 201.

·        Decrees of the National Assembly, pp. 226-31.

·        Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, pp. 237-39.

·        The Constitution of 1791, pp. 249-61.

·        The Decree Establishing the Levée en Masse, pp. 340-42.

·        Robespierre, Report on the Principles of Political Morality, pp. 368-84. 

·        The Conspiracy of Equals, pp. 393-403. 

·        The Coup d'Etat of 18 Brumaire 1799, pp. 405-15.

·        Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 428-45.

 

2.)    François Furet, The French Revolution 1770-1814 (whole book).

 

3.)    Alexis de Tocqueville, The Old Régime and the French Revolution, pp. 1-32, 57-120, 203-11.

 

Liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty were potent political ideals during the French Revolution, yet establishing a workable and stable constitutional government eluded France in these years. What, then, were the specific achievements of the French Revolution?

 

 

WEEK 2: The Industrial Revolution

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 8:

·        Samuel Smiles, William Fairbairn, pp. 82-92.

·        Two articles from The Economist (1851), pp. 92-100.

 

2.)    David S. Landes, The Unbound Prometheus, chs. 1-3.

 

3.)    Kenneth Pomeranz, The Great Divergence, pp. 3-27, 211-297.

 

Between roughly 1760 and 1860 revolutionary changes in production first developed in Britain transformed much of the European economy. Many contributing factors allegedly played a role in sparking this process of industrialization, among them natural resource endowments, environmental factors, geographical location, oversee colonies, accumulated technology, as well as institutions and culture specific to Europe. What explanation for the industrial revolution do you find most persuasive? Why?

 

 

WEEK 3: The Social and Political Impact of Industrialization 

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 8:

·        T.B. Macaulay, Speech on Parliamentary Reform (2 March 1831), pp. 41-54.

·        1846-47 Factory Legislation Debates, pp. 62-82.

·        Thomas Gisborne, Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex, pp. 100-106.

·        J. S. Mill and Harriet Taylor, Essays on Marriage and Divorce, pp. 106-21.

·        Agricol Perdiguier, Memoirs of a Compagnon, pp. 202-15.

 

2.)    Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England, Introduction & Single Branches of Industry:

·        http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/condition-working-class/index.htm

 

3.)    E.P. Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class, pp. 9-14, 213-68, 314-49, 401-447, 711-46 (Olin electronic reserve).

 

According to contemporary observers and later historians, the industrial economy—while immensely productive—generated a considerable burden of social costs. It also fundamentally transformed European society, creating new social classes, spawning working class movements, modifying political institutions, and altering the role and status of women. The readings reveal many of these changes, the specific challenges they posed, as well as the first attempts to address them by reform legislation. How exactly did the transformation of work in the new industrial economy influence any one or several of these social and political changes?

 

 

WEEK 4: Nationalism, the Revolutions of 1848, and German Unification

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 8:

·        Heinrich v. Gagern, Speech to the Frankfurt National Assembly, pp. 269-79.

·        Guiseppe Mazzini, Duties to Country, pp. 282-287.

·        Otto v. Bismarck, Speech on the Constitution of the North German Confederation, pp. 409-419.

·        Heinrich v. Treitschke, In Memory of the Great War, pp. 461-69.

 

2.)    Mary Fulbrook, ed., German History Since 1800, pp.106-67.

 

3.)    David Landes, The Unbound Prometheus, ch. 4.

 

4.)    Jonathan Sperber, The European Revolutions, 1848-1851 (whole book).

 

Nationalism was a force bequeathed by revolutionary France to her European neighbors. This European nationalism challenged prevailing allegiances and animated revolutionaries to create new contiguous nation-states in what were dynastic territorial states and empires. While the Revolutions of 1848 revealed the explosive force of this nationalism, they also underscored the weaknesses and divisions of liberal nationalists in Italy and central Europe, as well as the resilience of the old regime, particularly in Germany. Indeed, German unification would occur on terms quite different than imagined by the Frankfurt revolutionaries. What were the specific attributes of mid nineteenth-century nationalism and what role did it play in creating and consolidating the German Empire?

 

 

WEEK 5: Imperialism

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 8:

·        Rudyard Kipling, The White Man’s Burden, pp. 544-46.

·        The Earl of Cromer, Modern Egypt, pp. 546-54.

·        Joseph Chamberlain, Preference, the True Imperial Policy, pp. 554-69.

 

2.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 9:

·        Friedrich v. Bernhardi, Germany and the Next War, pp. 55-69.

 

3.)    E. J. Hobsbawm, The Age of Empire (whole book). 

 

4.)    David Landes, The Unbound Prometheus, ch. 5.

 

By the turn of the 19th century, Europeans believed they were at the pinnacle of civilization, seemingly confirmed by great material, cultural, scientific and technological advances. Yet the period was also marked by prolonged cyclical downturns and fierce economic competition. Heightened antagonism was also in evidence in colonial and naval rivalries. What were the prevailing assumptions of empire, and how did such things as mass politics, nationalism, economic competition, and imperial rivalries contribute to the rising tide of international tensions between roughly 1875 and 1914?

 

 

WEEK 6: The Great War and Its Consequences

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 9:

·        Walter Rathenau, Germany’s Provisions for Raw Materials, pp. 117-32.

·        Henri Philippe Pétain, A Crisis of Morale in the French Nation at War, pp. 132-51.

·        J.M. Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace, pp. 175-90

 

2.)    Poems by Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen (Olin electronic reserve).

 

3.)    James Joll, The Origins of the First World War (whole book).

 

4.)    Michael Howard, The First World War (whole book, including Wilson’s Fourteen Points in the Appendix).

 

5.)    Niall Ferguson, The Pity of War, pp. 433-62 (Olin electronic reserve).

 

 

European rivalries and tensions generated during the last quarter of the 19th century were brought to a head by the last in a series of pre-war Balkan crises. Complex webs of alliances as well as mobilizations plans then pulled most of the European powers into a wider war. The technological innovations that had preceded these years produced warfare of unprecedented carnage that devoured the manpower and resources of entire empires. While military stalemate was ended by the Russian Revolution, the war was only successfully concluded after large-scale American intervention on behalf of the Entente powers. The Paris Peace, initially launched with many good intentions, failed to settle grievances or provide a basis for postwar economic recovery and stability. Analyzing any aspect of the war and its aftermath, what were its most important causes and consequences?

 

 

WEEK 7:  The Russian Revolution and Stalinism

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 9:

·        Arthur Koestler, The God that Failed, pp. 352-67.

·        Joseph Stalin, The Foundations of Leninism, pp. 233-51.

 

2.)    Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution (whole book).

 

3.)    V.I. Lenin, “What is to be Done?” in Collected Works, vol. 5, pp. 352-353, 354-355, 369-370, 374-375, 389, 452-453, 464.

·        http://artsci.shu.edu/reesp/documents/Lenin--chto%20delat.htm

 

4.)    Leon Trotsky, Literature and Revolution, ch. 7:

·        http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1924/lit_revo/index.htm

 

5.)    Joseph Stalin, “The Tasks of Economic Executives,” in The Problems of Leninism, pp. 519-31:

·        http://www.marx2mao.com/Stalin/TEE31.html

 

Like the Weimar Republic, the Soviet Union was the product of war and defeat. As in some evaluations of interwar Germany, it has been tempting for some to assert that Bolshevik Russia was from the outset doomed to degenerate into a totalitarian dictatorship. Others would dispute this, drawing comparisons with other European revolutions and emphasizing the open-ended nature of revolution. Do you agree with either one of these interpretation? If so, why? If not, why not?

 

 

WEEK 8:  Nazi Germany and the Second World War

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 9:

·        Hitler, Mein Kampf, pp. 191-218.

·        The Problem of Appeasement, pp. 289-314.

 

2.)    Ian Kershaw, Hitler (whole book).

 

3.)    Mary Fulbrook, ed., German History Since 1800, pp. 235-78, 298-317, 339-419.

 

4.)    David Landes, The Unbound Prometheus, ch. 6.

           

5.)    R. J. Overy, The Origins of the Second World War (whole book, including documents pp. 101-28).

 

Weimar Germany revealed how a parliamentary democracy with a free market system could degenerate into a totalitarian regime bent on conquest and domination. Some see Nazism as the inevitable outgrowth of nineteenth-century German militarism, nationalism and imperialism, while others emphasize the impact of war and defeat, the Versailles Treaty, and the severe economic crises and political instability of the interwar period. Explain Hitler’s rise to power and how Nazi Germany came to pose such a threat to Europe that it precipitated war.

 

 

WEEK 9: Postwar European Reconstruction and Prosperity

 

1.)    University of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, vol. 9:

·        William Beveridge, New Britain, pp. 503-15.

·        Ludwig Erhard, Economic Policy as a Component of Social Policy, pp. 515-27.

·        Jean Monnet, A Red Letter Day for European Unity, pp. 553-59.

 

2.)    Walter Laqueur, Europe in Our Time, pp. 3-290.

 

3.)    David Landes, The Unbound Prometheus, chs. 7, 8 and Epilogue.

 

From the perspective of mountains of rubble and millions of homeless and displaced people that was postwar Europe, it would have been hard to imagine that in little more than ten years prewar levels of prosperity would be surpassed in much of Western Europe. Even more amazing to a continent habituated to nearly half a century of uncertainty and warfare was the level of political stability and cooperation possible in the 1950s and 60s, despite the obvious division of Europe between the superpowers. What were the political, institutional and economic foundations of this postwar peace, prosperity and cooperation?