Understanding Historical Change: Modern Europe (EP 1)HIST 1000 R02

Fall 2015 FMH 219 MR 2:30-3:45 pm

Jeffrey DoolittleEmail: jdoolittle1@fordham.eduOffice Phone: (718) 817 3944

Office hours: Dealy 648Mon/Thu 1:00-2:00

or by appointment

This course will survey the history of Europe from the French Revolution (1789) to the present, through a consideration of a series of utopian social projects and the attempts by various groups

to implement them in European societies. Our central focus will be the tension between aspirational social theories (visions of how society “ought to be”), including liberalism, socialism, nationalism, and others and the often violent, destructive and dystopian realities that have instead emerged from their pursuit. How did modern European societies simultaneously foster the development of liberal democracies founded upon individual rights, colonial empires that brutally exploited much of the world’s people and resources, and totalitarian dictatorships that directly caused the deaths of millions of people? Although our primary focus will be

on the history of the European continent, and in particular, the nations of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia, this course will by necessity adopt a more global outlook as we consider the effects of European hegemony during this period in areas such as the Americas, Africa and Asia.

This class is also intended to introduce students to the methods of historical inquiry, which will entail extensive readings in primary sources, and the formulation of coherent arguments based on evidence both in class and in writing. As this is an Eloquentia Perfecta section, there will be an added emphasis on improving written communication and a required oral presentation.

Goals1. Development of techniques and approaches for the critical assessment of primary sources

through class readings and discussion.2. Analysis and discussion of conflicting historiographical interpretations and approaches to

understanding the past.3. Written assignments and class discussion will exercise skills in posing historical

questions, framing arguments and using primary source evidence.4. Syllabus topics and exams will orient student to principal themes and issues in modern

European history.

Ruins of the Cathedral and Cloth Hall in Ypres city center, 3 September 1917, Photo by Frank Hurley.

Required Texts

Thomas More, Utopia (Penguin, 2012), ISBN 9780141442327. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto (Penguin, 2006), ISBN

9780143037514 Susan R. Grayzel, The First World War: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford/St.

Martin’s, 2013), ISBN: 9780312458874 Samuel Selvon, The Lonely Londoners (Longman, 1989), ISBN 9780582642645

The textbooks should be purchased at the bookstore, but they are also widely available online. Please ensure that you are getting the correct edition. All other readings will be posted on the course blog at https://trialofformosus.wordpress.com. Some changes to the reading list may occur over the semester, but any changes will be announced in advance.

EvaluationShort Papers and Rewrites, 25% (10%, 15%)

These papers, each of two to three pages, will relate to interpreting primary sources and assessing historical arguments. The due dates for the papers are listed in the class schedule. Questions will be distributed in class and on the class blog.

One Long Paper, 40%This eight-page paper entails the formulation of a thesis on a topic of interest to the student and is due near the end of the semester. The paper will develop in stages, with the due dates listed in the class schedule: Topic Selection: (1 paragraph) Source Presentation: (5-7 minutes) Research Prospectus: (4-5 pages) First Draft: (5-7 pages). Peer Review sessions Final Draft: (8 pages)

Participation and Discussion, 10%You must participate during in-class discussions. If it appears that students are not preparing, I may choose to give surprise in-class quizzes.

Final exam, 25% The final exam will be cumulative. There will be five components: ID questions, map identification, chronology, source identification and essays. We will discuss the exam in class, and formulate a study guide.

Hannah Höch, 1919, Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany, collage of pasted papers, 90×144 cm, Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Guide to Grades

A: Excellent; Honors-level work, outstanding, 4.00.A-: Still excellent, 3.67.B+: Very good; high level of performance, 3.33.B: Good; solid & above average level of performance, 3.00.B-: Good; still above average, 2.67.

C+: Average level of performance, 2.33.C: Satisfactory; acceptable level of performance, 2.00C-: Minimally acceptable, 1.67.D: Passing, but unsatisfactory; below average performance, 1.00.F: Failure; inferior performance, 0.00.

Written Assignments, Revisions, and Late WorkWritten assignments are meant to serve as exercises in communication. Your papers should all make an argument, using convincing evidence from the sources to build your case. I will be grading your papers on content, organization and the strength of your argument. Writing guides distributed throughout the semester will help in this endeavor.

As for submitting work: All assignments should be submitted at the beginning of class IN HARD COPY FORMAT on the day they are due. I only accept emailed papers in extraordinary emergencies. If you have any problems with an assignment for any reason, do not hesitate to contact me. I always like to chat about history!

Formatting guidelines: Many of you are not History majors, but I still feel it is important for us all to adhere to writing conventions of the discipline. This means that your papers should be typed, double-

spaced, 12-pt font (Times New Roman), with 1-inch margins. Furthermore, written work should be referenced with footnotes. Footnotes should be single-spaced and in 10-pt font and placed at the bottom of the page. A bibliography with all cited sources should also be included (not counted in page/word count). Please consult The Chicago Manual of Style for more information.

Late work is penalized by a full letter grade per day. No written work will be accepted after Thursday, December 10, 2015 unless you have made prior arrangements.

Attendance Regular attendance is required. According to University rules, for a two-day-a-week class, more than five unexcused absences is unacceptable and will result in an F for the course. Please consult the Student Handbook for information about excused absences. That being said, absences for religious reasons, or those that are pre-approved by the instructor or due to an emergency will not count against you. Please consult the Student Handbook for more information about excused absences.

Electronics

Millicent Fawcett and 50,000 women rally in London's Hyde Park in 1913. From London School of Economics Library, and cited by Nicola Davis, in The Guardian, 6 Mar 2015

I think it goes without saying that cell phones should remain on silent and be put away. Similarly, laptops, iPads, and other electronic devices are NOT PERMITTED in class. Please take notes on paper, and bring in HARD COPIES of any readings we will discuss in class.

Academic IntegrityI take plagiarism very seriously. Your papers should be entirely in your own words, and the ideas that you take from other sources must all be accurately and consistently referenced. According to university policy, “Plagiarism occurs when individuals attempt to present as their own what has come from another source.  Plagiarism takes place whether such theft is accidental or deliberate. It is no defense to claim that one has “forgotten” to document ideas or material taken from another source.” (Undergraduate Faculty Handbook 4. II. A.)

Submitted assignments showing any evidence of plagiarism will receive a grade of F, which may also result in an F for the entire course. Through the semester, we will discuss various aspects of the process of writing a paper, including strategies to avoid improper citation of sources. Please read the Student Handbook for more information on academic integrity, as well as the full text of the school policy. If you have any questions about citing your sources, please see me to discuss them.

Special AccommodationsUnder the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all students, with or without disabilities, are entitled to equal access to the programs and activities of Fordham University.  If you believe that you have a disabling condition that may interfere with your ability to participate in this course, you may be entitled to accommodations. Please schedule an appointment to speak with someone at the Office of Disability Services (Rose Hill - O’Hare Hall, Lower Level, x0655 or at Lincoln Center – Room 207, x6282).

The Writing Center is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Fridays between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Writing Center is located in the Walsh Library in the Reference Area, Room 121. The student may reserve up to an hour of writing help with the staff of the center on any given day and as much as an hour-and-a-half per week. To sign up for a session, go to www.fordham.edu/writingcenter and follow the instructions. If there are questions, please call (718) 817-0077. 

Umberto Boccioni, 1912, Elasticity (Elasticità), oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm, Museo del Novecento.

ScheduleAny changes to the schedule will be announced in class. If any dramatic changes are necessary due to weather cancellations, volcanic eruptions, or other similar calamities, I will distribute a revised course schedule. All readings can be found on the course blog as indicated.

Thu. Sept. 3 Introduction: The Question of Modernity

Mon. Sept. 7

Wed. Sept. 9

Unit 1Thu. Sept. 10

LABOR DAY; NO CLASS

MEETS AS MONDAYUnderstanding Utopias and Dystopias in European History

Thomas More, Utopia (skim Book I, read Book II closely)

Enlightenment Skeptics and Optimists: The Revolutionary AtlanticThe American Revolution and European Colonialism PAPER TOPIC AND SOURCE SELECTION DUE

The Declaration of Independence

Mon. Sept. 14

Thu. Sept. 17

The French Revolution Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Olympe de Gouges, Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female

Citizen Arthur Young, Travels, pp. 176-83.

Ideals Fulfilled…or Betrayed? Napoleon and the Haitian Revolution Abbé Grégoire, Letter to the Citizens of Color and Free Negroes of Saint-

Domingue David Geggus, “The Caribbean in the Age of Revolution,” in the Age of

Revolutions in Global Context, ed. Armitage and Subrahmanyam, pp. 83-100.

Unit 2Mon. Sept. 21

Thu. Sept. 24

An Industrial Future: Promise and DiscontentThe Potential of Capitalism: Wealth, Technology, Demography

Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (excerpts)

Andrew Ure, “The Factory System” (excerpts)

The Dark Underbelly: The Plight of Labor Women in Coal Mines (online) The Sadler Report of the UK House of Commons (excerpts) Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England, pp. 50-

67.

Mon. Sept. 28

Thu. Oct. 1

Romanticist Critiques William Wordsworth, Poems (online) Thomas de Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium Eater (online)

Democratic and Socialist Critiques: The Rebellions of 1848ESSAY 1 DUE;

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto (entire book)

Unit 3Mon. Oct. 5

Thu. Oct. 8

National Destinies and Imperial DesignsUnification: Italy and Germany

Giuseppe Mazzini, On Nationality as a Key to Social Development (excerpts)

The Russian Empire Prince Ukhtomskii, “Russia’s Imperial Destiny, 1891” (online)

Mon. Oct. 12

Thu. Oct. 15

COLUMBUS DAY; NO CLASS

China and the West Conrad Schirokauer, “The Intrusion of the West: China,” pp. 253-76. Emperor Qianlong, Mandate to King George III (online) Letter of Commissioner Lin to the British Treaty of Nanjing (online)

Mon. Oct. 19

Unit 4Thu. Oct. 22

The End of Slavery and the European Conquest of Africa Mary Prince, The History of Mary Prince (excerpts) Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden” (online) Jules Ferry, Speech Before the French National Assembly (online)

A New Paradise: Science, Technology and Urbanization The Scientific Definition of Disease

Louis Pasteur, “Germ Theory and Its Applications to Medicine and Surgery” (online)

Mon. Oct. 26

Unit 5Thu. Oct. 29

Nineteenth Century CitiesRESEARCH PROSPECTUS DUE;

The World at War: Whither Utopia?Background to the Conflict

Grayzel, The First World War, “The Origins of the First World War,” “Living through the First World War,” and “The War’s End and Aftermath,” pp. 1-38

Mon. Nov. 2

Thu. Nov. 5

The Great War Grayzel, The First World War, pp. 54-84 (including the poems, posters

and letters)

The Russian Revolution V.I. Lenin, “What Is to Be Done,” and “State and Revolution” (excerpts)

Mon. Nov. 9

Thu. Nov. 12

Europe After Versailles Wilson’s Fourteen Points Grayzel, The First World War, pp. 128-49.

Culture and Crisis of the 1920s and 1930sESSAY 2 DUE;

Dada Poetry (selections) FILM: Metropolis (1927)

Mon. Nov. 16

Thu. Nov. 19

The Rise of Fascism and Nazism: Italy and Germany Benito Mussolini, “What is Fascism?” (online) Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf (excerpts) FILM: Triumph of the Will (1934)

World War IIFIRST DRAFT DUE;

Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem (excerpts)

Mon. Nov. 23

Thu. Nov. 26

Genocide and Memory Primo Levi, Survival in Auschwitz (excerpts) Hanna Levy-Hass, Diary of Bergen-Belsen (excerpts)

THANKSGIVING BREAK; NO CLASS

Unit 6Mon. Nov. 30

Thu. Dec. 3

Postwar EuropeDecolonization

Samuel Selvon, The Lonely Londoners (entire book)

The Cold War in Europe Béla Lipták, Birth of MEFESZ (excerpts)

Mon. Dec. 7

Thu. Dec. 10

The Fall of Communism Timothy Garton Ash, The Magic Lantern, pp. 131-67. FILM: Good-bye, Lenin! (2003)

The European Union: Promise and ProblemsLONG PAPER DUE;

Peter Hervik, “The End of Tolerance,” from The Annoying Difference: The Emergence of Danish Neonationalism, Neoracism and Populism in the Post-1989 World, pp. 73-90.

FINAL EXAM: TBD