HST 102: Introduction to European Civilizations
Syllabus Version: Fall 2010 (pdf)
Sections:MW 3:00-4:15pm/D-1-123 MAK (#18187)/MW 4:30-5:45pm/D-1-135 MAK (#11527)
Course Description and Requirements
Designed to support general education goals and develop historical capabilities, this course examines the history of Europe from the later Middle Ages to the present, emphasizing the interaction of political, social, economic, intellectual and cultural factors to produce historical change and alter Europe’s relationship with the rest of the world. This course fulfills the Historical Perspectives Foundation of the university’s General Education Program.
In this course, students will:
- Demonstrate active knowledge of modern European history, as well as the following course sub-themes: the development of modern political thought, mass political movements, and modern revolutions and how this “Enlightenment thought” is being challenged by today’s “postmodern” epoch; the impact of industrialization and globalization on western society; the shift from limited war to total war to nuclear war and its impact upon the western world; and the role imperialism has played in the expansion and development of European civilization;
- Develop a broader cultural literacy through exposure to the key concepts, ideas, and events of the major European civilizations;
- Work collaboratively with each other in exploring the intersection of history and new media; and
- Gain experience in evaluating and interpreting various types of primary and secondary sources and materials.
Assigned Texts:
Timothy Garton Ash, The File: A Personal History (Vintage, 1998), ISBN #978-0679777854.
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated in this course based on the following criteria:
- In-Class Writing and Group Work: 5%
- Critical Response Essays (2): 15%
- Exam I: 20%
- Exam II: 25%
- Final Exam: 35%
Critical Response Essays: During the semester, you are required to write two critical response essays over two (2) of the three (3) supplemental books assigned to you this semester (the Fagan, Johnson, and Garton Ash books). These essays should be two pages typed and double-spaced, with standard fonts and margins, written using formal academic styles and conventions, and stapled in the upper left-hand corner. You may choose which two books of the three you will write about, and the completed essay is due at the start of class on the day the book in question has been assigned (27 Sept for Fagan, 18 Oct for Johnson, and 8 Dec for Garton Ash). The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate how well you are thoughtfully engaging with the issues, materials, and themes discussed in the assigned books and this course in general. How you specifically structure the entries will be largely up to your own critical judgment. As such, you will be graded on the quality and relevance of your observations and analysis; your writing style; and your capacity to follow directions and format guidelines.
Exams: The three exams will consist of an objective section of multiple choice/matching questions and a subjective section consisting of two short, formal essays all taken from course readings, lectures, and class discussions. You will receive study guides for all three exams.
Attendance and Participation: It really goes without saying that attending class every session is rather important, if you are actually interested in learning anything in university. That being said, I am not your mother, your babysitter, or your high school principal. I will not be counting you every day. You are all adults now; you can make your own decisions. But be forewarned: we will be doing several in-class activities to better both your writing and your grasp of the historical content. Failure to attend class during these sessions will severely impact your success in this course. Also, the material covered in this course is significant, and the sheer volume of facts, names, places, and dates can become overwhelming for some. Excessive absences will only exacerbate this dynamic. In other words, we’ll be going over a lot of stuff rather quickly, and once you’re behind, it’s very difficult to catch up.
Late Work: Make-up exams are allowed provided the student contacts me before the exam is scheduled to take place. Students who fail to follow this set-up will not be allowed to make-up the missing exam. Assignments turned in late will be reduced one third of a grade (e.g., from an A to an A-) for each class period late. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to these rules.
Grading Scale: I will be using the following grading scale in this course:
A 100-94 B 86-83 C 76-73 D 65-61
A- 93-90 B- 82-80 C- 72-70 F 60-0
B+ 89-87 C+ 79-77 D+ 69-66
Academic Honesty: The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and scholars. This means that all academic work will be done by the student to whom it is assigned without unauthorized aid of any kind. In addition, plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty, including dishonesty involving computer technology, are prohibited. Any instances of academic dishonesty in this course (intentional or unintentional) will be dealt with swiftly, and potential penalties include receiving a failing grade (F) on the assignment in question or in the course overall. For further information, students should make themselves familiar with the Academic Honesty section within the Undergraduate Catalog.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: If you need academic accommodations because of a learning, physical, or other disability, please contact Disability Support Services (1 Campus Drive, STU 200, telephone 616-331-2490). Furthermore, if you have a physical disability and think you will need assistance evacuating the classroom and/or building in an emergency, please let me know so I can develop a plan to assist you.
Course Outline:
I reserve the right to alter any aspect of this course and its assignments and readings schedule as necessary during the semester. As a rule, reading assignments signify the reading that should be done before the class it is listed for (i.e., the reading for 15 September should be read before class on 15 September).
Week 1
- Introduction and Syllabus (30 August)
- The Ancien Régime I (1 September)
- Coffin Ch.15
Week 2
- Labor Day: No Class (6 September)
- The Ancien Régime II (8 September)
Week 3
- Challenging the Régime: Science and Enlightenment (13 September)
- Coffin Ch.16-17
- Liberté, Equalité, Fraternité: Breaking the Régime in the West (15 September)
- Coffin Ch.18
- M. Robespierre, “On Political Morality”
Week 4
- Napoleon Bonaparte: Revolutionary Heir or First Modern Dictator? (20 September)
- La Patrie: War and Society in Revolutionary Europe, 1789-1815 (22 September)
Week 5
- Environment and History I (27 September)
- Fagan Ch.1-5
- Environment and History II (29 September)
- Fagan Ch.6-12
Week 6
- Exam I (4 October)
- The Concert of Europe: Restoration and its Discontents (6 October)
- Coffin Ch.20
Week 7
- Ode to the Industrial Process: The First Industrial Revolution (11 October)
- The Age of Capital: Understanding the Second Industrial Revolution (13 October)
Week 8
- Science and History: The Social Impact of Industrialization (18 October)
- Johnson, The Ghost Map
- The Biggest War: the “New” Imperialism and the Non-Western World (20 October)
- Coffin Ch.22
- Rudyard Kipling, The White Man’s Burden (1899)
Week 9
- The Militarization of European Society, 1870-1914 (25 October)
- Coffin Ch.23
- The Lamps Go Out: Europe at War, 1914-1920 I (27 October)
- Coffin Ch.24
Week 10
- The Lamps Go Out: Europe at War, 1914-1920 II (1 November)
- Exam II (3 November)
Week 11
- Challenging the Revolution I: Communism (8 November)
- Coffin Ch.25
- Challenging the Revolution II: Fascism (10 November)
Week 12
- Slaves to the Machine: Surviving the “Age of Catastrophe” in the Early 20th Century (15 November)
- Strange Defeat: Europe and the World at War, 1939-1945 (17 November)
- Coffin Ch.26
Week 13
- The Holocaust (22 November)
- Thanksgiving Break: No Class (24 November)
Week 14
- The Postwar Era: Cold War and Social Democracy (29 November)
- Coffin Ch.27
- “Live in Your World, Play in Ours”: Entering the Global Information Age (1 December)
Week 15
- We Want It All and We Want It Now: Social/Cultural Revolution in the West, 1945 to the Present (6 December)
- Coffin Ch.28
- Cold War Legacy and History (8 December)
- Garton Ash, The File
Week 16
- 3pm Class Final Exam (Thursday, 16 December: 2:00-3:50pm)
- 4:30pm Class Final Exam (Wednesday, 15 December: 4:00-5:50pm)
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