HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015
HISTORY 106: European Civilization from 1648 to present
Semester: Spring 2015 (Jan. 20 – May 16)
Time: Tu./Th. 11am-12:15pm
Place: Bristlecone rm. 343
Contact information
Instructor: Matt Erwin, MA (York)
Email: matthew.erwin@wnc.edu
Office hours: Tu./Th. 3-3:50pm, Bristlecone Building rm. 350H
Division Information
Division of Liberal Arts
Bristlecone rm. 350
Phone: (775) 445-3290
Course Content
In History 106, we will survey the major topics, issues, ideas, and problems in European history
from the end of the Thirty Years War (1648) to the present day. The point of this class is to give
you a good grounding in recent European history in all its aspects: social, political, economic,
cultural, etc. Some of you may come into it knowing a lot about European history, others won’t
know much at all. That’s ok! The point is for us to explore and examine the past together. In this
course, we will not only study the past but also engage with it to form a dialogue between our
‘ancestors’ and ourselves. This way we don’t just know history; we do it and understand it. By
building these links with our past we can better understand where we’re going in the future.
Course Information
Credits: Three (3)
Prerequisites: None
Transferability: This course is designed to apply toward a WNC degree and/or transfer to other
schools within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). It may transfer to colleges and
universities outside Nevada.
Course Catalog Description
Covers Western civilization and history from the mid-17th century to the present.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
◦ Develop a mastery of knowledge of distinct historical events, ideas and concepts of
European civilization from the mid 17th century to the present.
◦ Understand the forces leading to historical change and political, economic and social
transformations.
◦ Develop an appreciation of cultural, religious and racial diversity through the study of
major Europeans civilizations in the modern era.
◦ Learn to express understanding of the above concepts through effective written and
oral communications.
◦ Engage in critical thinking through analysis of historical factual and conceptual
information.
Required Text
Elie Wiesel, Night (Hill & Wang, any edition)
Dennis Sherman and Joyce Salisbury, The West in the World, Vol. 2 (5th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2013)
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015
Requirements
Reading
A reading assignment is assigned for almost every class meeting and should be completed
beforehand. Please keep up on the reading as it will contribute to class discussion and will be on
the exams. Failure to do so will result in a major headache when it comes time to study for the
midterms.
Weekly journal
There will be an in-class journal entry every week (either Tu. or Th.) over the assigned material for
that week. This is a way to both take attendance and to ensure that every one is thinking
critically about the reading. There will be 14 opportunities to write journal entries over the course
of the semester. You should do a minimum of 12 entries, meaning that you are allowed two
excused absences. After two missed entries, your final grade will be negatively impacted as
these form 100 points of your final grade. You can use these on the exam. You may turn in one
journal late at no penalty; otherwise, no make up journals will be offered unless proof of a
verifiable emergency is provided.
Discussion
This is the part where you actively ‘do’ history. Everyone should come to class having done the
assigned reading and be ready to discuss it as a class or in small groups. Think of the class as an
hour-and-fifteen-minute conversation between us all: everyone has a different viewpoint or
impression that will contribute to how we analyze and interpret historical events. This class will
also cover adult topics such as religion, gender and sexuality. Remember that respect and
diversity is the key to an open discussion, so please be polite in class. Students who do not
respect the opinions and beliefs of others will be asked to leave.
Biography assignment
Each student will independently research an assigned person from history. A list of famous names
will be provided for you to choose from at the beginning of the semester. No switching with a
classmate once you’ve chosen. You will need to prepare a 6-8 minute presentation to be given
in class about your person. A list of references needs to be turned in with your presentation. The
due dates of these projects are staggered throughout the semester as each biography fits with
a certain class lecture. Late presentations will not be allowed unless proof of a verifiable
emergency is provided.
Exams
There will be three exams. These may consist of identification questions, maps, concept
definitions, a short essay or two, or any combination of the above. The exams are not cumulative
(meaning not all the covered information is on every exam). All coursework assigned or ideas
discussed in lecture may appear on exams. If a student misses an exam there will be no makeup test except in the case of verifiable illness or emergency.
Checking email
Please be sure to check your emails at least once a day. This is how we will communicate with
each other outside of class. All reading packets, new information, class cancellation notices,
links to articles or videos, etc., will be sent by email. I’ll do my best to respond to all emails within
48 hours. However, please note that I do not check my mail after 5pm or on the weekends.
If at any time during the semester you are struggling with the coursework, please don’t hesitate
to get in touch with me by email or visit my office hours. The sooner I’m informed of any issues,
the sooner they can be resolved.
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015
Grading (500 points total)
Exam 1 (100 pt.)
Exam 2 (100 pt.)
Exam 3 (100 pt.)
Biographical presentation (100 pt.)
Journals (100 pt.)
Grades are assigned using this percentage scale (%):
94-100%
A
74-76
C
90-93
A70-73
C87-89
B+
67-69
D+
84-86
B
64-66
D
80-83
B60-63
D77-79
C+
Under 60
F
Absences and early outs
Absences will be measured by missed journal entries. As stated above, you need to do 12 out of
14 entries to get full participation points and you can make up one journal. If you need to leave
class early, please inform me prior to the start of class. Do not just get up and leave.
Missed classes
I will not give out notes or PowerPoints for any absences. Also, I will not email study guides if you
are absent on the day they are passed out. It is your responsibility to get notes from a classmate
in the event of a missed class period. I would suggest getting the email of a classmate or two in
case of absences.
Plagiarism and Cheating
Evidence of cheating on exams or plagiarism in journals will result in a failing grade for the
assignment. It is your responsibility to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. This includes
paying a third party or online essay mill to write your essay for you. If you’re not sure, visit this link:
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability for which you will need to request accommodations, please contact the
Disability Support Services office as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate
accommodations. Contact: Susan Trist (susan.trist@wnc.edu).
Note: This syllabus is subject to change at any time throughout the semester.
Class schedule
Week 1
January 20: Howdy! Getting to know you and course expectations
January 22: Review: Renaissance, Reformation, Exploration, etc.
Read: No reading assignment for today.
In-class: Sign up for biography; syllabus quiz (journal entry #1)
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015
Week 2
January 27: Absolutism
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 395-408
Biographies: Peter the Great (Russian emperor), Louis XIV (French king)
January 29: The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 426-440
Biographies: Isaac Newton (British scientist), Jean Jacques Rousseau (Genevan philosopher)
Week 3
February 3: 18th century culture
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 471-482
Biographies: Carl Linnaeus (Dutch botanist, biologist)
February 5: French Revolution
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 487-499
Biographies: Marie Antoinette (French queen), Robespierre (French revolutionary)
Week 4
February 10: Filthy Cities: Revolutionary Paris (BBC)
Read: No reading for today.
February 12: Napoleon
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 505-514
Biographies: Napoleon (French dictator), Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (British general)
Week 5
February 17: Industrial Revolution Begins
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 518-519, 522-533
Biographies: James Watt (British inventor of the steam engine), Mary Shelley (British writer)
February 19 (Th.): The Victorians
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 534-544
Biographies: Queen Victoria (British queen); Charles Darwin (evolutionary biologist)
Handout: Study guide for Exam 1
Week 6
February 24 (Tu.): The Victorians, continued
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 551-560, 568-574
Watch (in-class): The Victorians (BBC)
Biographies: None.
February 26 (Th.): EXAM 1
Week 7
March 3: Revolt and Protest
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 551-560, 568-574
Biographies: Karl Marx (German communist writer), Charles Dickens (English writer)
March 5: Unification
Read: Sherman & Salisbury
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015
Biographies: Giuseppe Garabaldi (Italian politician), Otto von Bismarck (German chancellor)
Week 8
March 10: European imperialism
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 607-623
Biographies: David Livingstone (Scottish explorer), King Leopold II of Belgium (Belgian king)
March 12: The fin de siècle
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 630-639, 645-547
Biographies: Oscar Wilde (Anglo-Irish writer), Toulouse-Lautrec (French artist), Marie Curie (PolishFrench scientist)
Week 9
March 17: SPRING BREAK – Have fun!
March 19: SPRING BREAK
Week 10
March 24 (Tu.): World War I, part 1
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 655-665
Biographies: Wilhelm II of Germany (German emperor), King George V of the United Kingdom
(British king)
March 26 (Th.): World War I, part 2
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 666-674
Biographies: Siegfried Sassoon (British war poet), Mata Hari (Dutch spy)
Handout: Study guide for Exam 2
Week 11
March 31 (Tu.): The Russian Revolution
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 674-682
Biographies: Nicholas II (Russian emperor), Vladimir Lenin (Soviet leader)
April 2 (Th.): EXAM 2
Week 12
April 7: War’s Long Shadow
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 685-695
Biographies: Virginia Woolf (English writer), Sigmund Freud (Austrian psychoanalyst)
April 9: The interwar years
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 696-708
Biographies: Adolf Hitler (German leader), Pablo Picasso (Spanish artist)
Being reading Night by Elie Wiesel
Week 13
April 14: World War II, part 1
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 711-721
Biographies: Leni Riefenstahl (German filmmaker), Winston Churchill (British prime minister)
April 16: World War II, part 2
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 721-734
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HISTORY 106 – ERWIN – SPRING 2015
Biographies: Anne Frank (Dutch diarist, Holocaust victim), Winston Churchill (British prime minister)
Week 14
April 21: Night by Elie Wiesel
Read: Night must be read in full by this date.
In-class: Discussion groups on the book and the Holocaust
Biography: Elie Wiesel (author, concentration camp survivor)
April 23: Rebuilding Europe
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 738-746
Biographies: Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (British queen); Josef Stalin (Soviet dictator)
Week 15
April 28: A Tale of Two Europes
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 747-762
Biographies: Yuri Gagarin (Soviet cosmonaut), Federico Fellini (Italian director)
April 30: Communist Europe
Read: Sherman & Salisbury
Watch (in class): The Lost World of Communism (BBC)
Biographies: Vaclav Havel (Czech dissident, later president)
Week 16
May 5: Reunification
Read: Sherman & Salisbury 774-783, 785-787
In-class:
Biographies: Margaret Thatcher (British prime minister); Vladimir Putin (Russian president)
May 7 (Th.): Semester review
Read: No reading for today
Handout: Study guide for Exam 3
Week 17
May 12: EXAM 3
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