H114: Syllabus-Fall-08/1
H-114: History of Western Civilization II
Fall 2008
CLSD 2571: TR 10:30-11:45 (CA 215)
CLSD 2575: TR 1:30-2:45 (CA 235)
Syllabus subject to change
Professor Kevin Cramer
Cavanaugh Hall 503M
317-278-7744
kcramer@iupui.edu
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 3-5
(and by appointment)
Required Texts
1. Judith G. Coffin and Robert C. Stacey, Western Civilizations: Their History and Culture. Volume
II, 16th edition (W.W. Norton, 2008)
2. Merry E. Wiesner and Julius R. Ruff, Discovering the Twentieth-Century World: A Look at the
Evidence (Houghton Mifflin, 2004)
3. William K. Storey, Writing History: A Guide for Students, 3d edition (Oxford University
Press, 2009)
Course Description
This course is intended to provide an introduction to the process of modernization and state
formation in the western world during the three hundred years between the end of the
European religious wars in the 17th century and the collapse of Communism in the late
twentieth century. Framed by “big questions” and organized around major themes, the
emphasis will be on the rise and eventual decline of European global dominance and
influence and the interconnections between technological change, intellectual innovation,
and the development of modern society as it accelerated toward today’s “globalized”
international community. The problems associated with this development are explored in the
study of evolving social, economic, and political systems (as they embodied contested
notions of the limits of individual liberty, civil freedom, and state authority) and the various
revolutions they inspired. Cultural, social, and ideological conflicts (as well as two world
wars), as both causes and symptoms of this process of modernization, will also be examined.
The course concludes with an examination of the decline of European power in the face of
an “Americanized” global economic system after the end of World War II, the SovietAmerican confrontation of the Cold War, the emergence in the West of the social welfare
state, and the democratic and capitalist “New World Order” that was mistakenly presumed
to have emerged with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Course Objectives
The aim of this course is to increase your understanding of how the social, political, cultural,
and economic foundations of your world were created. The course is also designed to
provide you with an introduction to the skills required by the university's "Principles of
Undergraduate Learning” (for details and further information on the PUL go to
http://www.iupui.edu/academic/undergrad_principles.html). Lectures and exams will
introduce you to facts, concepts, themes, and terms that will allow you to understand the
importance of this period while giving you the historical context for a better understanding
of how your society and world works. The writing assignments, based on readings of
primary sources, will enable you to develop your reflective, critical, and analytical abilities.
In-class participation and discussion will enable you to sharpen your communication skills as
well as your capability to efficiently and spontaneously summarize, categorize, interpret, and
evaluate information. This part of the course also allows you to make a vital and necessary
contribution to how topics and issues are brought into focus in each class.
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Course Requirements
1. Mid-Term Exam: 15%
2. Final Exam (non-cumulative): 25%
3. Analytical Essay: 20%
4. Discussion Sessions: 15%
5. Document Analysis Papers: 15%
6. General Participation: 10%
Grading System and Policy
Course work and your final grade will be graded on the standard 100-point scale. In areas of
evaluation where the grade is not strictly calculable numerically (i.e., participation in the
discussion sessions, general in-class participation, attendance) the grade will be the highest
within that range (i.e., a B+ will be calculated as an 89). An A-range grade evaluates work
that goes substantially beyond the formal outlines of the assignment by showing marked
originality, creativity, and strength of argument, organization, and conception. A B-range
grade evaluates work that fulfills the assignment with noticeable, but not thorough, attention
paid to these ideas. Such work might also include flawed reasoning and organization as well
as stylistic problems (sentence structure, spelling, vocabulary, use of scholarly conventions,
etc.). A C-range grade evaluates work of genuine effort that largely fulfills the assignment
but displays substantial weaknesses in several of the above areas. D-range work is evaluated
as meeting the bare minimums of the assignment in a perfunctory fashion. Obviously, an F
grade indicates complete failure to fulfill the assignment. You are graded according to my
evaluation and judgment of your participation in class, your willingness to ask questions during lectures(there
are no stupid questions), the quality of your preparation for, and fulfillment of, assignments, and your
willingness to risk thinking analytically and originally. You are not graded for "effort" and merely showing
up each day.
Course Policies
Timely notification of emergencies (before and after the fact) that force you to miss class,
exams, and assignment due dates is required in order to make up tests and negotiate deadline
extensions. Unavoidable absences and missed assignments are negotiable; provided that you
keep me informed reasonably in advance (if possible) of circumstances that will force you to
miss lectures (via my office email or through Oncourse email) and that you provide
documentation (if appropriate) demonstrating legitimate reasons for being absent.
Unfortunately, if you accumulate more than five unexcused absences you risk a failing final
semester grade. Lecture outlines, reading and writing assignments, exam reviews, essay
guidelines and format, film and slide notes, discussion session questions and other important
information and course material will be posted on Oncourse, so check it regularly. All
assignments must be completed for your final grade to be accurately calculated (an A+ on
the mid-term, for example, does not give you the option of skipping the reading quizzes).
Late submission (over 24 hours) of the essay will be penalized a full letter grade; essays
submitted between 24 and 48 hours past the due date will be penalized two full letter grades;
essays submitted beyond 48 hours of the due date will not be accepted (unless there are
extraordinary and documented circumstances that prevent submission). All writing
assignments must be submitted as hard copies; I will not accept late written assignments via
e-mail attachments. If you are having problems fulfilling the requirements of the course
contact me sooner rather than later. The Student Advocate Office
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(http://www.life.iupui.edu/advocate/) is also available when you need help finding
information or dealing with issues that affect your attendance and academic performance.
The Student Advocate’s office is in the Campus Center in Suite 350. For general campus
policies go to http://registrar.iupui.edu/misconduct.html.
Academic Misconduct
Plagiarism is usually defined as the deliberate theft of someone else's work and passing it off
as your own. But inattention, ignorance of scholarly citation conventions, and sloppy note
taking can also be construed as plagiarism, even if it is unintentional. Cutting and pasting from
web-based sources is plagiarism. The ultimate penalty for plagiarism (and all other forms of cheating and
academic misconduct) can include an automatic failing grade for the course. Please consult the IUPUI
Campus Bulletin for further guidelines and information on plagiarism and other forms of
academic misconduct. For the Code of Students Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct go to
http://www.iupui.edu/code.
Administrative Withdrawal
A basic requirement of this course is that you will actively engage with your peers and
instructor during class and conscientiously prepare for and complete all assignments. If you
miss more than half our class meetings within the first four weeks of the semester without
contacting me, university policy mandates that you will be administratively withdrawn from
the class (attendance is recorded on a sign-in sheet). Our class meets twice per week; thus if
you miss more than four classes in the first four weeks, you may be withdrawn, which will
make room for students on the waitlist. Administrative withdrawal may have academic,
financial, and financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the
full refund period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be
eligible for a tuition refund. For more details go to:
http://www.registrar.iupui.edu/withdrawal-policy.html.
Your Responsibilities and Assignments
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Because lecture material not covered in the textbooks is tested on the exams,
attendance is important. Reading the textbook is not an adequate substitute for
attending lecture. For the same reasons tardiness and leaving class early will also be
noted. Attendance and in-class participation are considered in evaluating your
general participation grade. If circumstances prevent you from devoting the
necessary amount of time and effort to be successful in this course, please drop the
class as early as possible. For drop/add procedures, go to
http://registrar.iupui.edu/drop.html.
Lecture outlines will be posted on Oncourse no later than the day before the lecture.
The readings from the textbook for each week are intended to provide background
information for that week’s lectures. Make every effort to read the assigned textbook
pages and documents before that particular week’s class sessions. You will also follow
the lectures more easily if you do this. Also study the maps, illustrations, and
chronologies. Always bring your textbook to class. In-class discussion is not limited to the
discussion sessions. You will need to refer to the textbook during lecture in order to
examine and talk about primary sources, artwork, and maps related to the lecture
topic.
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Learning to take effective notes is a skill rewarded by heightened comprehension,
increased retention of information, and good grades; the recording of lectures (via
tape recorder, cell phone, and/or webcam or other similar devices) is therefore
prohibited barring special circumstances.
The exam format consists of an identification section covering your interpretation of
the ideas presented in the primary source documents featured in the textbook; a
multiple-choice section covering factual information drawn primarily from the
lectures; and a short essay section answering a question (or questions) dealing with
broad themes and issues. You will be provided with a test format and study guide
well in advance of each test. These study guides will form the basis of the exam
review sessions. The exams will also include extra-credit questions drawn from the
slide presentations and films.
The three Discussion Sessions involve analysis of collections of documents and
other primary source material in the Discovering the Twentieth-Century World anthology.
Questions and guidelines for these discussions will be posted in advance on
Oncourse. In addition to “The Evidence,” you must also carefully read the
introductory sections of each assigned chapter in this anthology, “The Problem,”
“Background,” and “The Method”, as well as “Questions to Consider” and the
“Epilogue” at the end of each chapter.
Your analytical essay will also be based on selected collections of documents in this
anthology. The format and guidelines for this essay will be posted on Oncourse.
There will also be a review session that will discuss how to organize and write a
history essay. This review will include discussion of sections of the book Writing
History. In addition, the University Writing Center has drop-in hours for consultation
on drafts and other questions about writing. For more details on the UWC, go to
www.iupui.edu/~uwc. I will also be happy, with reasonably advanced notice, to discuss
ideas and comment on drafts with you during office hours.
Each week’s assigned chapter reading in the textbook contains excerpts from
contemporary historical documents, followed by “Questions for Analysis.” These
excerpts will form the basis of six graded “Document Analysis Papers.” You will
submit three before the mid-term, three after. You may choose any one of the
document excerpts (in any of the assigned chapters) to fulfill this assignment, which
requires you to write a one to one and a half page (typed) answer to one of the
“Questions for Analysis” that follow each document excerpt. For example, in
chapter 15, there are three document excerpts: “Absolutism and Patriarchy,”
“Mercantilism and War,” and “The American Declaration of Independence.” To
fulfill this assignment, you could choose “Declaration of Independence” and answer
the question “What is meant by the expression, ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness’.” Do not answer more than one question per document; the six submitted papers must
be on six separate document excerpts from six different chapters. Include my name, your name,
the course and class number (so I can keep track of them). Do not include the date; I
will write this in on the day I receive the paper. Do not make the mistake of
submitting three papers on the day before the mid-term or the day before the final.
This will make me very unhappy, which, in turn, will make you very unhappy.
H114: Syllabus-Fall-08/5
Class Schedule and Readings
Unit One: Absolutism and Revolution: “How did the idea of self-government based
on individual rights evolve?” or “Man as Thinker”
Week 1
1. Th 8/21: Introduction: Course Goals, Policies, and the Syllabus
Week 2
2. Tu 8/26: Lecture 1: Absolute Monarchy and the Search for Stable Government
Textbook Readings: Chapter 15
3. Th 8/28: Lecture 2: The Scientific Revolution
Textbook Readings: Chapter 16
Essay Format and Topic Guidelines and readings from the book Writing History posted on Oncourse.
Week 3
4. Tu 9/2: Lecture 3: The Enlightenment
Textbook Readings: Chapter 17
5. Th 9/4: Lecture 4: The French Revolution
Textbook Readings: Chapter 18 (pp. 633-657)
Questions for Discussion Session One posted on Oncourse.
Week 4
6. Tu 9/9: Lecture 5: The Impact of the French Revolution
Textbook Readings: Chapter 18 (pp. 657-670); chapter 20 (pp. 708-724)
7. Th 9/11: Discussion Session One: Discovering the Twentieth-Century World, chapter 1:
“Modernity: From Promise to Threat (1790-1930)”.
Unit Two: The Rise of the Nation State: “How did the nation emerge as the
preeminent form of political, social, and economic organization?” or “Man as
Maker”
Week 5
8. Tu 9/16: Lecture 6: The Restoration of Pre-Revolutionary Europe
Textbook Readings: Chapter 20 (pp. 732-743); chapter 19 (672-696); chapter 21 (pp. 746754)
9. Th 9/18: Lecture 7: Nationalism and State Building
Textbook Readings: Chapter 21 (pp. 754-767); chapter 20 (pp.729-730)
Notes and Outline for Slide Presentation One posted on Oncourse.
Week 6
10. Tu 9/23: Slide Presentation One: “Nationalist Iconography”
11. Th 9/25: Lecture 8: Mass Society and Imperialism
Textbook Readings: Chapter 23 (pp. 822-838; 857-858); chapter 22
Mid-Term Review and reading assignments for Essay Review Session posted on Oncourse.
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Week 7
12. Tu 9/30: Lecture 9: Modernity and the Critique of Progress
Textbook Readings: Chapter 23 (pp. 838-840; 851-857)
13. Th 10/2: Mid-Term Review
Unit Three: The Violent Twentieth Century: “How did radical ideologies lead to war,
genocide, and political conflict?” or “Man as Gravedigger”
Week 8
14. Tu 10/7: Mid-Term Exam
15. Th 10/9: Lecture 10: World War I
Textbook Readings: Chapter 23 (pp. 848-850); chapter 24 (pp. 864-888; 893-896)
Questions for Discussion Session Two and notes on Film One posted on Oncourse.
Week 9
16. Tu 10/14: Film One: Paths of Glory (1957)
“How to Write a History Essay” posted on Oncourse.
17. Th 10/16: Discussion Session Two: Discovering the Twentieth-Century World, chapter 4:
“Beyond Suffrage: Four ‘New Women’ of the 1920s.”
Week 10
18. Tu 10/21: Essay Review Session
Notes and Outline for Slide Presentation Two posted on Oncourse.
19. Th 10/23: Lecture 11: Peace and Revolution
Textbook Readings: Chapter 24 (pp. 888-893; 897-901); chapter 25 (pp. 902-906; 917-918)
Week 11
20. Tu 10/28: Slide Presentation Two: “Weimar Culture”
Textbook Readings: Chapter 23 (pp. 844-848; 858-862); chapter 25 (pp. 928-935)
Questions for Discussion Session Three posted on Oncourse.
21. Th 10/30: Lecture 12: Democracy and Capitalism in Crisis
Textbook Readings: Chapter 25 (pp. 906-928); chapter 26 (pp. 938-947)
Week 12
22. Tu 11/4: Discussion Session Three: Discovering the Twentieth-Century World, chapter 7:
“Selling a Totalitarian System.”
23. Th 11/6: Lecture 13: World War II: 1939-1941
Textbook Readings: Chapter 26 (pp. 947-950)
Notes on Film Two posted on Oncourse.
Week 13
24. Tu 11/11: Lecture 14: The Holocaust and Genocide
Textbook Readings: Chapter 23 (pp. 838-840); chapter 25 (pp. 922-925); chapter 26 (pp.
956-965)
25. Th 11/13: Film Two: Conspiracy (2001)
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Week 14
26. Tu 11/18: Lecture 15: World War II: 1941-1945
Textbook Readings: Chapter 26 (pp. 950-956; 965-975)
Notes on Film Three posted on Oncourse.
27. Th 11/20: Lecture 16: The Post-1945 Settlement and the Cold War
Textbook Readings: Chapter 27
Final Exam Review posted on Oncourse.
Week 15
28. Tu 11/25: Film Three: Dr. Strangelove (1964)
11/26-11/30: No Classes: Thanksgiving Recess
Week 16
29. Tu 12/2: Lecture 17: The New World Order and the End of History
Analytical Essay Due
Textbook Readings: Chapters 28-29
30. Th 12/4: Final Exam Review
Last Class
Final Exam Schedule
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CLSD 2571 (10:30-11:45): Thursday, 12/11, 1:00-3:00.
CLSD 2575 (1:30-2:45): Tuesday, 12/9, 3:30-5:30.