Nipissing University
Department of History
History 1205
Europe Since 1500
Fall/Winter 2009-2010
Course Instructor: Professor H. Earl
Lecture Time: Tuesday 4:30-6:30 pm and seminar as scheduled
Location: Weaver Auditorium, B200
Office: H321
Office Hours: Tuesday 12:30-2:30 pm and by appointment
Office Phone: (705) 474-3450 ext. 4476
email: hearl@nipissingu.ca
Seminar Instructor: Dr. Mark Crane
Office Hours: Wednesday 1:00-2:30 pm and Thursday 4:00-5:30 pm
Office: H315
Office Phone: (705) 474-3450 ext. 4181
email: markc@nipissingu.ca
website: www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/markc
Course Description
This course surveys modern European history and culture from 1500 to the late twentieth century. In
the first term topics include the renaissance and the reformation; the exploration of the new worlds;
the Enlightenment; the French, Industrial and Scientific Revolutions; Socialism, Marxism,
Liberalism, Nationalism and Imperialism. The first term covers approximately 1500 to 1870 and the
second term 1870-1991. The course aims to prepare students for more advanced courses in history as
well as offering guidance on essay writing, argument formation, and oral articulation of ideas, all
useful skills regardless of discipline.
Course Format
This is a full year, six credit hour course. This class meets twice a week, one day for lecture and one
for seminar. Lectures are on Tuesdays and will be approximately 90 minutes (some days longer,
some shorter depending on the material). Seminars are as scheduled on WebAdvisor. Once you have
been enrolled in a Seminar you are not allowed to switch groups without the consent of Dr. Mark
Crane, seminar instructor, or myself
Seminars
1.
Crane
2.
Crane
3.
Crane
4.
Crane
5.
Earl
6.
Crane
7.
Crane
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
10:30 am
11:30 am
2:30 pm
6:30 pm
5:30 pm
9:30 am
11:30 am
H304
H304
A133
R313
H304
A133
H304
8
9.
10
Crane Thursday
Crane Thursday
Crane Thursday
12:30 am
2:30 pm
5:30 pm
H304
H304
A143
Seminars are an integral and mandatory element of this course. Fifteen percent of the final grade is
based on seminar participation. Discussion and debate are the essence of historical inquiry and
seminars allow for discussion of important course themes, issues and problems raised in lectures and
the readings. Seminars also provide students with an opportunity to raise questions in a more
intimate setting than lecture. Each student is expected to do the readings for seminar in advance and
actively participate in class discussions. Active participation means answering and asking question,
demonstrating an understanding of concepts and interpretations raised or addressed in the weekly
readings, building upon the ideas of your peers or otherwise contributing to the discussion.
Attendance alone does not ensure a passing grade for Seminar. If there is some reason you are
unable to attend or participate in discussions, please contact Dr. Mark Crane or myself immediately
so that we can come to an alternate arrangement. Do NOT wait until the end of the semester to
discuss this with us; at that point no allowances whatsoever can be made. Students can expect to be
examined on the material covered in seminars as well as lectures.
E-mail and other methods of communication
E-mail has become a fundamental mode of communication for students and professors. I am in
regular e-mail contact with students and actually like using e-mail to inform you about course
content (each week I will forward the outline for the lecture to you via email, for example). That
said, I have to admit to being frustrated (and sometimes offended) by inappropriate use of e-mail.
Your university email is a FORMAL mode of communication and should be treated as such. There
are any number of on-line articles about proper e-mail correspondence, please familiarize yourself
with some of them, but always remember that when you correspond, you should ensure that you fill
in the subject line with the course number (History 1205) and always address the person you are
emailing with respect (use their proper titles and a proper salutation, example Dear Dr. Crane or Dear
Professor Earl) and sign your email with your full name.
To avoid misunderstandings and to learn how to correspond properly and respectfully please read
“Toward E-Mail Rules of Engagement,” by Howard Gutman at
http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/04su/email_rules.htm
There is also a useful article at the university of Aberdeen at
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/email/etiquette.hti
Laptops, cell phones, personal listening devices and other technologies
Laptops may be used in this course in lectures only for note taking. If you want to use the internet,
surf the web, play computer games, email or instant-message, please leave the lecture theatre to do
so, it’s disruptive to those around you. Laptops may not be used in the seminar component of this
course, which has been designed around discussion and active engagement. Lap tops may not be
used during films, the light is distracting to those around you.
Cell phones and personal listening devices of all kinds must be shut-off during lectures and in
seminars. If you accidentally leave your phone on and it rings during class, please either turn it off
immediately or leave the classroom, but under no circumstances should you take a call or answer a
text message in class. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hut3VRL5XRE Angry Professor
2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYwpxU_G4Z0&NR=1 Angry Professor (extended cut)
Required Texts
Judith G. Coffin and Robert C. Stacey, Western Civilizations volume 2: The Age of Exploration to
the Present 16th edition (NY: W.W. Norton, 2008)
ISBN 978-0-393-93098-6
URL: <http://www.wwnorton.com/wciv>
The companion site for the textbook is designed by the publisher as a reference and study
guide for students. Please make use of its many maps, quizzes, and music clips.
Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front (Toronto: Random House, 1998) <1928>
ISBN 0-449-21394-3
Primo Levi, Survival in Auschwitz, (New York: Touchstone, 1996) <1958>
ISBN 0-684-82680-1
Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto (Mass Market Paperbound, 1992) ISBN 0553214063 $6.95
Course Pack (CR) of supplemental readings
Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, fifth edition, (New York: Bedford,
2007)
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-44673-4 or ISBN-10: 0-312-44673-X
NB: If you already own any of these books, do not buy new ones; any editions are fine for reading
and discussion. They are all available for purchase at the textbook store.
Formally Assessed Work
First Term (a) = 25%
Assignment 1a Short essay on Ivory Tower (due week of Oct. 19-23) ….………
Assignment 2a Short essay “What is History?” (due week of Nov. 9-13) ….…
Take-home essay 3a (due December 8 in class) ……………………..….……….
05%
05%
15%
Second Term (b) = 75%
Assignment 1b Film essay (due week of January 11-15) …………….………….
Assignment 2b Essay (due March 2) ……………..……….……………………...
Seminar participation (on-going)..…………………………………………………
Final Exam 3b (as scheduled by registrar) ………………………………………..
10%
20%
15%
30%
NB: Until you know your final exam schedule, do not make travel arrangements or plans
for that month. Instructors have no control over scheduling. Exceptions will be made only
under the most unusual circumstances
Assignments First Term
1a: Short essay on the ivory tower blues/Ivory Tower Blues. This assignment is due in Seminar the
week of October 19-23 and is worth 5% of your total grade. In essay form, please answer the
following question: Based on our readings and discussions thus far in the course, “what are the ivory
tower blues/Ivory Tower Blues?” The essay should be 2 pages in length (approx. 500 words),
exclusive of notes.
3
2a: Short essay on “what is history?”. This assignment is due in Seminar the week of November 9-13
and is worth 5% of your total grade. In essay form, please answer the following question: Based on
our readings and discussions thus far in the course, “what is H/history?” The essay should be 2 pages
in length (approx. 500 words), exclusive of notes.
3a: Take-home essay. In lieu of a mid-term examination, on Tuesday December 1, you will be given
a take-home essay question. You will have one week to answer the question. This question will be
interpretive and it will ask you to examine some historical question pertaining to our course, over
time (remember, the essence of historical understanding is change over time). This assignment is
intended to evaluate your understanding of course materials, help you learn how to prepare an
examination question, and help prepare you to understand what will be expected of you for the final
examination. If you use course materials in your answer, you will be expected to properly reference
that material, just as you would for any formal essay. The assignment is to be handed in, in class, on
Tuesday December 8 (or earlier). No exceptions will be made. This assignment is worth 15% of your
final mark. Should you not be in class to receive the question I will not give it to you by email, you
will need to come and see me in person during my scheduled office hours.
Assignments Second Term
1b. Comparative Film Essay. This assignment is due in Seminar the week of January 11-15, and is
worth 10% of your total grade. For this assignment, two films will be screened:
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Written and Directed by Peter Weir, Twentieth
Century Fox/USA, 2003) 127 minutes, and The House of Mirth (based on the novel The House of
Mirth (1905) by Edith Wharton. Written and Directed by Terrance Davies, USA, 2000) 140 minutes.
You will then answer, in essay form and with an argument, the following question:
“What do the films Master and Commander and House of Mirth tell us about class and the way that
men experienced it in the British Navy in the nineteenth century and middle-class women
experienced it in turn-of-the-century United States?” Other questions you may want to consider
when thinking about your answer:



What are the arguments of the films? That is, what does the director/screen writer want us to
take away from these films?
What do the films tell us about contemporary British and American society?
What do the films tell us about Europe and the world during this period?
The paper should be no longer than five, double-spaced and type written pages (approx. 1000 words)
exclusive of notes.
2b. Research Essay. This assignment is due in class (not Seminar) on March 2 and is worth 20% of
your overall grade. All History 1205 students will write an essay that considers a specific historical
debate. Students will select one topic from the list that has been designed by the course instructor.
No substitutions. All the topics require the use of primary and secondary works; the necessary
sources for this assignment are on-reserve at the library under History 1205. You must use the
documents I have provided for your essay. No other material should be consulted except your
textbook and only then for context not substance.
Topic 1: Compare and contrast the reasons for the outbreak of WWI. Who was responsible and why?
4
Topic 2: Was the Versailles Settlement of 1919 fair to Germany? Explain why or why not.
Topic 3: How did World War I impact European women?
Topic 4: Who or what was responsible for the Final Solution against the Jews during World War II.
Compare the different schools of thought and arguments identifying which you find most convincing
and why.
Topic 5: Who or what was responsible for the Cold war? When did it start? Whose argument do you
find most convincing and why?
NB
All of your assignments are essays. As such, they must be written in essay form and with an
argument using evidence from the documents (primary) and articles (secondary) provided. The
argument of your paper will be the answer to the question you select. Proper citations are
required.
The Department of History at Nipissing University requires that all students adhere to the
stylistic guidelines for writing history papers as outlined in Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket
Guide to Writing in History (NY: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007). Rampolla is more than a style
guide. It is also a basic introduction to the historian’s craft offering ways to think about how
you approach history and write it. It is available at the NU bookstore (and undoubtedly there
are all kinds of used copies out there as well).
Please do not use title or covering pages on any of your written assignments. Simply put the
title of the assignment, date submitted, your student number, and name on the top of the first
page of all written work.
A late penalty of 3% per day (excluding weekends) will apply for each day written work is late
up to a maximum of 50%. Extensions will be granted only for certified medical or
humanitarian reasons. As per University regulations, no papers will be accepted after the last
day of classes and papers will be accepted by electronic submission. Students must provide the
instructor with hard copies.
Students must retain a copy of all written work and essay notes until the final grades are tallied
and submitted to the Registrar’s office. Also, please respect a 24 hour moratorium on
discussing any individual grade. After that please feel free to come and speak with me or Dr.
Crane about any of your assessments.
5
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism: What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is academic dishonesty and is a
serious issue. It is assumed that all work submitted for evaluation and course credit will be the
product of individual effort. Please read Nipissing University’s Policy on Academic Dishonesty in
the Undergraduate Calendar available on-line at
http://www.nipissingu.ca/calendar/studentpolicies_academicdishonesty.asp
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and will result in disciplinary action. Nipissing University
uses plagiarism software, you may be required to submit your written work to Turnitin.com If you
have any concerns whatsoever, please do not hesitate to discuss the issue with me or Dr. Crane.
Grading Policy
A+ (90-100%) = Exceptional. A+ papers demonstrate a thorough knowledge of concepts and
exceptional skill or great originality in the use of those concepts in satisfying the requirements of an
assignment.
A (80-89%) = Excellent. A papers demonstrate sustained development of thought, are highly
analytical, use a broad range of sources and have no grammatical or structural problems. An
excellent paper demonstrates effort, careful construction, intellectual conscientiousness and pride.
B (70-79%) = Good. B papers demonstrate a good use of evidence with a firm grasp of the subject
matter. A good paper is written in historical context and shows a good understanding of the relevant
issues and a familiarity with the literature; there is very little evidence of grammatical or structural
problems.
C (60-69%) = Adequate. C work is an adequate level of performance. C work demonstrates some
evidence of analytical ability and some engagement with the literature on the subject. The paper
usually emphasizes narrative over analysis, but is uninspired and lacks style and vigour. An adequate
paper demonstrates simple answers to simple problems, and generally there is some evidence of an
argument that requires further development.
D (50-59%) = Minimally acceptable/marginally passing. D work is the minimally acceptable level at
which a student can perform and not fail. A paper such as this shows only very basic understanding
of the subject matter and has a limited or irrelevant use of the sources. There is usually some
evidence of familiarity with the subject, but the ideas are underdeveloped and not generally
analytical. A minimally acceptable paper is stylistically weak with major grammatical and structural
errors.
F (0-46%) = Inadequate. Failing work. A paper such as this shows little or no evidence of
understanding of the subject matter, no use of relevant literature or attention to historical context, and
is poorly written with major grammatical and structural problems. F work does not fulfil the
requirements of the assignment.
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
90-100
85-89
80-84
77-79
74-77
70-73
C+
C
CD+
D
D-
67-69
64-66
60-63
57-59
54-56
50-53
F
0-49
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** Students with Special needs should contact the Office of Special Needs, ext. 4235
Class Schedule First Term
Week 1a
Tuesday September 15
 Introduction to the course and explanation of assignments
Angry Professor (extended cut) YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYwpxU_G4Z0&NR=1
University in Canada
http://www.globecampus.ca/uni-101/
No Seminars week of September 14-18
Week 2a
Tuesday September 22
 Lecture: The Rise of Europe: from Old World to New
Reading for Lecture
Judith G. Coffin and Robert C. Stacey (Coffin and Stacey), Western Civilizations: Their
History and Their Culture vol. 2 (NY: Norton, 2008): chapters 11 and 12
Paul Kennedy, “The Rise of the Western World,” in idem, The Rise and the Fall of Great
Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500-2000 (NY: Random House,
1987): 3-4 and 16-30 (CR)
Questions to consider for lecture
Why the west? Why of all regions on earth, did the little area of Western Europe rise to world
power in the modern age? One historian calls Europe’s rise “one of the great surprises of
world history.” What explains this surprise? In your view which factors in history are most
important in determining the course of western developments: economic forces, religion,
politics, ideas, or psychological states of mind? Do Kennedy and Davies agree with one
another? Does either author leave unanswered questions? Do you see factors in the rise of
Europe which forecast present day problems? Why, in your view, did Europe rise to
prominence when it did?
Seminars week of September 21-25
 Meet and greet and explanation of assignments and expectations (yours, mine, and Dr.
Crane’s), map quiz
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Week 3a
Tuesday September 29
 Lecture: Reformation and the Division of Christendom/Europe
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 13
Seminars Week of September 28-October 2
 “Paradise”: Canadian society and university students. What is a university? What is its
purpose? Why am I here?
Readings for Seminar
Globe and Mail University Report, 2008
http://www.globecampus.ca/navigator/nipissing-university/
http://www.globecampus.ca/navigator/
http://www.kingsu.org/news/media/2008_globe-and-mail-report.html
Assess what this website has to say about Nipissing University
http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/rankings/
MacLean’s University Rankings 2008-2009 (Browse through this material and see what
students say about Nipissing and what Maclean’s says about Nipissing. Compare)
Ronda Ward, “The Professional University,” in Ronda Ward, Is that going to be on the
exam? pp. 10-27
James E. Côté and Alan L. Allahar, “Introduction,” Ivory Tower Blues: A University System
in Crisis (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007), pp. 3-15
Ivory Tower Blues homepage and blog http://www.ivorytowerblues.com/
Margaret Wente, “Who Needs University Anyway?” The Globe and Mail, Saturday, May
24, 2008 (Use this document to locate the argument and tone of the writer, for practice for
subsequent two weeks)
Questions for discussion: What made you decide to go to university? What are
your expectations of university? Why do the author’s of Ivory Tower Blues say that the
university system in Canada is in crisis? Do you find their argument convincing? Do they
speak to any of your concerns? Look carefully at the criteria for the university rankings. What
do these ranking measure? Which rankings measures the things you think are important?
Look at Wente’s column. What is her argument? What is the tone of her column? Does she
like students? Who does she like?
8
Week 4a
Tuesday October 6
 Lecture: Religious Wars and State Building 1555-1648
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 14
Questions for Lecture
Why did the Reformation occur in the sixteenth century? Could it have occurred earlier?
What specifically caused the Reformation? According to Luther, why was the doctrine of
good works insufficient to secure human salvation? What were the ramifications of Luther’s
acceptance of the doctrine of “justification by faith alone?” Why did Lutheranism succeed
so quickly in Germany? Why did the German princes side with Luther? How did the Church
attempt to combat Protestantism?
Seminars for Week of October 5- 9
 “Troubles in Paradise”: The disengaged Student, Entitlement, and grade inflation at
Canadian universities
Reading for Seminar
Ronda Ward, “Is that going to be on the Exam?” pp. 35-43
Jay Teitel, “Failure to Fail: the search for the elusive LPFOCU – the last person to flunk out
of a Canadian University,” The Walrus (April 2008), pp. 40-49 (NB: there is an ondiscussion forum at
http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2008.04-education-academic-failure-to-fail-jayteitel/
James E. Côté and Alan L. Allahar, “Troubles in Paradise,” Ivory Tower Blues: A University
System in Crisis (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007), pp. 16-39 & 44-55
Ivory Tower Blues homepage and blog http://www.ivorytowerblues.com/
Questions for discussion: What is the difference between high school and
university? Is university merely the continuation of high school or it a different institution
altogether? What is the purpose of university? What picture do Coté and Allahar paint of the
typical university student? In what ways does their description accurately reflect your
experience? In what ways is your experience different? (for example, do you feel any sense
of entitlement?). What is the job of a university student? What is your job at university? What
is the job of the professor? Based on Ward, Coté and Allahar, how do you view grade
inflation? Does it concern you? Why do you suppose universities are reluctant to fail
students? Does this concern you? In your view, what are the ivory tower blues/Ivory Tower
Blues?
Week 5a
No Classes October 12-16 Reading Week
9
Week 6a
Tuesday October 20
 Lecture: Rise of Absolutism and Empire
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 15
Seminars week of October 19-23
 What is History?
 Assignment 1a due Short Essay: “What are the ivory tower blues?”
Readings for Seminar
Roger Spalding and Christopher Parker, Historiography: An Introduction (New York:
Manchester University Press, 2007), pp. 1-6
Robin W. Winks and Joan Neuberger, “The Value of History,” in idem, Europe and the
Making of Modernity, 1815-1914 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. xi-xvii
Michael Howard, “Structure and Process in History,” Times Literary Supplement, June 23-29,
1989 (CR)
Mark Hellerstern, Gregory Scott, and Stephen Garrison, “The Discipline of History,” in The
History Student Writer’s Manual (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001): 1-10 (CR)
Questions for discussion
What is an historical fact? How does an historical fact differ from an historical interpretation?
What is history? Are the past and the present related? Who decides what history is? What is
national history? Does history change over time? Progress? What biases do you bring to the
study of history? Why do you study history? Why should we study history?
Week 7a
Tuesday October 27
 Dr. Mark Crane, Lecture: The Scientific Revolution
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 16
Seminars week of October 26-30
 What do historians do and how do I do it too?
Readings for Seminar
Sam Wineburg, “On the Reading of Historical Texts,” in idem, Historical Thinking and other
Unnatural Acts (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2001), pp. 63-88 (CR)
Thomas Andrews and Flannery Burke, “What does it mean to Think Historically?”
Perspectives, vol. 45, no. 1 (January 2007), pp. 32-35 (CR)
10
Ronda Ward, “Becoming Teachable” in Ronda Ward, Is that going to be on the exam? pp.
31-35 (CR)
Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History (Toronto: Bedford, 2007), pp., 124
Questions for discussion: What does Ward mean when she asks if you are teachable? What is
the difference between a primary and secondary document? Should you read them
differently? How do you read? How do historians read? How do historians evaluate sources?
Pretend you are an historian in the future and you are trying to understand education in early
21st century Canada. One of the only sources you’ve been able to locate is a column by
Margaret Wente who wrote for the national newspaper, The Globe and Mail at the time.
Using the criteria found in Rampolla on p.10 and p.14, analyze Wente’s (see week 3a
document) argument and come to a conclusion about education in Canada in 2008.
Week 8a
Tuesday November 3
 Dr. Mark Crane Lecture: The Enlightenment
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 17
Questions for lecture
Who were the Philosophes and what ideas did they contribute to the Enlightenment? What
exactly did the Philosphes want to change? How did colonization influence the Philosophes’
thinking? Were the Philosophes humanists? Are the ideas of the Philosophes modern?
No Seminars week of November 2-6
Week 9a
Tuesday November 10
 Lecture: The French Revolution
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 18
Seminars week of November 9-13
 The Enlightenment
 Assignment 2a Short essay due “What is H/history?”
Readings for Seminar
John Locke, from “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” in James Brophy et al,
Perspectives from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd
ed. (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 279-282 (CR)
11
Mary Wollstonecraft, from “A Vindication of the Rights of Women,” in James Brophy et
al, Perspectives from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times,
3rd ed. (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 332-337 (CR)
Immanual Kant, “What is Enlightenment?” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives from the
Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd ed. (New York: Norton,
2005), pp. 337-341 (CR)
Questions for discussion: What is the relationship between these documents and our historical
understanding of the period? What do historians do with these documents, i.e. how do
historians use them? How should we use them? How can these documents help us understand
the Enlightenment and what it was about? From the readings for today, what would you say
are some of the most important ideas of enlightenment thinkers? Do their ideas differ? If so,
how? What was the Enlightenment? Was it revolutionary? Why is the Enlightenment so
important historically?
Week 10a
Tuesday November 17
 Film, attendance mandatory
Master and Commander Screening 127 minutes (we will begin the film as close to 4:20 as
possible so that we can screen it in its entiretym)
Seminars week of November 16-20
 Life in absolutist Europe
Reading for Seminar
John Locke, from “Two Treatises on Government,” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives
from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd ed. (New
York: Norton, 2005), pp. 220-231 (CR)
Thomas Hobbes, from “Leviathan,” in James Brophy et al, Perspectives from the Past: from
the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd ed. (New York: Norton, 2005),
pp.182-187 (CR)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from “The Social Contract,” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives
from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd ed. (New
York: Norton, 2005), pp. 313-322
Questions for discussion: What is absolutism? What were the aims of an absolute monarch?
Where does law come from in an absolutist state? How do these documents challenge or
support absolutist rule? What issues are these writers concerned with? What, in Locke’s view
is the problem with absolutism? How can things be improved? What is Locke’s view of
human nature? What is Hobbes’s view of human nature? In his view, what motivates human
beings? How does Rousseau’s view differ? What does Rousseau mean when he says, “Man is
born free; and everywhere he is in chains?” What is the social contract? How do the ideas of
Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau encourage the ideas of the French and American revolutions?
12
Week 11a
Tuesday November 24
 Lecture: The Industrial Revolution
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 19
Seminars week of November 23-27
 The French Revolution
Reading for Seminar
Abbe Emmanuel Sieyes, from “What is the Third Estate?” in James Brophy et al.,
Perspectives from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd
edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 357-359 (CR)
Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine, “Opposing Views of the Revolution,” in James Brophy
et al., Perspectives from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times,
3rd edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 378-383 (CR)
Olympe de Gouges, “Declaration of the Rights of Woman,” in James Brophy et al.,
Perspectives from the Past: from the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd
edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 372-374 (CR)
Questions for discussion: When you think of the French Revolution what ideas come to
mind? What ideas are conveyed in the three documents we examine today and how do these
ideas relate to the French Revolution?
We also want to discuss two opposing views on the French Revolution. Burke’s essay
constitutes one of the most important formulations of conservative thought in the history of
political theory; Paine’s opposing argument offers a rather exaggerated form of liberal
thought. The following questions will be considered in class: Which thinker offers the most
convincing argument on the French Revolution? What are the essential issues on which
Burke and Paine (and therefore conservatism and liberalism) disagree? Why, to Burke,
should people respect tradition and the past? What, to him, is the nature of the “social
contract?” How do Burke and Paine disagree on the role of reason in the reform of
government? Do you believe that Burke has a deluded and romantic conception of kings,
women, and human feeling? Do you agree with Paine that “government is for the living” and
that the influence of past generations should not limit reforms? Are inherited rights the only
rights? Do you agree with Paine that if man is free of fetters he will be able to make rational
decisions? Where do women’s rights fit into the conservative and liberal view of rights?
Why do historians consider the French Revolution to be the demarcation point for the modern
period?
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Week 12a
Tuesday December 1
 In-class essay question distribution (assignment 3a) and discussion
 Lecture 19th century European society
Seminars for week of November 30-December 4
 The Industrial Revolution
Reading for Seminar
Anonymous, “An Address by a Journeyman Cotton Spinner,” and Anonymous, “The Life
and History of Captain Swing, the Kent Rick Burner, Written by Himself,” in James Brophy
et al., Perspectives from the Past: from the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times,
3rd edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 426-433 (CR)
Sam Smiles, “Thrift,” and Elizabeth Poole Sanford, “Woman in her social and Domestic
Character,” in Brophy et al., Perspectives from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism
through Contemporary Times, 3rd edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 485-489 (CR)
Questions for Discussion
The Industrial Revolution transformed the lives of European’s permanently. Certain
elements among the new factory workers of the Industrial Revolution constituted a class
living on the margins of society. In the readings for today, you are presented with a selection
of testimonies from early-industrial Britain. Direct testimony, some argue, presents an
intimate and objective “living picture” of historical figures. How would you interpret these
testimonies? What do they tell us about life in industrial England? What are some of the
social consequences of the industrial revolution?
What was life like for the average worker? Was life better or worse for the average worker
(as compared with life before industrialization)? What were the effects of industrialization on
people? On society? On women and children? What accounts for the terrible living
conditions of the workers? Are these merely the views of the middle class? How did the
middle class view workers? Do they like them? Why do people such as Samuel Smiles blame
the poor for their poverty? How do workers view the industrial class? Is capitalism immoral?
Week 13a
Tuesday December 8
 Film House of Mirth (Attendance mandatory)
 Take home essay due
No Seminars week of December 7-11
Have a nice break! See you in the new year.
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Class Schedule Second Term
Week 1b
Tuesday January 5
 In class practice session and discussion on reading and writing critically at the
university level
Reading for Lecture
“Learning is a Great Gift” (CR)
“Universities trying to cope with Students Lacking basics,” The Globe and Mail, September
22, 2005 (CR)
Martin W. Gregory, “The Infectiousness of Pompous Prose,” Nature (volume 360,
November 5, 1992): 11-12 (CR)
Anders Henriksen, “A History of the past when ‘life reeked with joy,’ CAUT Bulletin
ACPU, September 1986 (CR)
3 sample student essays on the Congress of Vienna (CR)
Congress of Vienna papers evaluation form (CR)
Seminars week of January 4-8
 Ideologies in the 19th century
Communism and Socialism
Readings for Seminar
Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto, 1848 (entire manifesto)
The Communist Manifesto is undoubtedly Marx’s greatest piece of political writing. It is
poetic, compelling, and hopeful. It was also to become the centrepiece of the burgeoning
Socialist movement in Europe. It remains influential to this day among Marxists. Who are the
actors in his drama? Who are the bourgeoisie? Who are the proletariat? What does Marx
dislike most about the bourgeoisie? Why does he believe they will not survive? Why does
Marx believe the proletariat are a revolutionary class? How will the proletariat gain control of
society? How will the revolution materialize? Who are the communists, and how are they
distinguished from other working class parties? What is the goal of the Marxist system as
outlined in his manifesto? What, in your view, is the appeal of Marxism? Why do you
suppose Marxism ultimately failed?
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Week 2b
Tuesday January 12
 Lecture: Nations and State Building
 Assignment 1b due comparative film essay on Master and Commander and House of
Mirth
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 21
Seminars week of January 11-15
 Ideologies in the 19th century
Liberalism and Democracy
Reading for Seminar
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 20
NB: Please note that you will also be responsible for reading the material in Chapter 20 (from
the textbook) on this subject even though we will not have a lecture on it you will need to be
informed about the 1815-1848 period for the final examination so please ensure you read the
necessary material.
Alexis de Tocqueville, “Democracy in America,” and Klemens von Metternich, “Letter to
Neuman in London, Vienna, 24 June 1832,” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives from the
Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd edition (New York:
Norton, 2005), pp. 453-460 (CR)
Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) was a French aristocrat who became deeply concerned
with the problem of liberty. He was trained for the magistracy and served for a time in that
capacity. Subsequently he entered the French Chamber of Deputies and, after the Liberal
revolution of 1848, served in the government as minister of foreign affairs. In 1830 he came
to the United States ostensibly to study the American penal system, but in reality to study
American life generally. He returned to Europe deeply impressed with what he had seen of
democracy in action. He was particularly concerned about the future of individual liberty
under this form of government. In 1835 he published Democracy in America, which was the
first comprehensive analysis written on the American political experiment. The book received
widespread attention throughout Europe and helped to inspire the democratic movement on
the continent. Thus de Tocqueville was a force in the backward flow of western Civilization
from America to Europe.
John Stuart Mill, “On Liberty,” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives from the Past: from the
Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp.
470-474 (CR)
John Stuart Mill was a classical figure in the history of 19th century liberalism. He was “the
saint of rationalism,” the “logic machine” of the cause of liberty, a thinker devoted to the
liberal ideals of rational intellectual analysis and passionate commitment to the ideal of
freedom. On Liberty (1859) was his greatest work, a source still invoked today in debates on
censorship, pornography, abortion, drugs, homosexuality, and “alternative life-styles.”
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Questions for discussion: What is Mill concerned about in his essay? Why is Mill concerned
with individual liberty? What does Mill mean by the “tyranny of the majority?” Why does
Mill believe society needs to be protected from the majority? Mill declares that “society has
no business…to decide anything to be wrong which concerns only the individual.” What does
Mill mean by this? Is this view “too liberal?” Can you think of any examples where this
might be problematic? Is there any such case where an individual operates/acts without
impacting society? What objections can be raised to Mill’s arguments that “different persons
should be allowed to lead different lives,” and that each individual is “sovereign” over his or
her body and mind? Is he too optimistic about the benefits of liberty and individual selfexpression?
Week 3b
Tuesday January 19
 Lecture: Imperialism and Colonialism
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 22
Seminars week of January 18-22
 What is a Nation?
Reading for Seminar
Johann Gottlieb Fichte, “Addresses to the German Nation,” James in Brophy et al.,
Perspectives from the Past: from the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd
edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp 498-501 (CR)
Giuseppe Mazzini, “Duties of Man,” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives from the Past:
from the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd edition (New York: Norton:
2005), pp., 518-522 (CR)
Ernest Renan, “What is a Nation?” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives from the Past: from
the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd edition (New York: Norton, 2005),
pp. 524-528 (CR)
Questions for discussion: What is a nation? What is nationalism? What are some of its
characteristics? What characteristics of nationalism does Mazzini stress in “The Duties of
Man”? Does nationalism differ from country to country? What purpose, if any, could/did
nationalism serve in nineteenth century Europe (i.e. what do they hope to accomplish by
encouraging it)? Some books have identified nationalism as one of the “ideologies of change”
that evolved in 19th century Europe. Do you believe this is an accurate assessment? How and
why did nationalism become a political force? Ultimately, what is the purpose of
nationalism? Is nationalism a positive or negative force? Explain.
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Week 4b
Tuesday January 26
 Lecture: Modern Industry and Mass Politics 1870-1914
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 23
Seminars week of January 25-29
 Imperialism and Colonialism
Reading for Seminar
Friedrich Fabri, “Does Germany Need Colonies?” and Houston Steward Chamberlain,
“Foundations of the Nineteenth Century,” in James Brophy et al., Perspectives from the
Past: From the Age of Absolutism through Contemporary Times, 3rd edition (New York:
Norton, 2005), pp. 562-565 (CR)
J.A. Hobson, “Imperialism,” pp. 14-20 & Timothy Burke, “Colonialism, Cleanliness, and
Civilization in Colonial Rhodesia,” pp. 86-95 in Alice L. Conklin and Ian Christopher
Fletcher (eds.), European Imperialism, 1830-1930 (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1999)
(CR)
Questions for discussion: What is imperialism? How does imperialism operate in practice?
Who is involved in the imperialist project? What impact does imperialism have on those who
participate in it? Who benefits from imperialism? Who opposed it? What political and social
ends did imperialism serve in the nineteenth century? What arguments did imperialists use to
justify their actions? What do you suppose motivated imperialism? What is the relationship
between imperialism and racism?
Week 5b
Tuesday February 2
 The First World War
Reading for Class
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 24
Seminars week of February 1-5
 The Experience of the Trenches and the “Lost Generation”
Reading for Seminar
Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front (read the entire book)
Questions for discussion: Remarque’s book ranks as one of the greatest anti-war novels in
western literature. It is a study of the common man as soldier, of a generation coming of age
in the trenches, and in particular of a youth of decent character being transformed through the
experience of war and death. All Quiet was also one of the first novels to reach a mass
audience, today we might call it a best seller, what do you think explains the book’s appeal?
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What does this book tell us about the nature of the First World War and how it was fought?
What distinguished World War I from wars of the past? What explains the willingness of the
troops to fight? What insight does Remarque proved into the psychology of the soldier and
his motivation to kill the enemy? What, apparently, does Remarque judge to be the cause of
wars? In his dedication to his novel, Remarque says that he will “tell of a generation of men
who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war. What does
Remarque mean by this? What else did the war destroy besides human life? Could war have
been avoided in 1914? Were Europeans ready to fight war in 1914?
Week 6b
Tuesday February 9
 The World between the Wars
Reading for Class
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 25
Seminars week of February 8-12
 The Impact of World War I on women
Reading for Seminar
Sandra Gilbert, “Soldier’s Heart: Literary Men, Literary Women, and the Great War,” in
Elaine Showalter (ed.), Speaking Gender (New York: Routledge, 1989), pp. 282-309 (ILL)
Jane Marcus, “The Asylums of Antaeus: Women, War, and Madness – Is there a Feminist
Fetishism?” in H. Aram Veeser (ed.), The New Historicism (Routledge: New York, 1989),
pp. 132-151 (ILL)
Questions for discussion: Sometimes historians disagree with each other. Gilbert’s article and
her argument were not well-received by Marcus. You will have to decide which one has
convinced you to support her conclusions and why. NB: Pay close attention to the titles and
what they mean. Who are the people Gilbert examines in this article? For instance, what class
are they from? How did most women’s experience of this war differ from men’s? Could they
appreciate the way the other felt? Why or why not? How often does Gilbert refer to the
feminist suffrage campaigners? Why or why not? How does she explain women’s “retreat”
after WWI? What is Marcus’s theme? Is it the same or different from Gilbert’s? What does
she think of Gilbert’s methodology? What does she claim Gilbert is “forgetting”? Why do
you think Marcus is so angry with Gilbert?
Week 7b
Week of February 15-19 NO CLASS Reading week
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Week 8b
Tuesday February 23
 Lecture: The Second Word War
Reading for Class
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 26
Seminars week of February 22-26
 The Interwar Period
Reading for Seminar
Benito Mussolini, “Born of a Need for Action,” and Adolf Hitler, “Mein Kampf,” in James
Brophy et al., Perspectives from the Past: From the Age of Absolutism through
Contemporary Times, 3rd edition (New York: Norton, 2005), pp. 677-685 (CR)
Questions for discussion: What impact did WWI have on Europeans? What is the relationship
of the war to the ideas that emerged after it? Who were the Bolsheviks? Why did fascists
dislike them so much? What caused fascism to arise in Italy? What were the essential points
of Italian fascism? How did Mussolini seize power in 1922 and rule for twenty years? How
did Italian fascism differ from German Nazism? What role did World War I play in the rise
of communism and fascism?
Week 9b
Tuesday March 2
 Presentation by Professor Earl on her research on the Einsatzgruppen, War, and Genocide
 Time permitting, The Road to Treblinka
 Essay Due in Class
No Seminars week of March 1-5
Week 10b
Tuesday March 9
 Lecture: The Cold War Part I: 1941-1955
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 27
Seminars week of March 8-12
 The Experience of the Death Camp
Reading for Seminar
Primo Levi, Survival in Auschwitz (read entire book)
Questions for discussion: “The Holocaust” someone has remarked, “took place in a realm
beyond human understanding.” Here however, Levi, an Italian Jew deported to Auschwitz in
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1943, tries to help us understand his experiences in the camps. Was the world of Auschwitz
as you had imagined it? What distinguishes it from the outside world? Levi writes that
Auschwitz was like a “gigantic biological experiment,” what does he mean by this? What
kinds of people inhabited the Lager? What were the effects of the Lager on the people who
inhabited it? How did Levi survive the ordeal of Auschwitz? Why was there so little
resistance in the camps? Why were the Jews of Europe targeted for murder? Why didn’t
anyone come to their rescue?
Week 11b
Tuesday March 16
 Lecture: The Cold War Part II: 1955-1989
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): refresh chapter 27
Seminars week of March 15-19
 The Cold War
Reading for Seminar
Martin McCauley, excerpts from The Origins of the Cold War, 1941-1949 (New York:
Longman, 1995), pp. 118-126, 131-134, & 136 (14 pp total)
document 7 “The Percentages agreement,” pp. 118-119
document 9 “Poland at Yalta,” pp. 120-121
document 10 “The declaration on Liberated Europe,” pp. 121-122
document 11 “Roosevelt to Stalin on Poland,” p. 123
document 12 “A Barbarian invasion of Europe,” p.124
document 13 “Soviet-American Differences,” pp. 125-126
document 18 “The Long Telegram of 22 February 1946,” pp. 131-132
document 19 “Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech,” pp. 132-133
document 20 “Stalin’s reply to Churchill’s speech,” pp. 133-134
document 22 “The tougher we get, the tougher the Russians will get,” p.136
Questions for Discussion
The period between the end of World War II and the mid-1960s was marked by the Cold War
between the two superpowers – the United States and the USSR – who emerged from the
battlefields of WWII. Here we are concerned with how this “Cold War” began and how it
played out. Why couldn’t the US and USSR cooperate after thee war? What, in your view, is
at the heart of Cold war differences? What forces shaped the Cold War? Do you think the old
maxim, “if you want peace, prepare for war,” is an accurate assessment of the period 19451963? What do you know about the Cold War? To what extent was communism a legitimate
system to its supporters? What was the Cold War? Was the Cold War inevitable as historian
PMH Bell has suggested it was?
What is the Cold War? When did it begin? Did WW II contribute to the outbreak of the Cold
War? If so, how? Why did the US and the USSR emerge as the only superpowers in 1945?
Was the Cold War inevitable?
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Week 12b
Tuesday March 23
 The End of the Cold War
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 28
Seminars week of March 22-26
Globalization
Reading for Seminar
Naomi Klein, No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies (Toronto: Vintage Books, 2000):
xiii-xxi; 3-5; 19; 219-229; 420-429; 439-446; & 471-478
HD2755.5 .N655 2003 (video recording of no-logo)
Questions for discussion: What is globalization? How is it different from nationalization?
Does globalization mean the end of the nation? Where does the impetus for globalization
come from? How has the internet contributed to the current revolution in information
technology? How has globalization impacted Europe and the world? Have the lives of those
living in post-colonial societies and developing nations improved as a result of globalization?
Have the lives of European’s improved as a result of globalization? Has anyone’s lives
improved? Is Globalization immoral?
Week 13b
Tuesday March 30
 Lecture: A World Without Walls: Globalization and the West
Reading for Lecture
Coffin and Stacey, Western Civilizations (2008): chapter 29
Seminars week of March 29-April 2
No seminars
Week 14b
Tuesday April 6
Exam review
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