The French Revolution and Napoleon (342-1-20)

Instructors

Rachel Sarcevic-Tesanovic

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L06: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

History of Modern France: The French Revolution and Napoleon

The French Revolution of 1789 marks one of the major events in world history, traditionally regarded as the transition to the modern era in western historical narratives. It has also remained a subject of historical debate for more than two centuries. Why and how did an upheaval that started in Europe's largest and wealthiest country in 1789 lead to the destruction of a social system, the beheading of a king, decades of war, and the crowning of an emperor? Beginning with the reign of Louis XIV and the movement of ideas known as the Enlightenment and continuing through the Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire, this course examines the political, social, and cultural history of France during this transformative period. It also situates the Revolution in its broader Atlantic context by considering its relationship with the unprecedented 1791 slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, France's richest colony, which culminated in the founding of the Republic of Haiti. Alongside larger developments, we will look at the lives of ordinary people and influential figures like Voltaire, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Maximilien Robespierre, Toussaint Louverture, and Napoleon Bonaparte. Guided by Alexis de Tocqueville's enduring question-why did the French get rid of their king only to end up with an emperor?-the course investigates both the revolutionary changes and continuities of the era. Along the way, students will engage with questions about why revolutions break out, how they unfold, and why they end, examining the roles of social conflict, political institutions, ideas, contingency, and global forces in shaping one of the most consequential periods in modern history.

Learning Objectives

In this course, you will learn about France in the prerevolutionary and revolutionary period and the Napoleonic era. In addition, however, this course is designed to help students learn and think about historical change: What are different ways of thinking about a historical event, about historical causality, about the roles of different groups and individuals? How do different approaches such as social, political, gender, and global history shed different light on aspects of a historical event? How might we apply those insights to understanding the world around us?

Evaluation Method

Exam papers; group work; in-class discussions; response papers

Class Notes

Attendance at first class mandatory.

History Major Concentration(s): European
History Minor Concentration(s): Europe

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
SoC Individual and Social Behavior Distro