HY 102: Western Civilization II
HUMB 362
Dr. Mollie Lewis Nouwen
Office Hours: MWF, 11:15-12:15, and by appointment
Office Phone Number: 460-6867
Office Number: 351
Email: mlewis@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
Even though the history of Europe is only one of many regional histories, its influence on other areas of the world through colonialism, culture, and language cannot be denied. This class traces the history of Europe from the sixteenth century to the present, focusing in particular on the formation of European national cultures, and how they have spread and changed throughout the world. Even though politics and the economy are vital to understanding the historical context, much of our time will be spent examining and discussing the daily lives of ordinary people, and how their experiences changed through the centuries. We focus primarily on Western Europe, but the themes of power relations, the treatment of marginalized people, and the role of conflict in engendering change are universal, and central to understanding historical forces.
Course Requirements
Course Objectives
Throughout the class, we will analyze the broad historical forces that have shaped modern Europe, from conflicts over religion to personal and political rights. Students will learn how to read and contextualize primary sources from different periods, both in class and in their papers. The most important objective of the course, however, is critical thinking both about the past and the ways that it influences our own present context.
Course Readings
The following books are required for the course and available at the University bookstore:
Lynn Hunt, Thomas Martin, Barbara Rosenwein, R. Po-Chia Hsia, Bonnie Smith, The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures (Vol. II: Since 1500)
Voltaire, Candide
Course Readings
I expect students to attend class having carefully read and considered the readings. Students should also bring the book to class each day – many of the primary sources under discussion are in the book. Although most of the assignments are short, they contain a great deal of information and should be read with attention.
Attendance
Students who are not in attendance have no chance to participate, nor will they hear the lectures (which are on different topics than the readings). This means that you will have little background when taking quizzes, which are an essential part of the class. Please let me know in the case of emergencies that mean a student will not be in class. Except in the case of emergencies, writing to me with an excuse after class is over will not be counted as an excused absence.
Quizzes
I will give 12 quizzes during the semester. Quizzes will be based on the lectures and readings of the week and given in the first 15 minutes of the class period on Fridays. Your two lowest quiz grades will be thrown out. Quizzes are not meant to be difficult, but rather to make sure that you are doing the reading and taking notes. For the quizzes, you may use your class notes, but not the textbook itself. I will only give makeup quizzes in the case of emergencies (as determined by me), school-sanctioned activities, or if the student and I have come to an understanding before the class period that they have a legitimate reason for missing class..
Map Quiz
The first day of class I will give students a list of the locations in Europe they need to know for the map quiz. On the day of the quiz, I will hand out a blank map for students to fill in with the appropriate geographical features.
Exams
The two exams will be the same format – a choice of identifications and a choice of short essay questions. They will be a longer version of the quizzes you take throughout the semester. The second exam will not be cumulative. It will also be during our scheduled time for the final.
Grading
Attendance: 10%
Map Quiz: 5%
Quizzes: 45%
Exam 1: 20%
Exam 2: 20%
Honor Code
At the University of South Alabama, the Office of Academic Affairs has stated that
Any dishonesty related to academic work or records constitutes academic misconduct including, but not limited to, activities such as giving or receiving
unauthorized aid in tests and examinations, improperly obtaining a copy of an examination, plagiarism, misrepresentation of information, or altering transcripts or
university records. Academic misconduct is incompatible with the standards of the academic community. Such acts are viewed as moral and intellectual offenses
and are subject to investigation and disciplinary action through appropriate University procedures. Penalties may range from the loss of credit for a particular
assignment to dismissal from the University. Note that dismissal from any University of South Alabama college or school for reasons of academic misconduct will
also result in permanent dismissal from the university.
I also include in this misuse of computers during class – students must have their wireless capability turned off and only use the computer for note-taking. Please contact me if you have questions on these policies.
Special Needs
Please notify me if you have a disability that impacts your academic performance. I will need certification from Disability Services, connected to the Office of Special Student Services (Student Center, Room 270, 460-7212).
Syllabus
I reserve the right to change the syllabus, but will give students a week notice before the changes will take effect.
Week 1: August 17-24
Monday: Contemporary Europe
Wednesday: The Reformation
Read: Hunt et al, “Martin Luther and the Holy Roman Empire” pp. 429-430, 1st paragraph 432; Document “Ordinances for Calvinist Churches” p. 433
Friday: Catholic Responses
Map Quiz
Week 2: August 24-28
Monday: The Thirty Years’ War / Elizabeth I
Hunt et al, “The Thirty Years’ War” pp. 460-465, including Document “Horrors of the Thirty Years’ War” p. 462
Wednesday: Wars and Conflicts
Hunt et al, “Louis XIV” pp. 484-487 (up to “Politics and the Arts”)
Document “Marie de Sévigné . . .” p. 487
Friday: English Civil War
QUIZ 1
Hunt et al, “England Turned Upside-Down” pp. 498-502, including “Contrasting Views: The English Civil War”
Week 3: August 31-September 4
Monday: Changes in Art and Science
Voltaire, Candide, Chapters 1-18
Wednesday: The Enlightenment
Voltaire, Candide, Chapters 18-End
Friday: The Rise of the Middle Class
QUIZ 2
Hunt et al, “The Middle Class and the Making of a New Elite” pp. 568-571
Week 4: September 7-11
Monday: Labor Day – No Class
Wednesday: State Reform
Hunt et al, “War and Diplomacy” pp. 573-576
Friday: The French Revolution, Part I
QUIZ 3
Hunt et al, “Origins of the French Revolution, 1787-1789” pp. 591-594
Week 5: September 14-18
Monday: The French Revolution, Part II
Hunt et al, “Terror and Resistance” pp. 600-602
Wednesday: Napoleon Appears
Hunt et al, “From Republic to Empire” pp. 622-625, “The Grand Army and Its Victories, 1800-1807” pp. 628-632
Friday: Working and Workers
QUIZ 4
Hunt et al, “Roots of Industrialization” pp. 654-655, “Urbanization and its Consequences” pp. 661-663
Week 6: September 21-25
Monday: Communism Emerges
Hunt et al, “Socialism and the Early Labor Movement” pp. 675-678, including Marx and Engels “The Communist Manifesto” p. 677
Wednesday: 1848
Hunt et al, “The Revolutions of 1848” pp. 678-680
Friday: Italian Unification
QUIZ 5
Hunt et al, “Cavour, Garibaldi, and the Process of Italian Unification” pp. 696-698
Week 7: September 28-October 2
Monday: Prussia – A Different Model
Hunt et al, “Bismarck and the Realpolitik of German Unification” pp. 699-702, including “Bismarck Tricks the Public . . .” p. 701
Wednesday: The Economy
Hunt et al, “Facing Economic Crisis,” pp. 729-731 and “Revolution in Business Practices” pp. 731-733
Friday: The Working Class
QUIZ 6
Hunt et al, “Workers, Politics, and Protest” pp. 750-752, “Expanding Political Participation in Western Europe” pp. 752-754
Week 8: October 5-9
Monday: Changes in Politics
Hunt et al, “Labor’s Expanding Power” pp. 776-777 and “Rights for Women” pp. 777- 778
Wednesday: The Jewish Question
Hunt et al, “Anti-Semitism, Nationalism, and Zionism in Mass Politics” pp. 779-783, including “Leon Pinsker Calls for a Jewish State” p. 783
Friday: Midterm Exam
Week 9: October 12-16
Monday: Heading toward War
Hunt et al, “Roads to War” pp. 790-792
Wednesday: Daily Life Continues
Hunt et al, “ The Race to Arms” and “1914: The War Erupts” pp. 792-794
Friday: The End of the War
QUIZ 7
Hunt et al, “The Battlefronts” pp. 804-806
Week 10: October 19-23
Monday: The Russian Revolution
Hunt et al, “Revolution in Russia” pp. 810-814, inc. “Outbreak of the Russian Revolution” p. 813
Wednesday: Peace Negotiations
Hunt et al, “The Paris Peace Conference” pp. 816-820, “Economic and Diplomatic Consequences of the Peace” pp. 820-821
Friday: Economy and Society
QUIZ 8
Hunt et al, “Reconstructing the Economy” pp. 824-825, “Restoring Society” pp. 825-827
Week 11: October 26-30
Monday: The Weimar Republic
Hunt et al, “Mass Culture and the Rise of Modern Dictators,” pp. 827-831
Wednesday: Totalitarianism
Hunt et al, “The Rise of Stalinism” pp. 844-847, “Hitler’s Rise to Power” pp. 847-848
Friday: War in Spain
QUIZ 9
Hunt et al, “The Spanish Civil War” pp. 859-860
Week 12: November 2-6
Monday: The Conflict Begins
Hunt et al, “Germany and Italy Contest the Status Quo” pp. 858-859, and “Hitler’s Conquest of Central Europe, 1938-1939” pp. 860-861
Wednesday: In the Middle of War
Hunt et al, “World War II,” pp. 862-863, “The War Expands,” p. 864
Friday: The War Continues
QUIZ 10
Hunt et al, “From Resistance to Allied Victory” pp. 868-871 (not including “The Atomic Bomb”)
Week 13: November 9-13
Monday: The Final Solution
Read: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005151
Ghettos in Europe
Read: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005059
Wednesday: The Holocaust
Testimonies (I will pass the packets out in class)
Friday: The Cold War Begins
QUIZ 11
Hunt et al, “New Superpowers” p. 883, “Origins of the Cold War” p. 883-887
Week 14: November 16-20
Monday: 1968
Hunt et al, “1968: Year of Crisis” pp. 933-936
Wednesday: Attacking the Welfare State
Hunt et al, “Thatcher Reshapes Politics” pp. 940-941 and “In Thatcher’s Footsteps” pp. 941-942
Friday: The End of Communism?
QUIZ 12
Hunt et al, “Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Bloc” pp. 942-944
Week 15: November 23-27
Monday: War in the Balkans Again
Hunt et al, “The Breakup of Yugoslavia,” pp. 953-955
Wednesday, Friday: Thanksgiving Break
Week 16: November 30
Monday: Review for Final Exam
Final Exam: Friday, December 4, 10:30 am