History 113: Western Civilization II (since
1500)
Spring Semester 2012
Section C: 9:00 – 9:50 MWF
Instructor:
Dr. John Moser
Andrews 119
289-5231
E-mail
Office Hours: 1:00
– 3:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment
Required
Reading:
Coursepack (to be distributed electronically).
Course
Description:
This course will
introduce students to the most important events, individuals, and ideas in the
history of Western Civilization since the Renaissance—a period usually referred
to as the “modern age.” At the same time, however, it seeks to go
deeper. Over the semester we will explore the development of what is
often called “modernity.” What does it mean to be “modern”? How has the western tradition evolved in the
past 500 years, and why has it produced monstrosities such as communism and
Nazism alongside democratic capitalism? What is the true legacy of the
modern West?
Course
Objectives:
1)
To
provide the basic facts about the evolution of Western Civilization from the
Renaissance to roughly the middle of the 20th century, with an
emphasis on showing how change occurs over time.
2)
To
enable students to use facts as “raw material” in making coherent arguments
about the past.
3)
To
enhance students’ capacity to grapple with difficult texts through daily
reading assignments.
4)
To
develop students’ ability to communicate in both oral and written form, through
class discussion and brief written assignments.
Course
Policies:
The following
factors will make up your final grade—
Two Hourly
Examinations (30%)
These exams will
include essay questions, "reverse identifications" (similar to
Jeopardy questions), and map identifications (that is, I will ask you to point
out cities, countries, rivers, etc., on a blank map of Europe). The
essays will require you to marshal facts to answer questions on broader
historical themes. An example might be, “How did the Reformation
contribute to the rise of absolutism?” or “Why did democracy fail in post-World
War I Europe?” You will be asked to make an argument; you will not be
graded so much on what stand you take, but rather on your ability back up your
position with historical evidence.
The exams are
scheduled for Friday, February 10 and Friday, March 23.
Alternate exam dates will only be set in case of medical emergency (with documentation
required). You will be required to bring bluebooks in which to write your
answers.
Final
Examination (20%)
The university has
scheduled finals for this course for Monday,
April 30, from 8:00 to 10:00 am. Alternate exam dates will be set in case
of medical emergency (with documentation required). As with the other
exams, the final will be a combination of essay, identification, and map
identification, and bluebooks will be required.
Ten Quizzes (10%)
Over the course of the
semester I will give a series of pop quizzes, made up of questions taken
directly from the assigned readings for that day. The purpose of these quizzes will be simply
to make sure that you are keeping up with the reading; they will therefore be
fairly straightforward, with multiple choice or true-false questions. There will be twelve quizzes given, but only
the best ten scores will be counted.
Two Writing Assignments
(20%)
Each student is
required to write two brief (1000-1500 word) essays dealing with a particular question
concerning the history of Western Civilization.
The dates on which these papers will be due depends on which questions
you choose to answer. Each class session
will be devoted one or two specific questions; for example, the questions for
January 13 are, “What caused Luther to break with the Roman Catholic Church? Why did his revolt succeed” If you choose to write an essay in response
to this question, it will be due on that date. You are free to choose any two questions you
wish. However, everyone will have to turn in one essay on or before Wednesday,
February 29, and one after that date.
I will not accept late papers.
These essays are designed to
allow you to demonstrate your ability to make intelligent arguments based on
historical sources (both primary and secondary), as well as your ability to
communicate those arguments in writing.
These essays will not involve
additional research beyond the assigned readings for that day, so footnotes and
bibliography are unnecessary. They will,
however, require you to study and reflect carefully on the readings. Since this course fills a core requirement
(Historical Reasoning), writing plays a critical role, so I expect you to put
serious and sustained effort into your papers.
That means that not only will I be grading for content, but for things
like organization, spelling, word choice, and grammar. For more information about style and method,
see the department’s “Guidelines for Writing Scholarly Papers,” available here.
I use the following rough
standard in grading written assignments:
A—MASTERFUL. An “A” essay is clearly written and contains no grammatical or
typographical errors. It demonstrates
mastery of the relevant material and offers significant new insight into the
subject.
B—COMPETENT. A “B” essay is
clearly written but may contain a very small number of grammatical or
typographical errors. It clearly relates
the facts, gives sound analysis, and provides some interesting insight.
C—ADEQUATE. A “C” essay or
test is clearly written but contains some grammatical or typographical
mistakes. It gives the basic facts and
offers some analysis, but probably offers little insight.
D—POOR. A “D” essay is
intelligible but probably suffers from some serious problems in organization,
and numerous grammatical or typographical errors. It often omits important facts, or gets them
wrong. It offers little analysis, and
provides no real insight.
F—UNACCEPTABLE. An “F” essay
is poorly written and makes no coherent argument. It offers little detail, and contains serious
errors, both factual and grammatical.
The reader will come away from it with more confusion than insight.
In addition to submitting a
hard copy to me on or before the due date, you will be required to upload an
electronic version to Turnitin.com. To
do this, follow the directions here. When asked for the class ID, enter 4653691. For password, enter “napoleon” (without
quotes).
We will spend most
of our time each class session discussing primary source documents. You
will be asked to offer your thoughts about what you have read, as well as any
larger implications. If you find something confusing, these discussions
will present an opportunity for you to seek a clearer understanding. If
you find something particularly interesting, that is the time to try to expand
upon it, or to ask questions about it.
Your attendance in
class is expected, and consistent participation in discussion will be
rewarded. I insist on at least occasional input from every member of the
class, and I reserve the right to assign a failing grade to those who are
habitually unprepared—or unwilling—to participate in discussion.
Academic
Integrity
I strongly advise you to examine the university’s academic integrity
policy, which may be found here. All students are responsible for maintaining
the highest standards of honesty and integrity in every phase of their academic
careers. The penalties for academic
dishonesty are severe, and ignorance is not an acceptable defense.
Course
Schedule, with Reading Assignments:
|
January |
9 |
Course Introduction |
|
|
11 |
Origins of the Protestant Reformation “In what sense did the
German states seem ripe for religious upheaval in the early 16th
century?” Pavlac, pp.171-177 Coursepack, pp. 1-7 |
|
|
13 |
The Lutheran Reformation “What caused Luther to
break with the Roman Catholic Church? Why
did his revolt succeed?” Pavlac, pp. 177-180 Coursepack, pp. 8-16 |
|
|
16 |
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday—No Class |
|
|
18 |
The Calvinist Reformation “What did Calvin mean by
predestination? Why was it such a
controversial doctrine?” Pavlac, pp. 180-181 Coursepack, pp. 17-23 |
|
|
20 |
The English Reformation “In what sense did the
Anglican Church represent a compromise between Roman Catholicism and radical
Protestantism?” Pavlac, pp. 182-183 Coursepack, pp. 24-31 |
|
|
23 |
The Catholic Response “How did the Catholic
Church respond to the Protestant Reformation?” Pavlac, pp. 183-184 Coursepack, pp. 32-38 |
|
|
25 |
The Wars of Religion “Why did religious
differences cause so much bloodshed in the 16th and 17th
centuries? Pavlac, pp. 184-188 Coursepack, pp. 39-47 |
|
|
27 |
The Scientific Revolution “Why did science seem to
pose a challenge to traditional religion?” Pavlac, pp. 199-204 Coursepack, pp. 48-54 |
|
|
30 |
The
Enlightenment “In what sense might the ideas of the Enlightenment have
been regarded as dangerously radical for the time?” Pavlac, pp.
204-209 Coursepack, pp.
55-63 |
|
February |
1 |
Absolutism “In
what sense is it appropriate to refer to Louis XIV as an absolute monarch?” Pavlac, pp. 209-212 Coursepack, pp. 64-70 |
|
|
3 |
Enlightened
Absolutism “How could Enlightenment ideas be used to support the
principle of absolute monarchy?” Pavlac, pp.
212-217 Coursepack, pp.
71-76 |
|
|
6 |
Republicanism and Constitutionalism “How did the concept of
‘rights’ evolve in 17th century England?” Pavlac, pp. 217-222 Coursepack, pp. 77-84 |
|
|
8 |
Rousseau’s Vision of Society “What did Rousseau view as
the ideal state? What role did he
believe that religion should play in it?” Pavlac, pp. 222-225 Coursepack, pp. 85-93 |
|
|
10 |
First Examination |
|
|
13 |
The Origins of the French Revolution: “What caused the French
Revolution?” Pavlac, pp. 225-227 Coursepack, pp. 94-100 |
|
|
15 |
The French Revolution “What were the
principles that guided the revolutionaries of 1789?” Pavlac, pp. 227-229 Coursepack, pp. 101-108 |
|
|
17 |
The Radicalization of the French Revolution “Why did the
French Revolution become so violent?” Pavlac, pp. 229-231 Coursepack, pp. 109-116 |
|
|
20 |
The Age of Napoleon “Did Napoleon
represent the fulfillment of the French Revolution, or its betrayal?” Pavlac, pp.
231-235 Coursepack, pp.
117-123 |
|
|
22 |
The
Industrial Revolution “How did the Industrial
Revolution change western society—for better and for worse?” Pavlac, pp.
237-241 Coursepack, pp.
124-131 |
|
|
24 |
The Rise
of the City “How did urbanization bring about a more modern society?” Pavlac, pp. 243-247 Coursepack, pp. 132-138 |
|
|
27 |
Conservatism and the Return to Order “What did it mean to be
conservative in the early 19th century?” Pavlac, pp. 247-248 Coursepack, pp. 139-146 |
|
|
29 |
Liberalism, Radicalism, and Revolution “How did the
revolutions of 1830 and 1848 illustrate the differences between 19th
century liberals and radicals?” Pavlac, pp. 248-253 Coursepack, pp. 147-156 |
|
March |
2 |
Class
Canceled |
|
|
5 |
Spring Break—No Class |
|
|
7 |
Spring Break—No Class |
|
|
9 |
Spring Break—No Class |
|
|
12 |
Marxian Socialism, part I “How, according to Marx and
Engels, has the bourgeoisie changed western society?” Pavlac, pp. 253-256 Coursepack, pp. 157-164 |
|
|
14 |
Marxian Socialism, part II “What sort of society did
Marxists hope to create?” Pavlac, pp. 256-261 Coursepack, pp. 165-171 |
|
|
16 |
Darwin and his Interpreters “What are some of the
possible social and political implications of Darwin’s thought?” Pavlac, pp. 261-265 Coursepack, pp. 172-180 |
|
|
19 |
The “New” Imperialism, 1880-1910 “What reasons led the
European powers to engage in imperialism in the last two decades of the 19th
century?” Pavlac, pp. 267-276 Coursepack, pp. 181-187 |
|
|
21 |
The Rise of Nationalism “How did early 19th
century nationalists define ‘nation’? Why did they think the nation was
important?” Pavlac, pp. 280-282 Coursepack, pp. 188-194 |
|
|
23 |
Second Examination |
|
|
26 |
The Triumph of Nationalism “How did German nationalism
change after the unification of Germany in 1871?” Pavlac, pp. 282-286 Coursepack, pp. 195-203 |
|
|
28 |
The Eastern Question “Why did the decline of the
Ottoman Empire create serious problems for Europe?” Pavlac, pp. 287-291 Coursepack, pp. 204-211 |
|
|
30 |
The Origins of World War I “To what extent could
Germany be held responsible for starting World War I?” Pavlac, pp. 291-293 Coursepack, pp. 220-225 |
|
April |
2 |
World War I “Why was the First World
War so traumatic for Western society?” Pavlac, pp. 293-295 Coursepack, pp. 220-225 |
|
|
4 |
The Postwar Settlement “In what sense might it be
said that the manner in which World War I ended paved the way for another
world war?” Pavlac, pp. 297-301 Coursepack, pp. 226-233 |
|
|
6 |
Good Friday—No Class |
|
|
9 |
The Age of Anxiety “What were the recurring
themes of postwar thought? To what
extent might these themes be attributed to the war?” Pavlac, pp. 301-303 Coursepack, pp. 234-240 |
|
|
11 |
The Russian Revolution “How did Lenin apply Marx’s
ideas to bring about a revolution in Russia?” Pavlac, pp. 304-307 Coursepack, pp. 241-251 |
|
|
13 |
The Birth of the Soviet Union “What obstacles did Lenin encounter in
establishing the first Communist state?
How did he deal with them? Pavlac, pp. 307-309 Coursepack, pp. 252-258 |
|
|
16 |
The Soviet Union under Stalin “Did Stalin betray the
ideals of the Bolshevik Revolution, or fulfill them?” Pavlac, pp. 309-311 Coursepack, pp. 259-268 |
|
|
18 |
The Rise of Fascism “What did it mean to be a
fascist?” Pavlac, pp. 316-321 Coursepack, pp. 269-275 |
|
|
20 |
Nazi Germany “What were Hitler’s overall
goals for Germany?” Pavlac, pp. 321-324 Coursepack, pp. 276-284 |
|
|
23 |
Appeasement and the Origins of World War II “Why did Neville
Chamberlain appease Hitler at Munich?
Do you think it was a wise decision?” Pavlac, pp. 325-327 Coursepack, pp. 285-293 |
|
|
25 |
World War II in the East “Why was the war
on the Eastern Front so brutal? What
did each side believe that it was fighting for?” Pavlac, pp. 327-333 Coursepack, pp. 294-301 |
|
|
27 |
The Coming of the Cold War “How and why did the United
States become so involved in European affairs after 1945?” Pavlac, pp. 335-342 Coursepack, pp. 302-311 |
|
April |
30 |
Final Examination, 8:00
– 10:00 am |