Course syllabus

The full course syllabus was last revised on 27 July.  That version is available for download here. The 27 July syllabus has not yet been altered to incorporate the policy adjustments made because of the move to online teaching, which will be in place from 12 August-2 October.  But you can read about those course adjustments to tests, due dates, etc. on the live update page 

Well-being always comes first We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

 

 

HISTORY 224: Old Regime and Revolution in France c.1750-1815

SEMESTER 2, 2020

15 points

 
Course Convenor: 

Convenor: Dr Joseph Zizek

Phone: (09) 923-8852 or ext 88852 (on campus)

Room 735, Humanities Building

email: j.zizek@auckland.ac.nz

Office Hours: Mon 1:30-3:00pm, Tues 2-3pm, and by appointment

 

Tutor: Ross Wardrop: rwar856@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Ross's office hours (blending live and Zoom access):

• In-person: Tu 12-1 pm, Humanities Room 305 (206-305) or by appointment
• Zoom: available via appointment Wednesday-Friday from 9am-5pm

 

Lecture and Tutorial Times

Each week, Hist 224 students are expected to attend one 2-hour lecture and one 50-minute tutorial. We expect Semester 2 classes to return to face-to-face teaching, and the current times and locations of your lectures and tutorials are as follows:

Lecture:          

• Mon 10-12 Clock Tower 039 (105S-039)

Tutorials:       

• Mon 2pm Humanities, Room 217 (206-217)
• Tu 10am Humanities, Room 217 (206-217)
• Tu 1pm Humanities, Room 215 (206-215)

 All times and venues are subject to change, so please confirm on SSO prior to the first scheduled class meeting.

All lectures will be recorded and made available to students via Canvas 'Recordings', with the option to download in multiple video and audio formats.  Barring exceptional circumstances, recordings will be made available within 24 hours of the relevant lecture.  Tutorials are NOT recorded.

Introduction and Objectives

            More than two centuries after the collapse and destruction of what revolutionaries called the ‘Old Regime’, the French Revolution continues to be recognised as one of the founding events of modern history. Yet it remains a deeply enigmatic and controversial event. Revolutionaries seemingly invented (or re-invented) political liberty and civic equality, democratic suffrage and human rights; but they also invented (or re-invented) gender discrimination and political terror, ideological war and modern dictatorship. Given this rich blend of tragedy and farce, it is no surprise that the Revolution continues to feature in our discussions of politics, society, and culture as well as our understanding of the ‘modern’ world.

            This course offers an introduction to the French Revolution as both European crisis and world-historical event. A background in European or French history, while helpful, is not required. The weekly lectures offer basic historical orientation, while tutorial readings, discussions, and coursework go beyond the lectures to explore major problems of interpretation. Topics for the semester include the origins of the Revolution, the collapse of the ‘absolute’ monarchy, the radical experiment of mass democracy, the nature of revolutionary violence and war, and the legacies and disputed meanings left to us by revolutionaries and their opponents.

            History 224 is taught in tandem with the Stage III version of this course (History 324), but it is different in both its reading load and its assessment schedule. History 224 students will nevertheless be introduced to some of the key historiographical challenges in the field—the ‘social history of ideas’, public opinion, political culture, and gender politics, rights theory—and will learn how different methods and approaches have influenced our understanding of the French Revolution.      

In support of the Bachelor of Arts Graduate Profile, this course’s expected learning objectives and outcomes include the ability for students to:

• Understand major in issues in French history c. 1750-1815, including debates around change and continuity in politics, society, and culture 
• Evaluate different forms of historical interpretation in scholarship on the ‘Old Regime’ and the Revolution 
• Develop the oral and written expression of their historical work in diverse formats

 

In addition to the specific objectives above, this Stage II course imparts general skills that are helpful to all students. History 224 will refine your ability to assess, assimilate, and present information and build independent arguments. The course will help to impart the following research-related skills and information literacy:

• basic navigation in the range of online databases and print resources available in a major research library
• note-taking and assimilation in different settings (lectures, class and peer discussions, assigned readings)
• completion of diverse types of online and written assessment, calibrated to build understanding of both primary and secondary materials

Assessment Summary

1. Marks distribution and due dates

Evaluation is based upon four (4) online tests, one coursework Essay, and a two-hour Exam. 

Grades (as percentage of total mark in course) are distributed as follows: •    20% - Online Tests (4 Tests, each worth 5% of final mark) •    40% - Essay (2,000 words) due at 11:59pm on Friday 25 September •    40% - 2-hour, essay-type Exam held during the University Examination Period

 

Information on grading standards, essays, and referencing can be found in the ‘History Coursework Guide’ that is available on this Canvas site. It can also be consulted on the School of Humanities website (under the 'History' section of the ‘For Current Students’ page):

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/arts/about-the-faculty/school-of-humanities/for-current-students.html

 

Weekly Topics and Lecture schedule (provisional)

Week 1-Introduction to the Course: Myths of Revolution

Week 2-Eighteenth Century Society and Enlightenment

Week 3-Politics of Public Opinion: An ‘Information Society’?

Week 4-Revolutionary Origins: Social or Political?

Week 5-From Crisis to Revolution: Inventing 1789

Week 6-Rural France and its Revolution(s)

Mid-Semester Break

Week 7-Cultural Revolution(s)

Week 8-Gender Relations in the Revolutionary Era

Week 9-Violence and Terror: Why?

Week 10-The Revolution in the Colonies: Liberty and Slavery

Week 11-Napoleon’s Revolution: End, or New Beginning?

Week 12-No lecture [Labour day holiday]

 

Course Resources and Canvas

1. Tutorial Readings and Textbook

All required course readings are available via Canvas 'Reading Lists'. This course does not have a hardcopy course packet (in other words, no purchases of any kind are required for this class). History 224 also has a recommended but not required textbook, which is available as a free ebook via the Library:

• Jeremy D. Popkin, A Short History of the French Revolution, 6th edition, Routledge, 2015. [consult 'Reading Lists' to get the link]

If you prefer not to consult or download the ebook, this text is also available via hardcopy in Short Loan, and may also be available for purchase at the University Bookstore. You are not required to read this text, but it is an excellent brief treatment for those who wish more detailed chronological coverage of the course themes.

2. Canvas access to course materials: Everything distributed, shown, or discussed in lecture—syllabus, lecture outlines, PowerPoint presentations, and miscellaneous handouts—will be made available on Canvas. All lectures will be recorded and lecture recordings will be generally be available with 48 hours for download via Canvas; please keep in mind that recorded lectures are a resource for learning reinforcement rather than a substitute for in-person attendance. Regular lecture attendance remains the best way to build and improve your note-taking skills and to practice mastering the live flow of information and argument. Similarly, because in-person attendance and discussion in tutorials is a crucial part of the course experience, certain materials that are distributed in tutorials (weekly worksheets, handouts) will not be available via Canvas. To receive tutorial handouts you must attend the relevant tutorials, except in the case of a justified absence (illness, compassionate circumstances, unanticipated work or family obligations) when you are eligible to receive the handout via email from the instructor.

If you are unable to attend any particular class session, it remains each student's responsibility to understand what has been covered in periods of absence. Canvas is designed to help in this process by providing  access to lost or misplaced handouts and by providing lecture recordings. But because an important part of your University education involves building connections with your classmates, we encourage you to create networks that will allow you to ‘cover’ for one another in case of missed classes. Lecture recording technology remains fallible; although we make every effort to ensure quality recording, occasionally there are audio or video dropouts or glitches due to human error.

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:            

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks as indicated in the course syllabus.