Course Themes

There are no "typical" European countries, yet the history of modern France reflects the history of modern Europe better, perhaps, than any other nation. Certainly nowhere else in Europe have such a variety of political and social conflicts manifested themselves so plainly. In this course, we will start our survey with the founding event of modern France (and perhaps of modern Europe), the French Revolution of 1789. Throughout the semester, we will study this revolution's lasting influence and paradoxical impact on French history. We will pay close attention to the different ways in which later generations produced conflicting interpretations of the Revolution's meaning and how these interpretations influenced repeated attempts to organize politics and society. In the course of our investigation, we will study the origins of French instability while stressing the continuity and long-term trends that also characterize France's history.