HIST 342
Revolutionary Europe, 1789 to 1890 (EU) (WI)
Catalog Entry
HIST 342
Revolutionary Europe, 1789 to 1890 (EU) (WI)
Credit Hours: (3)
Prerequisite: Three hours of History at 100 level.
Study of modern European history from 1789 through 1890. Topics include the French
Revolution, Napoleon, Revolutions of 1830 and 1848, the first Industrial Revolution,
Urbanization, Liberalism, Socialism, Nationalism, and the second Industrial Revolution.
Note(s): Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
The major topics included in this course are: nature of the Old Regime, the French
Revolution of 1789, Napoleon, the first Industrial Revolution, the Age of '-isms',
the Revolutions of 1830 and 1848, the Unifications Italy and Germany, and the second
Industrial Revolution.
1. The Old Regime before the French Revolution
a. Institutions of the Old Regime
b. A Grand Tour of Europe
c. The Enlightenment
2. The French Revolution of 1789
a. Interpretations of the French Revolution
b. Causes of the French Revolution
c. The Radicalization of the Revolution
d. The Terror
3. Napoleon
a. The Making of a Revolutionary Hero
b. Napoleon's Domestic Reforms
c. Napoleon and Europe
4. The Congress of Vienna
a. The Settlement After the Napoleonic Wars
b. The Congress System
5. The First Industrial Revolution
a. The Traditional Mode of Production
b. The Beginnings of Industrialization in England
c. Industrialized Production Moves to the Continent
d. Social Changes Accompanying Industrialization
6. New Forces and New Ideas
a. Conservatism and Liberalism
b. Romanticism and Nationalism
c. Socialism and Marxism
7. The Revolutions of 1830
a. France
b. Belgium
c. Elsewhere in Europe
8. The Revolutions of 1848
a. France
b. The Habsburg Lands
c. Germany
9. Reforms from Above
a. Napoleon III and France
b. Franz Joseph and Hungary
c. Victoria and Great Britain
d. Alexander II and Russia
10. The Unification of Italy
a. Disorganized Italy
b. Sardinia-Piedmont
c. The Wars for Unification
11. The Unification of Germany
a. Austria and Prussia
b. Bismarck
c. The Austro-Prussian War
d. The Franco-Prussian War
12. The Commune of Paris
a. France in Defeat
b. The Conservative Government
c. The Parisian Radicals
13. The Second Industrial Revolution
a. The Institutionalization of Scientific Research
b. The Creation of Synthetic Materials / New Sources of Energy
c. The Development of New Products
d. The Rise of a Consumer Society
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Class meets three hours per week. Assigned readings include textbook and several additional
books including secondary and primary sources. Class format is primarily lecture but
also includes some discussions. Students are expected to contribute to classroom discussions
and write a short paper on one of the assigned readings.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
1. Students will practice thinking critically and analytically about historical issues,
acquire a broader knowledge and deeper understanding of pertinent historical events
and processes, and cultivate a familiarity with the concepts of historical argument
and interpretation.
2. Students will develop disciplinary research skills by designing strategies to locate
and analyze primary and secondary source evidence, processing and organizing the resultant
data, and composing proper citation and bibliographical entries.
3. Students will apply their critical thinking, research, and compositional skills
to the creation and presentation of thesis driven essays that discuss, for example,
historical social, economic, political, and/or cultural developments and that address
issues such as the causes and consequences of historical change and continuity.
4. Students will become familiar with the broad outlines of modern European history
(1789-1890), and will be able to respond to more topical, thematic questions about
events and developments which have become the subject of evolving and conflicting
historical interpretation.
Assessment Measures
Knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this course will be measured
using an array of assessment tools that may include, among other things, class attendance
and participation, written examinations, formal writing assignments of various types,
and informal writing assignments. All exercises are designed to expand the student's
ability to evaluate historical events and to develop his or her ability to compose
persuasive arguments.
Other Course Information: None
Review and Approval
Date Action Reviewed by
October 2010 Reviewed and Approved by Sharon A. Roger Hepburn, Chair
04/2011
March 01, 2021