L. Smith (History)
4 SS, WRi, 4 Hours
Fall Semester FYSP 173-01 TR 3:00-4:15
Terror, extravagance, the violent overthrow of privilege, authoritarian or even “totalitarian” rule, the legitimacy of the state, capital punishment, equality, imperialism, democracy, violence, war, peace—these and many other issues of the modern world can be traced to the French Revolution beginning in 1789. The great defining event of modern Europe came to have repercussions far beyond Europe and the Euro-American world. Every subsequent revolutionary would owe something to the French Revolution. We will explore the issues of the French Revolution in order to understand just why they have had such long-term resonance. Topics include revolutionary ideology; charismatic leadership; mass mobilization (through appeals to national identity, class, race, and gender); the contradictions of the Revolution in the French Empire; and the challenges of controlling a revolution once it radicalizes. In the first half of the course, we will work through a detailed understanding the issues, people, and events of the French Revolution through exploring primary documents. In the second half of the course, students will do individual research projects, based mostly in secondary sources and presented to the whole group. Students will also be expected to write (and rewrite) several short papers.