HIST 112 - Modern European History

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

At the end of the twentieth century, Europe was heralded by many as a paragon of liberal democracy. Today with the resurgence of antidemocratic politics, the legacy of European liberalism seems far less triumphant. This course surveys modern European history from the eighteenth century to the present attending in particular to democratic experiments, failures, and successes. We seek to square attempts at forming egalitarian societies with the violence, destruction, and catastrophe that grew out of them. To this end, we begin by exploring the promises an discontents of the French Revolution; the liberal reforms and revolutions of the 1830s and in 1848; the rise of nationalism and expansion of European colonial ventures; the impact of industrialization and globalization on progressive ideologies; and the introduction of pass politics and populism. As we move into the twentith century, we reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the democracies that emerged after World War I, while also grappling with the simultaneous rise of racist, fascist, and authoritarian political movements. To end the semester, we look at diverging responses to fascism, as well as shifting interpretations of social and liberal democracy, across the Iron Curtain. The Department.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS