History of
Western Civilization II
H114 (C400)
Fall Semester 2003
MW
Martin J.
Blackwell
Visiting Lecturer- Department of History - IUPUI
mjblackw@iupui.edu
Course Books (Available for purchase in the IUPUI Bookstore)
1)
Thomas F.X. Noble (et al.), Western
Civilization: The Continuing Experiment: Volume II: Since 1560, 3rd Edition, (
2) Merry E. Weisner (et
al.), Discovering the Western Past: A
Look at the Evidence, Volume II: Since 1500, 5th Edition, (
Course Description: This course
will introduce you to the political, economic, and social forces that over the
last four centuries have shaped the world we live in today. As we study the rise of the middle class in
France and the industrial revolution in England in the eighteenth century, the
writings of Karl Marx and Charles Darwin in the nineteenth century, and the
violence of the Nazi Party in Germany and the totalitarian regime of Joseph
Stalin in the Soviet Union in the twentieth century, this course will give you
a chance to critically engage the materials covered in the readings and the
lectures through questions that ask what the “big picture” is and why it came
to be painted the way you see it. The
three-exam and response paper format will help you sharpen your written
communication skills as you attempt to prove to me your own conclusions about
the vital history that we are studying.
Course Objectives: The main objective here is for all of us to come to a
better understanding of how the world around us today came into being. Another objective is for us to become more
active learners, better thinkers, and top-notch writers—goals IUPUI’s statement on the “Principles on Undergraduate
Learning” require us to achieve (please see www.jaguars.iupui.edu/gened/gnedprin.htm). Still
another objective is for you to gain some idea about how historians go about
actually writing history—something you will achieve by completing the six
response paper assignments where you come to enlightened conclusions about real
historical documents from the past.
Finally, I should point out now that this course provides consistent
deadlines over the semester for you to meet—as in the “real world”—and there
will be much opportunity for you to improve at all of the above during this
semester.
Course Requirements: 1) First
Mid-Term (20%) 2) Second Mid-Term (25%) 3) Six 400-word response papers from Discovering (24%) 4) Final Exam (25%) 5)
Quality participation in discussions and attendance (6%).
Course Grading: The
exams will be held in Cavanaugh Hall on the day they are mentioned in the
syllabus. We will review (with the help
of exam review sheets I hand out in advance) and I will answer your questions
on the Monday before the exam takes place.
The response papers are due on Wednesdays. Late response papers will not be
accepted. Notice that there are
“optional” response papers near the end of the course—they can be used to make
up for papers missed earlier. Your
lowest response paper grade can be dropped if you choose to do one of the
“optional” papers at the end of the course.
Course
Policies: Come to class on time—those who arrive late distract
us all from learning. Make up exams
will be given in emergencies—but only if you e-mail me about your absence
before the actual exam takes place. In
case of sickness, I also require that you bring written proof of a visit to a “medical
authority” about your condition with you when taking your make-up. Please read the IUPUI policy on plagiarism
before doing your first response paper assignment (please see www.hoosiers.iupui.edu/studcode).
Plagiarism will be punished according
to the rules of the university. In
addition to this syllabus, at our first class meeting I will distribute a guide
to completing the response paper assignments.
H114 Course
Schedule
Part I
Week 1 – 20 August – Introduction
Week 2 – 25 August – Religious Wars / 27 August – Absolutism
Discovering: Chapter 1 – (First
Response Paper Due 27 August)
Week 3 – 1 September – Labor Day / 3 September – Scientific
Experimentation
Discovering: Chapter 3
Week 4 – 8 September – The Enlightenment / 10 September – The
French Revolution
Discovering: Chapter 5 – (Second
Response Paper Due 8 September)
Week 5 – 15 September – The French Revolution and Exam Review / 17 September
– First Mid-Term
Part II
Week 6 – 22 September and 24 September – The Industrial
Revolution
Discovering: Chapter 6
Week 7 – 29 September – Socialism / 1 October – The Restoration
Discovering: Chapter 7 – (Third
Response Paper Due 1 October)
Week 8 – 6 October
and 8 October – Nationalism and Optimism
Discovering: Chapter 8
Week 9 – 13 October and 15 October – Imperialism and
Pessimism
Discovering: Chapter 9 – (Fourth
Response Paper Due 15 October)
Week 10 – 20 October and 22 October – Growing Tensions and World
War I.
Discovering: Chapter 10 – (Fifth
Response Paper Due 22 October)
Week 11 – 27 October – World War I (cont.) and Review / 29
October Second Mid-Term
Part III
Week 12 – 3 November and 5 November – Soviet Communism
Discovering: Chapter 11
Week 13 – 10 November and 12 November – Italian and German
Fascism
Discovering: Chapter 12 – (Sixth Response Paper Due 12 November)
Week 14 – 17 November and 19 November – World War II and the
Week 15 – 24 November / The Holocaust
Thanksgiving Week – No Class on 26 November
Week 16 – 1 December and 3 December / The Cold War Stand-off –
Abroad and at Home
Discovering: Chapter 13 – (Seventh
(Optional) Response Paper Due 3 December)
Week 17 – 8 December – The
Discovering: Chapter 15 – (Eighth (Optional) Response Paper Due 10 December)
Final Exam – 12
December