History of Western Civilization II

HS 114, Section 6030

Cavanaugh 221; Thursdays 5:45-8:25 PM

 

Professor: Dr. Daniella Kostroun

Office: Cavanaugh 504D

Phone: 274-8045

Email: dkostrou@iupui.edu

Office Hours: Tues. 11:00am-12:00, Thurs. 5:00-5:30pm, or by appointment.

 

As an introduction to the history of Modern Europe, this course will explore the major themes and events in European history from the development of royal absolutism to the present.  Among the themes we will address are the rise of nation-states, new political ideologies, industrialization, colonization and Europe’s rise and fall as a global power in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  We will also look at two world wars, the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the present unstable world equilibrium.  

 

Critical Skills and Course Requirements

            The past, just like our present world, is a complex, contradictory and often messy place.  In order to make sense of the past and to communicate its meaning to others, historians need to develop critical thinking, reading, writing and speaking skills.  These are the skills that we will be working on all semester.  The course requirements and assignments listed below (along with their grade percentage) are designed to give you practice in these skills.

 

Preparation, Attendance and Participation (10%): Class meets once a week on Thursdays from 5:45-8:25pm.  Attendance is mandatory and more than one unexcused absence (for an entire class or a major portion of a class) will result in the lowering of your course grade.  Students should come to class prepared to discuss the readings in a thoughtful, informed manner, to take notes and to participate in class activities.  Discussion is an important part of the critical learning process.  It is essential that students bring their own copies of all assigned readings to class each meeting so that they can refer to them during discussions. 

Preparation tips:

·        Read the assignment before each class meeting.  Many reading experts recommend skimming a text first (flip steadily through each page to get the broad gist of what it says) before reading it normally.  The advantage of this method is that you see the text twice, and thus increase your chances of comprehension and retention, without increasing your study time by more than a few minutes.

·         Take Notes.  The best way to prepare for class discussion is to keep a reading journal in which you take notes and keep track of your personal responses to the readings.  You should make connections between the readings in this course as well as with other works and ideas you may have come across elsewhere.

 

Two Midterm Exams (25% each): You will be taking two midterm exams in class on Thursday, October 6 and Thursday, November 10. These exams will contain multiple choice questions and an essay question (you will be able to choose one essay question out of two).  If you miss one of the exams, you can take a make-up exam on December 8 after class. No excuses are needed to take the make-up exam.  Please note, however, that you can only take a make-up for one exam.  Also, there will be no other opportunities to take the exam if you miss the scheduled make-up.  It is in your best interest to take exams as scheduled.  The make-up exam is meant for people with valid medical or other emergency excuses.

 

Two Short Papers (5% each): Guidelines for the short paper (2-3 pages) will be handed out in class.  The short papers will be due at the beginning of class on September 8 and on October 27.  Your grade will be lowered half a grade for each day that the short papers are overdue.

 

Final Exam (30%): The final exam will take place on Thursday December 15 from 5:45-7:45pm.  The exam will be the same format as the midterm exams, except longer.  The final exam will be cumulative.  There will be no make-up for the final exam except in the case of a serious emergency.

 

Important Policies

 

Statement on Academic Honesty

If you are not already familiar with the statement on academic honesty in the IU Student Code of Conduct (Part 3, Section A: Student Misconduct), please take the time to read this statement carefully: http://www.life.iupui.edu/help/docs/Part_3all.html

 

This statement clearly defines academic dishonesty in the form of cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules and facilitating academic dishonesty for the IUPUI Community.  Any form of academic misconduct will result in a failing grade for that assignment or a failing grade for the course.  Whenever you attach your name to an exam or assignment in this class, it will be assumed by the professor that you are familiar with the IU definition of academic misconduct and that you have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on the exam or assignment.  To avoid unintentional plagiarism, please consult Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History pp70-76. If you have any questions or concerns regarding academic honesty, please speak to your professor immediately.

 

Students with disabilities: If you have any concerns regarding disabilities please contact The Office of Adaptive Educational Services (AES) and your professor immediately.  IUPUI is committed to making campus life and learning accessible for students with disabilities.  AES-- in conjunction with your professors-- will work actively to assist students with disabilities in achieving their educational goals.  AES provides such services as note-taking, interpreting, and test proctoring.  To learn more, please consult the AES website:

http://life.iupui.edu/aes/

Student Code of Conduct: Our classroom protocol will be guided by the Student Code of Conduct which, among other things, asserts IUPUI’s commitment “to maintain[ing] a spirit of civility in a community in which diversity is welcomed. Every student, staff, and faculty member plays a significant role in promoting an environment that is conducive to academic excellence by fostering a climate of civility and mutual respect.” Consequently, in our meetings you are expected to treat one another with respect, to express your own ideas honestly, and to listen to others thoughtfully, attentively and with a spirit of understanding.  For the Student Code of Conduct, see:  http://life.iupui.edu/help/code.asp

 

Required Texts: 

The following books are available at the campus bookstore:

  • Textbook:  McKay, Hill, Buckler A History of Western Society Vol. II 8th ed. (Houghton Mifflin)
  • Sourcebook: Wiesner, Rull, Wheeler Discovering the Western Past Vol. II: Since 1500. 5th Edition (Houghton Mifflin)
  • Rampolla, Mary Lynn A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, (Bedford)

 

 

Course Schedule:

(This syllabus is tentative and subject to change)

 

 

 

Date                                                     Assignment

 

R 8-25                                                 Course Introduction

 

 

R 9-01                                                 Part I: Early Modern Background

                                                            McKay, Introduction (xxi-xxxii)

                                    Rampolla, Chapter 2 “Working with Sources”                                       Rampolla, 27-37, “History papers: general                                                           approaches” and “Taking history exams.”

 

                                                            Part II: Absolutism and Constitutionalism

                                                            McKay, Ch. 16

                                                            Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 2 “Staging                                                                                          Absolutism.”

                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R 9-08                                                 *First short paper due*

                                                            Part I: Europe Turns East

                                                            McKay, Ch. 17

                                                            Discussion: “A Foreign Traveler in Russia”                                                                                (McKay, 590-591)

                                                                                               

                                                            Part II: Revolution of a World View 

                                                            McKay, 595-605.

                                               

                                               

R 9-15                                                 Part I: Reason and Enlightenment

                                                            McKay, 605-625.                                                                                                                    Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 3 “The Mind of an                                                                              Age”

                                               

                                                            Part II: The Eighteenth Century Turning Point

                                                            McKay, 629-643.

                                                            Discussion: “The decline of the guilds” (McKay,                                                                        658-659).

 

 

R 9-22                                                 Part I: Europe and the Atlantic Economy

                                                            McKay, 643-657.

                                                            Rampolla, Ch. 6 “Plagiarism and how to avoid it.”

 

                                                            Part II: Society and Culture in pre-modern world

                                                            McKay, Ch. 20

Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 4 “A Statistical View of European Rural Life, 1600-1800”

 

 

R 9-29                                                 The French Revolution 

                                                            McKay, Ch. 21

                                                            Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 5 “A Day in the French                                                                      Revolution: July 14, 1789”

                                                Discussion: “Revolution and Women’s Rights”                                                   (McKay, 722-723)

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                           

R 10-06                                               First Midterm

 

 

 

 

 

 

R 10-13                                               Part I: Industrial Revolution

                                                            McKay, Ch. 22

                                                            Discussion: “The Testimony of Young Mine                                                                               Workers” (McKay, 752-753)

 

Part II: The New Ideologies

McKay, Ch. 23

Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 7 “Two Programs for Social and Political Change: Liberalism and Socialism”

                                                           

 

R 10-20                                               Part I: Urban Society

                                                            McKay, Ch. 24

                                                            Discussion: Wiesner Ch. 10 “Citizenship and                                                                 Suffrage for Women”

 

                                                            Part II: Nationalism and Nation Building

                                                            McKay, Ch. 25

                                                           

R 10-27                                               *Second Short Paper Due*

Part I: European Imperialism

                                                            McKay, Ch. 26                                                                                                                        Discussion: Handouts on Imperialism

 

                                                            Part II: WWI

                                                            McKay, 887-904

                        Discussion: “The Experience of War” (McKay,                         918-919)

                                                           

R 11-03                                               Part I: Russian Revolution

                                                            McKay, 904-916 

                                                            Discussion: Handouts on the Russian Revolution

                                                           

                                                            Part II: The Age of Anxiety   

                                                            McKay, Ch. 28

 

R 11-10                                               Second Midterm                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R 11-17                                               Part I: Russia under Stalin

                                                            McKay, Ch. 29

                                                            Discussion: “Stalin Justifies the Five-Year Plan”                                                             (McKay, 986-987)

           

                                                            Part II: Rise of Fascism

                                                            Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 12 “Selling a Totalitarian                                                                     System”                                                           

                                                           

R 11-24                                               Thanksgiving Recess-No Class                                                                                           

 

R 12-01                                               Part I:  WWII

McKay, Ch. 30

 

                                                            Part II:  The Cold War

                                                            Discussion: Wiesner, Ch. 13 “Berlin: the Crux of                                                                       the Cold War.”

                                                                       

 

R 12-08                                               Part I: The Collapse of the Soviet Union

                                                            McKay, 1027-1040

                                                            Discussion: Handout on Gorbachev

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Part II: Europe in the 21st Century

                                                            McKay, 1040-1061

Midterm Make-Up

                                               

                                                           

 

 

Final Exam: December 15 (Thursday) 5:45-7:45pm.