Central European History: From Revolution to War, 1848-1914
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HIST2016 | History | 2 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- HIST2016
- School
- History
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module focuses on the evolution of the Habsburg Monarchy from the 1848 revolutions to the beginning of WWI. In particular it surveys key themes such as:
- the difficulties of state-building
- the growth of nationalism
- the tension between local, regional and imperial institutions and structures
- the varied effects of modernization; and
- the unpredictable evolution of politics.There will also be some comparative analysis with developments in other continental European countries, in particular Germany."
Target Students
Only available to level 2 single or joint honours History students, Liberal Arts students or Exchange students hosted by the Department of History.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Teaching on this module ties in with Doing History, a series of lectures and seminars designed to: i) develop your awareness of both the craft of the historian and the discipline of history; ii) refine your key historical skills, including essay-writing, source analysis and critical reflection; and iii) support you in your development as a historian through your second year and into the third.
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: Piece of individually assessed coursework
- 50% Coursework 2: Piece of individually assessed coursework
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to encourage students to develop a detailed understanding of the major political, social and economic developments in Central Europe between 1848 and 1914. They should become aware of the main historiographical debates concerning the region and the Habsburg Monarchy in particular. As a result of their historical studies and analytical thinking, students should enhance and develop a range of intellectual and transferable skills.Learning Outcomes
a. Knowledge and understanding of the:
• complexity of politics in Central Europe
• motives and thinking of the various social, national, religious and political groupings within the Habsburg Monarchy
• main lines of historiographical debate concerning the Habsburg Monarchy, including consideration of Austrian, Czech, Slovakian, Hungarian and Romanian viewpoints, among others
• importance of historical writing and thinking to the development of the region
• nature of history as a discipline
b. Intellectual skills:
• think critically and imaginatively about the course of Central European history
• engage with the key issues of state and nation building, the development of a political culture and dealing with the process of modernisation
• assess and evaluate competing historical interpretations put forward in the literature
• construct coherent, independent and compelling arguments on the subject matter
c. Professional/practical skills:
• analyse information and arguments from a range of secondary sources
• form an argument based on solid research
• provide appropriate footnotes and a bibliography in essays
• use IT to complete written assignments and use the university Intranet to access the library catalogue
d. Transferable skills:
• Manage large, incomplete and disparate bodies of knowledge
• develop oral and written communication skills
• work with other students on the module researching in secondary sources
• take responsibility for their own learning
• improve IT skills in word processing.