France & its Empire(s) 1815-1914
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HIST2062 | History | 2 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- HIST2062
- School
- History
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module covers France and the French colonial Empire from the end of the Napoleonic era in 1814-15 through to the outbreak of the First World War: a century in which French society underwent a series of major upheavals, and during which French imperial control was dramatically and violently expanded to multiple parts of the globe. It covers France’s struggle to find a form of government that could square the competing demands of radical democrats and conservative traditionalists, as monarchies, Republics and a further Napoleonic Empire came and went. It looks at how industrialisation and cultural developments changed the face of France and enabled further phases of imperial expansion: from Algeria in 1830, to Mexico in the 1860s, and then Indochina and sub-Saharan Africa from the 1880s onwards. Amongst all of this, France suffered a devastating defeat to Prussia/Germany in 1870-71, with profound social and political effects that shaped the period leading up to World War I.
The module runs broadly chronologically. Within each chronological section we will focus on specific themes, sometimes alternating domestic and imperial developments and sometimes connecting the two. While the module necessarily covers developments in high politics, the readings and primary sources will also emphasise social and cultural (including literary and artistic) developments and the experiences of ordinary people in France itself and in the empire.
1. France in 1815: Two Restorations (the Bourbon monarchy; slavery in the Caribbean)
2. Liberty leads the people? 1830 Revolution and the Conquest of Algeria
3. The Road to 1848: gender and industrialisation
4. 1848 and its aftermath: Revolution & Emancipation
5. 2nd Empire 1: domestic developments: modernisation, literature, medicine
6. 2nd Empire 2: foreign adventures (Crimea, Italy, Mexico, Senegal) and the Franco-Prussian War
7. The new overseas Empire: Indochina and sub-Saharan Africa
8. 1880s: No more nuns in school? Building the secular Republic
9. Political fractures: the Dreyfus Affair, secularisation and their legacies
10. The legacy of the 19th century French Empire in the 20th & 21st centuries
Advisory text: This module includes content relating to slavery, race and racism, and warfare and violence.
Target Students
Level 2 single or joint honours History students; Level 2 Liberal Arts students; Exchange students hosted by the Department of History; Level 2 students in Modern Languages and Cultures who have previously completed MLAC1063 or MLAC1068.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: 2,500 word Primary source essay
- 50% Coursework 2: 2,500 word essay
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to: 1) Introduce students to modern French and French imperial history, which they are currently not able to study within the History department; 2) Provide an opportunity for students to study imperial history in some detail beyond the confines of the British Empire, and introduce developments in parts of the world (such as the francophone Caribbean and francophone sub-Saharan Africa) that otherwise barely feature on the History curriculum; 3) develop students’ understanding of the political forms and ideologies that shaped the emergence of the modern French state and society, with ongoing consequences for 21st-century France; 4) Offer students a natural follow-on from first year-year modules which focus on the modern period, especially Roads to Modernity, as well as a pathway to third-year options/specials focusing on modern European and imperial history.Learning Outcomes
Students will develop knowledge and understanding of:
Key developments in French politics and society in the period 1815-1914
The evolution of the French colonial Empire, its expansion into different parts of the world, and how colonialism was experienced by the people subjected to French imperial control.
The relationship between domestic and imperial developments and how these shaped the relationship of France and the French Empire to the wider world.
The English-language secondary literature concerning these subjects, and the key debates and approaches that have emerged within this.
Intellectual skills. Students will:
Engage with key problems in interpreting sources.
Assess and evaluate competing interpretations put forward by historians.
Construct coherent arguments about the subject matter.
Professional/practical skills. Student will learn to:
Analyse information and arguments from a range of primary and secondary source.
Plan, research and write a sustained piece of historical enquiry.
Use IT to access resources and complete assignments.
Transferable skills. Students will:
Work effectively with other students to research primary and secondary sources.
Manage large and often incomplete sets of data/information.
Develop oral and written communication skills.
Improve IT skills in word processing.