HIST 635: Problems in European History

HIST 635-003: First Total War: The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
(Fall 2011)

07:20 PM to 10:00 PM R

Section Information for Fall 2011

Were the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars a first example of “total war”? And what impact did this protracted conflict have on such a pivotal moment in the history of France, Europe, indeed “the modern era” itself? This course offers a detailed examination of the quarter-century of semi-continuous warfare that tore the European continent apart from 1792 to 1815. In order to address these two central questions, it considers these wars from a variety of angles, paying attention both to the battlefield and the home front. Topics covered include: changes in battlefield tactics; repercussions on international relations; new cultures of conflict; terror, civil war, and colonial conquest; the soldiers’ experience; practices of mass mobilization; the militarization of society, bureaucratization, technology and the war economy. Using both historians’ works and contemporary impressions, we will seek to both grasp the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars as an object of study, and in turn assess how crucial this conflict is to our broader understanding of the birth of modernity. Though focused primarily on the French experience, readings will cover other European perspectives as well.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Investigates selected problems. Readings, discussions, development of bibliographies. Primary sources used where possible. Notes: May be repeated for credit when topic is different. May be repeated within the term.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Lec/Sem #1, Lec/Sem #2, Lec/Sem #3, Lec/Sem #4, Lec/Sem #5, Lec/Sem #6, Lec/Sem #7, Lec/Sem #8, Lec/Sem #9, Lecture, Sem/Lec #10, Sem/Lec #11, Sem/Lec #12, Sem/Lec #13, Sem/Lec #14, Sem/Lec #15, Sem/Lec #16, Sem/Lec #17, Sem/Lec #18
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.