Kenyon Equivalent: HISTORY 131: EARLY MODERN EUROPE, 1500-1815 = 1/2 unit credit

Kenyon Equivalent: HISTORY 132: MODERN EUROPE, 1815-PRESENT = 1/2 unit credit

Through lectures and discussions, this course will introduce the student to early modern Europe, with special attention to Austria, Britain, France, Prussia, and Russia. It will treat such topics as the reformation, the emergence of the French challenge to the European equilibrium, Britain's eccentric constitutional course, the pattern of European contacts with the non-European world, the character of daily life in premodern Europe, the Enlightenment , the appearance of Russia on the European scene, the origins of German dualism, and the impact of the French Revolution on Europe.

The course analyzes major themes and issues that shaped contemporary Europe from the end of the Napoleonic era to the present. The format is lecture and discussion.

The European continent is incredibly diverse: geographically, culturally, economically, ethnically, and politically (to name only the most obvious factors). Throughout the semester we will explore this diversity of experiences since the end of the eighteenth century. We will look at issues of race, class, and gender, as well as violence, poverty, faith, nationalism, technology, and art. We will read novels and memoirs, watch films, and listen to music as we hone our historical knowledge and sensibilities regarding modern Europe, its peoples, and its governments. We will examine the fates of a variety of nations, using examples from across the continent.

Student responsibilities include regular attendance, informed participation in the discussions of the texts.