AHIS 12A00 - A History of the European Nineteenth Century: the view from Asia

This first-year course examines the birth of political modernity in the nineteenth century. Students are encouraged to consider the origins, successive reconfigurations and limitations of modern political society. The course surveys the main landmarks of this transformation in Europe and its imperial worlds, from the democratic revolutions of the late eighteenth century until the advent of mass politics in the early twentieth century. Major topics include the rise of new ideologies, such as – among others – liberalism, conservatism and socialism; changing and novel patterns of engagement, based on violence (wars, revolutionary insurrections) or persuasion (emergence of a civil society, electoral contests); and the reorganisation of large political organizations, from the construction of nation-states to the persistence and possibly the extension of empires. Special attention is paid to the claims of women and their role in politics and society, in Europe and more broadly. In order to facilitate learning and highlight the significance of political modernity, these changes are considered within a broader historical framework. The latter includes economic and environmental change, the transformations of urban and rural societies, the emergence of new intellectual and cultural sensitivities, and the status of the individual within society. Throughout the twelve sessions, the course questions Eurocentric accounts of the nineteenth century, and it discusses the processes of political modernisation and their limits on other continents. The angle of this global lens varies according to the geographic focus of each campus and/or programme. Our focus is on the interactions between particular countries and peoples in Asia and Europe, with emphasis on Britain, China, France, India, Japan and Vietnam.

Pierre FULLER,Alexandre LARROQUE,Armel CAMPAGNE,Antoine LÊ,Alban SCHMID

Cours magistral et conférences

English

Lectures take place each Monday. Each lecture has a set reading (and sometimes an additional recommended one) that the lecture will refer to and engage with extensively. You will get much more out of lecture if you make sure to read the week's reading before lecture, and afterwards they will strengthen your assessments in which you are expected to bring course themes together in your analysis.

None

Autumn 2023-2024

To validate the course, the student is expected to pass the following assignments: 1°) Continuous assessment (conférences de méthode) : 2/3 of the final grade composed of an essay outline (30%); presentation (exposé oral individuel, 30%) and midterm exam (galop d'essaie, 40%) 2°) Final Exam : 1/3 of the final grade

At the end of the course, the student is expected to : 1°) Demonstrate a thorough understanding of key events and concepts of the 19 th century. 2°) Read critically and discuss some of the main historiographical debates presented in the lecture. 3°) Draw upon their knowledge of history to understand current events. This is a “cours magistral” (lecture), which is accompanied by a tutorial-style seminar (conférence de méthode), designed to give you the opportunity to reflect more thoroughly on the themes of the lecture. There will also be some time for questions or short discussions at the end of each lecture.