HIST 309 - Seminar: The French Revolution

FDR: HU
Credits: 3
Planned Offering: Winter 2015

Prerequisite: Sophomore, junior, or senior standing. The French Revolution is one of the most fascinating and momentous events in European history. At once “the best of times” and “the worst of times,” the Revolution was both the origin of modern democracy and a period of tremendous political violence - indeed, some say it is the origins of totalitarianism. In this seminar, we study the following questions: What are the origins of the Revolution? How did a revolution that began with proclamations of human rights turn into one of mass bloodshed in just a few short years? How did a desire for democracy lead to political violence? What was the nature of the Terror, and how can we understand it? We also examine how various schools of history have interpreted the Revolution, as well as the legacy of the Revolution. Horowitz.