Time Schedule:
George K Behlmer
HIST 113
Seattle Campus
Political, economic, social, and intellectual history of modern Europe. Cannot be taken for credit toward a history major if HSTEU 302 or 303 previously taken.
Class description
History 113 surveys European culture, thought, and politics over the past three centuries. Beginning with the Age of Absolutism in the mid-17th century and ending with our own era of fracturing nationalisms, this course charts the road to "modernity" in western civilization. Enlightenment thought and French revolutionary practice; the social consequences of industrialization; imperialism and decolonization; and the challenges of communism, fascism, and total war: these world-shaping developments will receive special attention in History 113.
Student learning goals
#1--Students will enrich their understanding of how ideas have "real world" consequences.
#2--Students will deepen their appreciation of how modern European developments have shaped American civilization.
#3--Students will improve their ability to construct persuasive arguments in writing. NOTE: History 113 qualifies as a "W" course.
General method of instruction
Formal lectures mixed with weekly small-group discussions.
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites.
Class assignments and grading
Lectures 4 days per week, supplemented by illustrative films and music of the period under consideration. Weekly discussion sections each Friday. Taken together, the lectures, reading, weekly discussions, and paper assignments aim to enrich students' appreciation of the European past--as well as hone students' ability to think and write analytically about that past.
--section participation and preparation = 15% of overall course grade. --paper #1 (about 5 pages) = 15% of overall course grade. --paper #2 (about 5 pages) = 20% of overall course grade. --midterm exam = 20% of overall course grade. --final exam = 30% of overall course grade.
