History 277: Revolutionary Europe: Democracy Rising

The French Revolution undermined the legitimacy of traditional monarchs and terrified elites across Europe.  The industrial “revolution” completely upended the economy, created a new working class, and set off a race for world markets.  From 1789-1871 ideas of liberty, equality, nation, race, merit, and free trade came to define European norms and cultures. Europeans and others carried these outward to much of the world.  From the Fall of the Bastille to the Paris Commune; from Napoleonic Empire to German Second Reich, from nationalism to feminism, this course looks at the ideas and events that established modern European states and capitalist economies as the basis of our world today. Discussion-based with supplementary lectures; assignments include short papers, presentations, and exams.