The French Revolution was a defining episode in modern European history. This course examines the revolutionary period from the end of the Old Regime through to the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. It assesses the origins, development, and significance of the French Revolution and investigates the nature of Napoleonic rule and its impact upon Europe and the wider world. Participants will be introduced to a range of primary sources, including petitions, political speeches, newspapers, memoirs and paintings, and will have the opportunity to explore in-depth such topics as the formation of nation states, the rights of the individual, the Terror, and the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. No knowledge of French is required for this course.
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the origins and development of the French Revolution and Napoleonic rule.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of key historiographical and theoretical interpretations of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods.
- Locate and interpret primary sources to generate insights into the past.
- Analyse primary and secondary sources to construct evidence-based arguments about the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods.
- Evaluate the political, social and cultural legacies of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods for France, Europe and the wider world.
· Tutorial participation (10%) [addressing Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
· 800 word primary source analysis (10%) [addressing Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5]
· 2500 word research essay (40%) [addressing Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5]
· Exam (40%) [addressing Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4,5]
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Workload130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials; and b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed TextsPhilip G. Dwyer and Peter McPhee (eds), The French Revolution and Napoleon: A Sourcebook (London and New York: Routledge, 2012).
Preliminary reading: William Doyle, The Origins of the French Revolution, Third edition (Oxford: OUP, 1999).
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- Student Contribution Band:
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
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