Rebellion & Belonging in French History & Politics 1789-2017

Catalog description

The French Revolution of 1789 will launch this survey of the major events that led to the construction of Modern France. Since the Revolutions outbreak, observers have debated several key questions: What is the legacy of the French Enlightenment? What were the causes of the French Revolution? How did the Napoleonic conquests raise resistance in European societies while creating a new social order? In what ways was the Haussmann architectural reforms of Paris a response to the culture of the barricade? Was the Paris Commune a pre-communist movement? Who were the heroes of the Rsistance during World War II and how did their ideals and struggles shape a new role model for the post-war generations? We will also examine the cultural changes that led to the end of the De Gaulle era, the Mai 68 uprising, the sexual revolution, and the adhesion of France to a new and peaceful European ideal. Was the 2017 presidential election a democratic reaction against the traditional two-party system? In this class, we will interrogate over two centuries of French history since 1789, reading across the disciplines. (NOTE: This course is part of the UNYLC Foreign Language Consortium. THIS COURSE IS ONLINE. Host School is: Canisius. PLEASE SEE THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE FOR A REGISTRATION FORM AND GUIDELINES).