This course will focus on the history of France, from the late-eighteenth century until the early nineteenth century.  Though a relatively short time-span, the events of this era were of crucial importance in determining the future trajectories not only of France, but of all of Europe and, to a lesser though still significant extent, the entire world.  Though the course will span the period from the “Old Regime” (France before 1789) until 1815, the bulk of the course will focus on the period from 1789 through 1794.

The following are the readings for the semester. “Baker” refers to Keith Michael Baker, ed. The Old Regime and the French Revolution, a primary source reader. “Popkin” refers to Jeremy Popkin, A Short History of the French Revolution. You should have both of those books. All other texts listed will be available on-line, either directly (as a .pdf) or as a link (often via JSTOR.org)

*Note that some more readings will be added, and that every week – or almost every week – will have at least some readings, though the reading load as a whole will be reasonable.

Week 1

Introduction; The Enlightenment and the French Revolution

Week 2

Topic: The Old Regime and the Pre-Revolutionary Crisis

Readings – Primary: Baker, 154-199

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 1-22

Week 3

Topic: 1789

Readings – Primary: Baker, 208-239

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 23-43; Alpaugh, “A Self-Defining Bourgeoisie in the Early French Revolution”

Week 4

Topic: The Liberal Revolution and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Readings – Primary: Baker, 240-242

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 43-47; Scott, “Problems of Law and Order during 1790, the ‘Peaceful’ Year of the French Revolution”

Week 5

Topic: Varennes and its aftermath

Readings – Primary: Baker, 270-286

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 47-55; Tackett, When the King Took Flight (selections)

Week 6

Topic: Meanwhile, in San Domingue

Readings – Primary: Mason and Rizzo, 105-109, 120-123, 208-214

Readings – Secondary: Ghachem, “Slavery and Citizenship in the Age of the Atlantic Revolutions”

Week 7

Topic: The Summer of ’92

Readings – Primary: Baker, 287-302

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 55-63

Week 8

Topic: Girondins vs. Montagnards

Readings – Primary: Baker, 307-312;

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 63-67; Shusterman, “All of his Power Lies in the Distaff”

Week 9

Topic: France against itself: The Vendee and the Federalist Revolt

Readings – Primary: Mason and Rizzo, 218-220

Readings – Secondary: Michelet, “Women, Priests, and the Vendee”

Week 10

Topic: The Start of the Terror

Readings – Primary: Baker, 331-353

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 68-75

Week 11

Topic: Peak-Terror and post-Terror

Readings – Primary: Baker, 353-362; 369-384

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 75-79; Colin Jones, “9 Thermidor: Cinderella among Revolutionary Journées”

Week 12

Topic: Thermidor and Brumaire

Readings – Primary: Mason and Rizzo, 263-275; 288-296; 320-328

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 80-93; de Tocqueville, The Old Regime and the French Revolution, selections.

Week 13

Topic: Napoleon

Readings – Primary: Baker, 408-415;423-427

Readings – Secondary: Popkin, 94-118

Please note that the requirements and assignments will likely change some, depending on the number of students who enroll in the course.

The requirements for this course are as follows:

1. TUTORIALS

20% of the final grade.

2. TESTS

There will be three tests over the course of the semester, each will be worth 15% of your final grade. Tests will be at the beginning of class, but might not always take up the entire class period. Anything that we have covered – in lectures, in presentations, in readings – is fair game for these tests.

3. PRIMARY TEXT ASSIGNMENT

To be explained, though for now, just know that these are like essays, but somewhat easier. 15% of your final grade.

4. PRESENTATION

Class size permitting, each student will give a 5-minute presentation on either a region of France or a participant in the French Revolution. 10% of your final grade.

5. TAKE-HOME EXAM

10% of your final grade.

TBA

COURSE TEXTBOOK 

-Jeremy Popkin, A Short History of the French Revolution

There will also be a fair number of on-line readings, which are marked with two asterisks (**)

请注意大学有关学术著作诚信的政策和规则，及适用于犯规事例的纪律指引和程序。详情可浏览此处。

学生递交作业时，必须连同已签署的声明一并提交，表示他们知道有关政策、规则、指引及程序。

• 如属小组习作，则所有组员均须签署声明；所有组员 (不论有否签署声明及不论有否直接或间接撰写有问题的内容) 均须负上集体责任及受到惩处。
• 如作业以电脑制作、内容以文字为主，并经由大学「维诚」系统 (VeriGuide) 提交者，学生将作业的电子档案上载到系统后，便会获得收据，收据上已列明有关声明。
• 学生充分知悉到他们的作业可能会被人工智能内容检测软件审查，以确定其原创性。
• 学生充分知悉科目中采用人工智能工具的做法。在经允许下使用某些人工智能工具的情况下，学生已按照科目老师的指示明确注明出处和引文。

未有夹附签署妥当的声明的作业，老师将不予批阅。

学生只须提交作业的最终版本。

学生将作业或作业的一部份用于超过一个用途 (例如：同时符合两科的要求) 而没有作出声明会被视为未有声明重复使用作业。 学生重复使用其著作的措辞或某一、二句句子很常见，并可以接受，惟重复使用全部内容则构成问题。在任何情况下，须先获得相关老师同意方可提交作业。

由大学职员/老师制作的教学材料，包括课堂笔记、作业及考试题目等，其版权属香港中文大学拥有；学生可从大学采用的网上教学系统 (例如Blackboard) 下载由大学职员/老师制作的教学材料供其学习使用；惟未经相关职员/老师事先同意下，不得分发/分享/复制这些材料予第三者。