Very sorry everyone for the delay on putting this online. Here is the second prompt, on Mazower’s Dark Continent:
In Dark Continent, Mark Mazower argues that the triumph of democracy in Europe was contingent, almost accidental. In what ways did other forces and ideologies attempt to solve the same problems as democracy? Why were they not (as) successful? In laying out your argument, draw examples from both the pre- and post-WWII period and refer to lessons in both western and eastern Europe.
Especially appropriate since we’re approaching World War II in our course, students may be interested to know that Kenyon will host an event featuring veterans of the Tuskegee airmen on Wednesday, March 27:
GAMBIER, Ohio (March 13, 2013)
Veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen, who served with distinction during World War II, will visit Kenyon on Wednesday, March 27, to discuss their experiences as fighter pilots in the segregated U.S. Army Air Forces.
“All blood runs red,” said Don Elder, 84, of Columbus, Ohio, a member of the Ohio Memorial Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. “We proved that we were all young, patriotic, red-blooded American boys. We went out and did our job without any expectations of any recognition or fanfare. We just did what was right for our country.”
The public is encouraged to attend the free event – “The Tuskegee Airmen: Proving There’s Only One Race” – at 4:15 p.m. at the Bolton Theater. At least three veteran airmen will join Lydia Winkler ’13, who will host the event that includes a short video introduction of the group.
Eric Hobsbawm’s The Age of Revolution describes the process and results of the “dual revolution” of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century. According to Hobsbawm, this revolution — comprising the “more political French and the industrial (British) revolution” (2) — represented “the triumph not of ‘industry’ as such, but of capitalist industry; not of liberty and equality in general but of middle class or ‘bourgeois‘ liberal society; not of ‘the modern economy’ or ‘the modern state’, but of the economies and states in a particular geographical region of the world” (1).
Using evidence drawn from Hobsbawm and at least three of our primary source readings, write a short (3-5 page) essay that presents an argument in which you agree or disagree with Hobsbawm’s statement. Had “capitalist industry” and “middle class society” triumphed by the middle of the nineteenth century? What about conservatism, socialism, and nationalism? How did these various ways of seeing the world shape the society that emerged in the wake of the dual revolution? In answering this question, be sure to provide an adequate definition of the relevant terms, while considering the ways in which both the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution provided not only the means by which liberalism would emerge triumphant, but also the means through which that triumph could and would be challenged. Do not feel the need to answer every question posed; instead, use the questions to stimulate an original argument of your own that assesses the outcomes of the dual revolution.
Your essay should present a clearly defined thesis statement that is then supported by evidence drawn from any of the course readings. You are NOT permitted to use outside research. Your essay should utilize a citation method. If you choose to use parenthetical citations, remember to include a bibliography. Essays should be double-spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman with 1″ margins all around. Essays are due by 5:00p on Friday, March 1 by e-mail.
Those of you who were interested in the relationship between the Pope and the state of Italy may be interested in this report from Reuters describing some of the reasons why Pope Benedict will remain at the Vatican following his retirement:
That would continue to provide him immunity under the provisions of the Lateran Pacts while he is in the Vatican and even if he makes jaunts into Italy as a Vatican citizen.
The 1929 Lateran Pacts between Italy and the Holy See, which established Vatican City as a sovereign state, said Vatican City would be “invariably and in every event considered as neutral and inviolable territory”.
There have been repeated calls for Benedict’s arrest over sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
This semester we will be reading Eric Hobsbawm’s The Age of Revolution
Eric Hobsbawm passed away last year and Mark Mazower wrote an obituary for the Guardian. Here is an excerpt:
Rereading those books [the Age tetralogy] it is hard not to be overwhelmed by Hobsbawm’s skill. One of the hardest things for a historian is to make an argument readable; he does it better than anyone. Not for Hobsbawm, the turn to narrative, the urge to tell stories. He had plenty of his own. But his histories are about trends, social forces, large-scale change over vast distances. Telling that kind of history in a way that is as compelling as a detective story is a real challenge of style and composition: in the tetralogy, Hobsbawm shows how to do it.
I’ll be interested to know whether you agree or disagree with Mazower’s assessment after we finish with Age of Revolution.
I will be using the rubric provided by the Association of American Colleges and Universities to assess final presentations. The rubric will be provided as a handout on the first day of class, is available from their website, and in the menu to the right under “handouts.”
This is the home page for History 132: Modern Europe, being taught in the Spring 2013 Semester at Kenyon College. Here, students will find the syllabus, due dates, and other resources relevant to the course.