HIST 2084 - Europe in the Making 1890-1933: Culture & Politics

Between 1890 and 1933, the peoples of Europe experienced a world war, revolutions and civil wars, and the rise of dictatorships in Russia, Germany and elsewhere. But this was also a period of spectacular achievements in the fields of the arts, intellectual life, and science. This course explores the epic history of this period from the perspective of some of the prominent individuals who lived through it. Our focus is not just on politics and war. We also explore the culture of the period, gender relations, sexuality, and everyday life. This is not a traditional course. It is a collaborative research project in which students are active participants. Every student chooses an individual historical figure, whose life and career you trace through the great events of the period. You pick your character from a long list of royals, politicians, revolutionaries, artists, musicians, writers, soldiers, explorers, academics, and many more. You conduct research on your character and enter the information you find into a database. We also create digital social network maps of the connections between the characters. The course is designed to be flexible. Depending on your choice of historical character, you can specialise in the history of a particular country (e.g. Britain, France, Germany, Russia) and a particular kind of history (e.g. social, cultural, political, military). By pooling our knowledge of specific individuals, we will build up a broader picture of what it meant to live through this amazing period of European history.