HUMN 1039 Modern European History and Politics

This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://hbook.westernsydney.edu.au.

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 102000

Coordinator Margarite Poulos Opens in new window

Description This subject introduces students to the major events and ideas that have shaped Europe in the late modern period. There is a strong focus on the dramatic events of the twentieth century following the demise of empire, and the subsequent rise of competing nationalisms and radical politics. The subject is concerned equally with the cultural and social contexts in which these events occurred. Students will study the diverse ways in which historians have approached the history of the twentieth century from the study of high politics to the focus on daily life. Methodological questions that will be addressed include the relative role of individual agency and of structural constraints in explaining historical change. The subject will encourage students to evaluate the period as a whole, drawing on scholarship which engages the modernity - democracy - violence nexus.

School Humanities & Comm Arts

Discipline History

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

Describe the major themes of modern European politics culture and society;
Discuss the impact of war, dictatorship and revolution on everyday life and the reconstruction of Europe since the demise of multi-ethnic empires and the rise of nationalism;
Place the specific themes within a broader European and global context;
Interpret and critically engage with historical scholarship and evidence;
Identify the variety of ways in which historians approach the past.

Subject Content

This subject may include the following themes:
- Modernity and violence
- nations, nationalism, identity
- colonialism and decolonisation
- Conflict-World Wars, revolutions, revolts, resistance
- Transatlantic relations
- The new Europe
- Genocide
- Fascism, Nazism, Stalinism, totalitarianism
- protest and dissent East and West
- gender, race, class, religion
- national Communisms
- Liberalism
- Cold War
- European integration/ disintegration

Assessment

The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.

Item	Length	Percent	Threshold	Individual/Group Task
Essay	1,500 words	30	N	Individual
Essay	2,000 words	50	N	Individual
Final Exam	48 hours given	20	N	Individual

Prescribed Texts

Hobsbawm, Eric, The Age of Extremes: a history of the world 1914-1991 (London: Vintage, 1994
Mazower, Mark, Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century (London: Penguin, 1999).

Teaching Periods