Modern Europe – HIEU 390

Course Description

This course provides an in-depth study of the development of Modern Europe, from the turn of the 20th century to the political and social upheavals of the Cold War, focusing on political, military, intellectual, and economic developments.

Rationale

This period witnessed the apogee of European power in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth- centuries and its collapse in the world wars, after which Europe experienced significant upheavals in the Cold War. Analyzing these conditions and events, including the reordering of the balance of power caused by the rise of the German Empire, overseas colonial expansion, the changes wrought by industrialization, the trauma of the Great War, the worldwide Depression of the 1930s, the Holocaust, and the challenges of the Cold War, is crucial to our understanding of current conditions in Europe as well as the larger world. This course will most benefit the student whose focus of study is on European history.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete two Discussions throughout this course. The student is required to provide an initial thread in response to the provided topic for each discussion. Each initial thread is to be 300 words in length and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the initial thread, the student is required to reply to two other classmates’ threads. Each reply should be 150 words. Each thread must include at least 2 scholarly citations in Turabian format.

In this course, the student will work directly with primary sources to develop his/her skills with primary source literacy. The student will select a primary source corresponding to the content of the week. After selecting a resource, the student will complete the attached form in its entirety and submit his/her updated form in the week that it is due. 

In this course, the student will be engaging in a research project. In doing so, the student needs to define his/her own topic and thesis to make sure he/she has a clear and concise concept. This is a crucial first step in the research process as all other decisions are made in framing the research question and developing a thesis. In this assignment, the student will start to build the background research for this later research paper. This assignment must be at least 300 words and contain 2 citations and 2 sources.

Video is a common medium through which to communicate research and information. In an increasingly digitized world, using video is ubiquitous as a communication tool. To that end, the student will present his/her research question and topic in a video format. He/she will use video skills as well as historical skills to present a clear and concise pitch to pursue later research. Video will feature further development of the research question and the substance of the topic. The video should be 3 minutes at minimum (5 minute maximum), not counting required title or end cards.

For the annotated bibliography assignment, the student will find four primary and four secondary sources that are connected to his/her thesis question he/she will be evaluating for his/her research project. As this is part of the process of being familiar with his/her research, the student will summarize the work and explain how it will be useful to his/her research. Each source will require an annotation of 100-150 words each. Student will also submit the final version of their research question for final approval before going to the final research paper.

This course features a final project of a research paper. Many of the projects in this course lead and build to the research paper to build the student's confidence in skills of researching like a historian. The research paper will feature the refined thesis from the student, a historiographical analysis of some major thinkers, a defense and analysis of the proposed thesis with inclusion of primary sources, and a conclusion. This is a hallmark of the historian's craft to develop a clear and well defended thesis and interpretation. This assignment will be 8-10 pages (not including
bibliography, citations, or cover page), use 5 primary and 5 secondary sources, and include at least 10 citations in current Turabian format.

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the Module: Week in which it is assigned. Each quiz/exam will be open-book/open-notes, contain 32 multiple-choice and fill-in-the blank questions, and have a 1 hour time limit.