Module description
This module examines modern French political, social, and cultural history between 1914 and 1968. It will focus on the major events and crises of the twentieth century, including the First World War, the Popular Front, Vichy, decolonisation, the collapse of the Fourth Republic, and the events of May 1968. Explanations for the polarisation and volatility of political life will be sought in the longstanding conflicts over the legacy of the French Revolution, the particular features of French economic development, and the relationship between the French state and historical actors – both internal and external – that entered into conflict with it.
Assessment details
Assessed coursework of 1500-2000 words worth 25% submitted during the semester and a 2 hour exam (75%) at the end of the module.
Educational aims & objectives
To provide students with an understanding of key events in modern French history, as well as the broader socio-economic, political, and cultural developments of the period. To develop students’ ability to marshal information from a variety of sources, particularly those in French. To assess key historiographical debates and developments in twentieth-century French history in a clear and concise manner. To present their own arguments in a well-structured form, both in class and in their written submissions.
Teaching pattern
Two classes per week (a lecture and a seminar).
Suggested reading list
- E. Chabal, France (Polity, 2020).
- A. Conklin, S. Fishman, and R. Zaretsky (eds.), France and its Empire, 2nd edn (OUP, 2014).
- T. Stovall, Transnational France: The Modern History of a Universal Nation (Routledge, 2015).
Other materials will be available to students via KEATS.