The French Revolution was a defining episode in modern European history. This course examines the revolutionary period from the end of the Old Regime through to the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. It assesses the origins, development, and significance of the French Revolution and investigates the nature of Napoleonic rule and its impact upon Europe and the wider world. Participants will be introduced to a range of primary sources, including petitions, political speeches, newspapers, memoirs and paintings, and will have the opportunity to explore in-depth such topics as the formation of nation states, the rights of the individual, the Terror, and the revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. No knowledge of French is required for this course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- Explain the origins and development of the French Revolution and Napoleonic rule;
- Demonstrate an in-depth appreciation of key historiographical and theoretical interpretations of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods;
- Locate and interpret primary sources to generate insights into the past;
- Analyse primary and secondary sources to construct evidence-based arguments about the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods;
- Evaluate the political, social and cultural legacies of the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods for France, Europe and the wider world; and
- Design and complete a research essay on some aspect of the French Revolution and/or Napoleonic rule.
Indicative Assessment
Tutorial participation (10%) [addresses Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6].2000 word essay (30%) [addresses Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6].
4000 word essay (60%) [addresses Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6].
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorial and tutorial-like activities; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Noah Shusterman, The French Revolution. Faith, desire, and politics (London & New York: Routledge, 2014); Alan Forrest, Napoleon (London: Quercus, 2012); Philip G. Dwyer and Peter McPhee (eds), The French Revolution and Napoleon: a sourcebook (London & New York: Routledge, 2002).Preliminary Reading
Paul R. Hanson, Contesting the French Revolution (Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2009).
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $3840 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $5700 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
