BA Modern History (V140)

Course Code UNU1V140301
Duration 3 Years
Attendance Full Time
Award Degree of Bachelor of Arts

Overview
Why Choose Us
Requirements
Course Profile
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Overview

Modern history is a major area within the School and this degree is one of our most popular. It allows you to specialise in the history of Britain, Europe and the Americas from 1789 to the present day. Like our History degree (V100), it also enables you to follow the full range of types of history on offer at UEA. You can also select from appropriate modules in other Schools if you wish. In the first and second year, students wishing to build on their interest in contemporary history can take complementary modules in international relations and politics.

Assessment

Key skills, issues and ideas are introduced in lectures given by all members of faculty. More specialist study is undertaken in small group seminars. These are chosen from a range offered within the School and across the University. You will also spend time studying and researching in the library or carrying out practical work or projects. In most subject areas, you are assessed at the end of each year on the basis of coursework and, in some cases, project and examination results. In your final year, you will write a dissertation on a topic of your choice and with the advice of tutors. There is no final examination. Your final degree result is determined by the marks you receive in years two and three.

Course Organiser

Dr Lawrence Butler

Course Brochure

View Course Brochure

Related Courses

Entry Requirements

Qualification BA (Hons)
A Level AAB including grade B in History
International Baccalaureate 33 points including grade 6 in History
Scottish Highers At least one Advanced Higher preferred in addition to Highers
Scottish Advanced Highers AAB including grade B in History
Irish Leaving Certificate AAAABB
Access Course Please contact the university for further information
HND Please contact the university for further information
European Baccalaureate 80%

Students for whom English is a foreign language

If English is not your first language you must have a recognised English Language qualification: Minimum IELTS 6.5 with a 6 in each sub-section, or TOEFL 585 (238 CBT / 93 IBT). Please contact us for more information about other qualifications that we may consider.

Interviews

The majority of candidates will not be called for an interview. However, for some students an interview will be requested. These are normally quite informal and generally cover topics such as your current studies, reasons for choosing the course and your personal interests and extra-curricular activities.

Students will have the opportunity to meet with an academic on a Visit Day in order to gain a deeper insight into the course(s) you have applied for.

Gap Year

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year.

We also welcome applications for deferred entry, believing that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry and may wish to contact the appropriate Admissions Office directly to discuss this further.

Special Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to have a grade B or above in A Level History (or equivalent qualification).

Intakes

The School's annual intake is in September of each year.

Alternative Qualifications

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact university directly for further information.

GCSE Offer

Students are required have Mathematics and English at Grade C or above at GCSE Level.

Assessment

For the majority of candidates the most important factors in assessing the application will be past and future achievement in examinations, academic interest in the subject being applied for, personal interest and extra-curricular activities and the confidential reference. We consider applicants as individuals and accept students from a very wide range of educational backgrounds and spend time considering your application in order to reach an informed decision relating to your application. Typical offers are indicated above. Please note, there may be additional subject entry requirements specific to individual degree courses.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3

Year 1

Compulsory Study (60 credits)

Students will select 60 credits from the following module(s).

Name	Code	Credits	Period
Introduction to Early Modern Studies This module introduces key themes in early modern history: witchcraft, gender, rebellion, religious conflict, the reformation, warfare, state formation and other key aspects of the period 1500-1750. more...	HIS-1A15	20	Semester 1
Introduction to Modern History This module provides a wide-ranging introduction to the political, social and economic transformation of Britain and Europe from the early nineteenth century to the First World War. Among the themes it considers are industrialisation and its impact; revolution and reform; nationalism and imperialism; gender and society; great power relations; the impact of war and the collapse of the old Europe in 1917-18. more...	HIS-1A19	20	Semester 1
The Holocaust in History In the last twenty years there has been a sustained and remarkable growth of historical and public interest in the `Holocaust'. The proliferation of academic work on all aspects of the history of the Holocaust, accompanied more recently by a burgeoning scholarship on genocide in general, has been matched by an enormous output of `private' and `public' history, from memoirs and recollections by `survivors' to films and documentaries, websites of all kinds and the official commemoration of the Holocaust in museums, exhibitions and days of remembrance. The Holocaust has thus been transformed from a specialised branch field of historical enquiry into a contemporary cultural phenomenon. This module encourages you to reflect critically on this phenomenon by setting the history of the Holocaust into its wider context. This will involve study of: the history of the persecution of the Jews since the Middle Ages; the changing nature of antisemitism in Europe over the centuries; the emergence of a racial-political antisemitism at the end of the 19th century; the impact of the First World War on attitudes to minorities and on the propensity for more violent assertions of nationhood; Nazi practices of isolation, Aryanisation, deportation and ghettoisation; the German war of racial annihilation in the East and the implementation of the `Final Solution'; the experience, motivations and psychology of the `ordinary' perpetrator; the testimony of those who survived the Holocaust; the relationship of the Holocaust to other genocides; the challenges of representing and teaching the Holocaust. The module will therefore enable you to reflect more widely on what history is, how we do it, and why we do it; on the methods one can use, the questions one can ask, the variety of sources one can tackle and why history matters. more...	HIS-1A26	20	Semester 2

Option A Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following module(s).

Name	Code	Credits	Period
History and the Environment This module is designed to provide a wide-ranging introduction to environmental and landscape history both for first year history students and those from other schools. It will examine the historical dimensions of a number of contemporary issues, such as conservation, pollution and globalization and it will also introduce students to the sources for landscape and environmental history. The module is taught by weekly lectures and by field trips to a variety of landscapes in the region. more...	HIS-1A24	20	Semester 2
Introduction to Medieval History This module is designed to provide an introduction to medieval history both for first year historians and students from other schools. It surveys the history of medieval Europe, including England, from c.1000 to c1300, and also examines some archaeology, literature, art, and architecture from the period. The module also aims to introduce students to a range of primary sources, including some of the physical remains to be found in East Anglia. more...	HIS-1A13	20	Semester 1
Witchcraft, Magic and Belief in Early Modern Europe This module examines the history of early modern Europe through the history of witchcraft, witch-beliefs, and especially witchcraft prosecutions after 1500. Through learned demonology and folk traditions, we explore the development of the idea of the witch, and see how during the turbulent era of the Reformation this thinking translated into legal trials and, occasionally some savage witch-panics. We look in detail at subjects such as gender, fear and anxiety, state building, and scepticism, ranging across early modern Britain, continental Europe and colonial America. more...	HIS-1A22	20	Semester 2

Option B Study (40 credits)

Students will select 40 credits from the following module(s).

Name	Code	Credits	Period
Containing Multitudes: American History II This module continues where Containing Multitudes I leaves off and tracks the historical narrative through from the end of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century, covering industrialisation and America's emergence as a world power, the Progressive era, the New Deal, the Cold War and its legacy, and the impact of the dramatic changes of the 1960s. Students attend a weekly seminar and an associated lecture series. more...	AMSA1F04	20	Semester 2
Global Politics 1 This module introduces students to the study of global politics. It outlines the architecture, actors and history of the international system. It introduces students to the core theoretical approaches to understanding the dynamics of global politics, such as Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism and Critical Perspectives. It also introduces a number of core concepts for making sense of global politics, including sovereignty, the balance of power, international law, security and globalization. more...	PSI-1A11	20	Semester 1
Global Politics 2 This module focuses on particular controversies and debates within contemporary global politics. It can be taken as a stand-alone module, and it also builds upon the conceptual frameworks of Global Politics I. It takes in debates related to security and power, such as US decline, the rise of China, and nuclear proliferation. It looks at transnational problems such as global governance, the global environment and global poverty. It engages with ethical debates and controversies surrounding the transformation of the international system, such as the future of the EU, humanitarian intervention, democratization and the transformation of the state and political community. more...	PSI-1A10	20	Semester 2
History and the Environment This module is designed to provide a wide-ranging introduction to environmental and landscape history both for first year history students and those from other schools. It will examine the historical dimensions of a number of contemporary issues, such as conservation, pollution and globalization and it will also introduce students to the sources for landscape and environmental history. The module is taught by weekly lectures and by field trips to a variety of landscapes in the region. more...	HIS-1A24	20	Semester 2
Introduction to Contemporary Politics This module introduces students to some of the key contemporary debates and issues in the disciplines of Politics and International Relations. The central theme of the module is liberal democracy, its nature, scope and potential strengths and weaknesses. We consider forces which have had an impact upon western liberal democracy ' such as globalisation and the media ' and examine case studies which illustrate the success and failure of liberal democracy in practice. The case studies change from year to year, but currently include Weimar Germany, Northern Ireland, Britain and the Middle East. more...	PSI-1A02	20	Semester 2
Introduction to Medieval History This module is designed to provide an introduction to medieval history both for first year historians and students from other schools. It surveys the history of medieval Europe, including England, from c.1000 to c1300, and also examines some archaeology, literature, art, and architecture from the period. The module also aims to introduce students to a range of primary sources, including some of the physical remains to be found in East Anglia. more...	HIS-1A13	20	Semester 1
Social and Political Theory This module introduces students to the fundamentals of modern social and political thought by means of in-depth study of key texts by leading thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth century. An emphasis is placed on classical social theory and liberal political theory as well as more recent departures from those traditions. Students will have an opportunity to read and discuss major works of social theory by Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Pierre Bourdieu, and of political theory by J. S. Mill, John Rawls, Robert Nozick, and Iris Marion Young. more...	PSI-1A01	20	Semester 1
Witchcraft, Magic and Belief in Early Modern Europe This module examines the history of early modern Europe through the history of witchcraft, witch-beliefs, and especially witchcraft prosecutions after 1500. Through learned demonology and folk traditions, we explore the development of the idea of the witch, and see how during the turbulent era of the Reformation this thinking translated into legal trials and, occasionally some savage witch-panics. We look in detail at subjects such as gender, fear and anxiety, state building, and scepticism, ranging across early modern Britain, continental Europe and colonial America. more...	HIS-1A22	20	Semester 2

Year 2

Option A Study (40 credits)

Students will select 40 credits from the following module(s).

Name	Code	Credits	Period
Heritage and Public History Public history is history in the public sphere, whether in museums and galleries, heritage sites and historic houses, radio and television broadcasting, film, popular history books, or public policy within government. In the UK, it is a new and burgeoning area of academic interest and debate. The central challenge and task of public history is making history relevant and accessible to its audience of people outside academia, whilst adhering to an academically credible historical method. This module explores the theory and practice of public history in heritage, broadcasting and publication. The first half of the module considers the principles of visitor interpretation, museology and curatorship, asking questions such as, how is the past used? What is authenticity? What decisions are made in the presentation and interpretation of museums and historic houses? Must public ' or popular ' history mean `dumbing down', or can we satisfy the public's curiosity about the past in a way that also satisfies us as historians? The second half of the module seriously engages with the challenge of how to represent history in television documentaries, radio broadcasts, mainstream cinema, in the making of public policy, and as popular history or historical fiction. Outside speakers ' chosen from curators, interpreters, producers, and popular historians and broadcasters ' will lecture as part of this course. The course will also involve a field trip to Hampton Court Palace. more...	HISH2H05	20	Semester 1
Imperial Russian and Soviet History, 1861-1945 This module examines some of the main themes in Russian history between the Emancipation of the Serfs and the outbreak of the Second World War. We will look at the nature of industrialisation and the peasant economy, the autocracy and its fall in 1917, the revolutionary movement and the nationalities question. We will then examine how the Revolution of 1917 changed the state and the ways in which the Communists attempted to change society before 1929. We conclude by examining the country during the era of the five year plans and the impact of the Stalinist system on the Soviet Union before the outbreak of world war. more...	HISH2D89	20	Semester 1
Medicine and Society in Modern Britain This module considers the practice of medicine in Britain from the eighteenth century to the establishment of the NHS. Themes include the impact of science and professions, the organisation and control aspects of medical and hospital services and healthcare as seen by sufferers and patients. These are seen in the context of broader topics in modern British social history. more...	HISH2B96	20	Semester 2
Modern Germany, 1914-1990 The history of few countries is as dramatic as that of modern Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries. This module will focus on themes such as: the making and re-making of the German nation; the political consequences of Germany's transformation into an industrial superpower; Germany's role in the origins of the war in 1914; the problems confronting Weimar democracy; the relationship of the German people to Hitler's regime; the rise and decline of the Nazi empire in Europe; and the impact of Nazism on the German nation since 1945. more...	HISH2D53	20	Semester 1
Modern Italy, 1860-1945 This module studies the social, political and economic history of Italy from its unification in 1860 until the end of the Second World War. It will begin by looking at the process of unification, the difficulties encountered in governing the new nation-state and the problems of uneven social and economic modernisation. The module then focuses on the First World War and the rise of Fascism after 1918, before assessing the nature of Mussolini's regime and the reasons for its downfall. more...	HISH2E08	20	Semester 2
Napoleon to Stalin: the Struggle for Mastery in Europe This module deals with the rivalries of the Great Powers from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the onset of the Cold War. We shall be examining topics such as the Vienna system; the Crimean War; Italian and German unification, the origins of the First and Second World Wars and the start of the Cold War. more...	HISH2D02	20	Semester 2
The British Empire, 1857-1956 This module surveys the history of the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century to the Suez Crisis, seeking to explain the Empire's growth and the early stages of its contraction. It examines the nature and impact of British colonial rule, at the political, economic and social/cultural levels, addressing the development of the 'settler' colonies/Dominions, the special significance of India and the implications of the 'New Imperialism'. Problems to be considered include theories of 'development' and 'collaboration', the growth of resistance and nationalism, and Britain's responses to these, and the impacts of the two World Wars and the Cold War on Britain's Imperial system. more...	HISH2B74	20	Semester 2
The Duchess of Devonshire to Nancy Astor: Women, Power and Politics This module explores female involvement in politics, from the Duchess of Devonshire's infamous activities in the 1784 Westminster election until 1919, when Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons. It will examine topics including the early feminists, aristocratic female politicians, radical politics and the suffragettes. It will investigate the changes and continuities with female engagement with the political process from the eighteenth century through to the twentieth century. more...	HISH2H12	20	Semester 2
The Power of the Past How do communities collectively remember the past? Through public memorials? Through historical fiction? Through published memoirs? Through ritual? How have various governments used the past to validate their policies? The module looks at the relationship between history and memory ' both academic and non-academic. It is assessed on the basis of a 2,000 word essay and a4,000 word project, which you design with help and advice from the module organiser. The lectures cover a wide range of topics ' but because this is a coursework based module, you are not expected to become an expert on every subject! The idea of lectures is to raise ideas and concepts, as well as to deliver historical information about the ways in which the past has been used, abused, hidden and explored by a variety of differing societies, cultures and states. The lectures are based around case-studies, each of which explores a wider theme (e.g., state repression of memory, gender and memory; memory and ward; etc). These include; history and the state in modern Europe; working class memory, war and memory in the 20th Century, memory, forgetting and the Spanish civil war; post-war Britain and wartime memories; racism, national identity and memory in modern Australia; the internet and history, popular memory in early modern Europe; the uses of the past in Nazi Germany; peasant memory in Latin America. Particular use is made of Web resources and in the first few weeks we will be looking at contemporary uses of the past in the print and electronic media. After that, the focus will be on thinking through your own project through group work and individual advice. more...	HISH2E02	20	Semester 2
The Rise and Fall of British Power This module examines Britain's expansion and decline as a great power, from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the 1950s. It considers the foundations of British power, the emergence of rivals, Britain's relationship with the European powers and the USA, and the impact of two World Wars and Cold War. It investigates the reasons for Britain's changing fortunes, as it moved from guarding the balance of power to losing its empire. more...	HISH2B57	20	Semester 1
Twentieth-Century Britain, 1914 to the Present This module offers an in-depth history of Britain from the Great War to the present day, both through the study of political life and also by assessing the impact of economic, social and cultural change. There are opportunities to re-evaluate issues such as the impact of war on society, `landmark' General Elections such as those of 1945 and 1979, the rise of consumer society, post-colonialism, the sexual revolution, the politics of immigration, unrest in Northern Ireland, as well as Britain's changing role in the world. more...	HISH2G01	20	Semester 1
Victorian Britain This module will examine the leading themes in British history during Victoria's reign (1837-1901). It will include political, social, economic, religious, urban, gender and intellectual topics. more...	HISH2B73	20	Semester 1
War and Peace Since 1945 This module analyses the use and non-use of force in inter-state relations. It first asks why wars occur between states and examines the political, legal and ethical constraints on military action. We then consider peaceful alternatives and civil society. The themes include: the causes of wars; the history of warfare; the Cold War; nuclear strategy and arms control; the laws of war; peace theories; UN peacekeeping; disarmament, and non-violent resistance more...	HISH2G02	20	Semester 2

Option B Study (40 credits)

Students will select 40 credits from the following module(s).

You may pick any of the modules that begin with:

AMSA2H

Modern Times: America Between the Wars, 1918-1941 "Modern Times" explores the turbulent years of boom and bust between the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. The work includes consideration of the growth of modern urban mass culture, the impact of the Russian Revolution upon US politics, life during the Great Depression, the significance of the New Deal and American perspectives on the rise of Fascism in Europe. The political and social ideas of the era are a key focus of the work and students will investigate the reactionary politics of the Ku Klux Klan, the radical "Popular Front" of the Communist Party, the populist challenge of "Kingfish" Huey P. Long and, of course, the Democratic Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. more...	AMSA2H38	20	Semester 2
Contemporary US Foreign Policy and International Affairs The aim of this module is to introduce students to issues in recent American foreign policy for the most part since the end of the Cold War, though with some reference where appropriate to earlier periods and events. We also examine institutional and political processes in policy-making. The module draws on the disciplines of history, political science and international relations to develop historical awareness along with an understanding of the workings of American political institutions in their international context. more...	AMSA2H41	20	Semester 1
America and Vietnam This module examines the involvement of the United States in Vietnam, from the Second World War to the Paris Peace Accords of 1973. Focusing on the main period of US entanglement, 1963-1973, it uses documents, historical studies, film, and literary texts to illuminate the American experience in Vietnam and its domestic repercussions. more...	AMSA2H01	20	Semester 1
Gender and Sexuality in the New Republic This module examines the social construction of gender and sexuality within the United States during the period 1789-1861. It will trace the emerging gendered discourses of the post-revolutionary period, and address their significance to the formation of an American identity during this period. It will also focus upon the ways in which discourses of gender and sexuality interacted with those of race, class and ethnicity. A particular focus will be placed on the competing and contradictory identities that emerged in the northern and southern states, and the course will explore the possible reasons for, and consequences of these differences. more...	AMSA2H06	20	Semester 2
Native Americans This seminar will study Native Americans within the broad context of American history, although the cultures of individual tribes will also be examined. Brief attention will be paid to pre-colonial times, but the main emphasis will be on the period after the white man's arrival. more...	AMSA2H15	20	Semester 1
New York City: History and Culture in the 20th Century This module will explore the history and culture of New York City in the 20th century. The readings, lectures, and discussions will concentrate on ethnic identity, the civil rights movement, public art, political and social conflict, urban development, film, architecture, and literature. The course will also examine why New Yorkers pay inordinate attention to their neighbourhoods and how this emphasis on place has racial and ethnic implications. more...	AMSA2H10	20	Semester 2
The Cold War and American Culture This module explores the way in which American society and culture was shaped during the years of the Cold War, the tense standoff between the two 'superpowers' between the end of World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The work includes consideration of the key events, issues, and concepts in the history of the Cold War, from the division of Europe and the Marshall Plan, the emergence of the Truman Doctrine, the impact of the Chinese Revolution, through the Cuban missile crisis, the period of detente in the 1970s and the chilling of US-Soviet relations during the 'second Cold War' of the early 1980s. Particular attention is given to the impact of those events in the USA, upon the ways in which Cold War anxieties were represented ' and, also, the ways in which anxieties about American society became meshed in the Cold War. Discussion will range across issues from the bomb and the space race to the family, gender, and race. Throughout, particular use will be made of visual sources and film. more...	AMSA2H44	20	Semester 2
Race and Racism in the USA This seminar will explore the origins and continued role in American culture of the idea of race. Where did the concept of race come from? And to what uses has it been put by various groups within America's pluralistic society? Restricted to students on programmes in American History or Literature, or who have previously done modules on race. Not available to first year students. more...	AMSA2H32	20	Semester 2
Protesting the American Century: Dissent and US Foreign Policy The module considers dissent and protest vis-??-vis US foreign relations during what was famously termed the `American Century'. It looks at how dissenting voices ' from government officials, military officers, intellectuals, spies, citizen groups, and whistleblowers ' have challenged the status quo from 1898 to the present. Analysing the connections with other protest movements at home, it explores how opposition to unjust US policies abroad is considered a quintessential American characteristic. It looks at the writings and activities of a wide range of political figures, activists, and writers, including George Kennan, Walter Lippmann, Seymour Hersh, Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Philip Agee, as well as the emergence of classified material into the public domain such as the Pentagon Papers and WikiLeaks State Department cables. Finally, it considers the effort to oppose and, in some cases, silence critical voices. more...	AMSA2H13	20	Semester 1

HISH2

Reformation to Revolution This module examines three centuries of European history connecting two unprecedented revolutionary epochs: the Reformation of the sixteenth century and the American and French revolutions at the end of the early modern era. We will look at key themes and movements in these centuries, including the politics of the Reformation; the Mediterranean work of the Ottomans and Habsburg Spain; the Dutch Golden Age; the great political and religious struggles of the seventeenth century, including wars in the British Isles, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Baltic; the Russia of the Romanov czars and Peter the Great; the growth of centralised states and absolutism in France, Prussia and Austria; the Enlightenment; the rise of the Atlantic economies; and the challenge to the Old Regime from revolutionary politics. more...	HISH2H01	20	Semester 1
From Agincourt to Bosworth: England in the Wars of the Roses This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B18 FROM AGINCOURT TO BOSWORTH: ENGLAND IN THE WARS OF THE ROSES and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B18C	20	Semester 2
War and Peace Since 1945 This module analyses the use and non-use of force in inter-state relations. It first asks why wars occur between states and examines the political, legal and ethical constraints on military action. We then consider peaceful alternatives and civil society. The themes include: the causes of wars; the history of warfare; the Cold War; nuclear strategy and arms control; the laws of war; peace theories; UN peacekeeping; disarmament, and non-violent resistance more...	HISH2G02	20	Semester 2
War and Peace Since 1945 This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2G02C WAR AND PEACE SINCE 1945 and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2G02C	20	Semester 2
The British Empire, 1857-1956 This module surveys the history of the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century to the Suez Crisis, seeking to explain the Empire's growth and the early stages of its contraction. It examines the nature and impact of British colonial rule, at the political, economic and social/cultural levels, addressing the development of the 'settler' colonies/Dominions, the special significance of India and the implications of the 'New Imperialism'. Problems to be considered include theories of 'development' and 'collaboration', the growth of resistance and nationalism, and Britain's responses to these, and the impacts of the two World Wars and the Cold War on Britain's Imperial system. more...	HISH2B74	20	Semester 2
The British Empire, 1857-1956 This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B74 THE BRITISH EMPIRE and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B74C	20	Semester 2
Norman and Plantagenet England, 1066-1307 This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B12 NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET ENGLAND, 1066-1307 and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B12C	20	Semester 2
Early Medieval Europe This module focuses on the geographical area covered by the Carolingian Empire - that is, the modern territorial units of France, Germany, Italy, and the Benelux countries. It begins in the late sixth century with the Merovingian dynasty and ends with the reform of the Papacy and the first crusade at the end of the 11th century. more...	HISH2B13	20	Semester 1
Modern Italy, 1860-1945 This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2E08 MODERN ITALY, 1860-1945 and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2E08C	20	Semester 2
Modern Italy, 1860-1945 This module studies the social, political and economic history of Italy from its unification in 1860 until the end of the Second World War. It will begin by looking at the process of unification, the difficulties encountered in governing the new nation-state and the problems of uneven social and economic modernisation. The module then focuses on the First World War and the rise of Fascism after 1918, before assessing the nature of Mussolini's regime and the reasons for its downfall. more...	HISH2E08	20	Semester 2
Medicine and Society in Modern Britain This module considers the practice of medicine in Britain from the eighteenth century to the establishment of the NHS. Themes include the impact of science and professions, the organisation and control aspects of medical and hospital services and healthcare as seen by sufferers and patients. These are seen in the context of broader topics in modern British social history. more...	HISH2B96	20	Semester 2
Medicine and Gender This module offers a broad historical treatment of gender issues in medicine, examining women as providers and recipients of healthcare from Ancient Greece to the NHS. Topics for study include the female body, obstetrics and gynaecology, the female healer and the medical profession, women, witchcraft and popular healing, scientific medicine and professionalisation, nurses, nursing and reform, and women's health. more...	HISH2B97	20	Semester 1
Medicine and Society in Modern Britain (Cw) This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B96 MEDICINE AND SOCIETY IN MODERN BRITAIN and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B96C	20	Semester 2
Landscape I: Structures of Landscape This module will examine the development of the English landscape from early prehistoric times to the late Saxon period. We will examine the field archaeology of the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, discuss in some detail the landscapes of Roman Britain, and assess the nature of the Roman/Saxon transition. We will then investigate the development of territorial organisation, field systems and settlement patterns during the Saxon and Medieval periods. The module provides an introduction to archaeological theory and methods, as well as giving a broad overview of the development of society, economy and environment in the period up to c.1300. more...	HISH2A51	20	Semester 1
Medicine and Gender (Cw) This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B97 MEDICINE AND GENDER and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B97C	20	Semester 1
Victorian Britain This module will examine the leading themes in British history during Victoria's reign (1837-1901). It will include political, social, economic, religious, urban, gender and intellectual topics. more...	HISH2B73	20	Semester 1
Landscape I: Structures of Landscape This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2A51 LANDSCAPE I and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2A51C	20	Semester 1
Early Medieval Europe (Cw) This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B13 EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B13C	20	Semester 1
Napoleon to Stalin: the Struggle for Mastery in Europe This module deals with the rivalries of the Great Powers from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the onset of the Cold War. We shall be examining topics such as the Vienna system; the Crimean War; Italian and German unification, the origins of the First and Second World Wars and the start of the Cold War. more...	HISH2D02	20	Semester 2
Imperial Russian and Soviet History 1861, - 1941 This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2D89 IMPERIAL RUSSIAN AND SOVIET HISTORY and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2D89C	20	Semester 1
Later Medieval Europe This module examines the political, cultural and social history of later medieval Europe (circa 1100-1500) with a particular focus on France and Italy. The topics addressed include the formation of cities, the position of the papacy, lay piety, and the role of women. more...	HISH2A94	20	Semester 2
The Rise and Fall of British Power This module examines Britain's expansion and decline as a great power, from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the 1950s. It considers the foundations of British power, the emergence of rivals, Britain's relationship with the European powers and the USA, and the impact of two World Wars and Cold War. It investigates the reasons for Britain's changing fortunes, as it moved from guarding the balance of power to losing its empire. more...	HISH2B57	20	Semester 1
The Rise and Fall of British Power This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B57 THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH POWER and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B57C	20	Semester 1
Reformation to Revolution This module is a coursework only version of HISH2H01 REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION and is available only to NON-HUM and Visiting Students. more...	HISH2H01C	20	Semester 1
Landscape II : Built and Semi-Natural Environments This module will examine the development of the English countryside from late Saxon times into the eighteenth century. Topics covered will include woods and wood-pastures, enclosure, walls and hedges, the archaeology of churches and vernacular houses. There will be a substantial practical component to the module, involving the analysis of buildings, hedges and woods and other semi-natural environments. more...	HISH2A52	20	Semester 2
From Agincourt to Bosworth: England in the Wars of the Roses Through a close examination of the lives and reigns of four very different monarchs this unit investigates the workings of kingship and high politics in one of the most turbulent periods of English History (1415-1485). New interpretations of the Wars of the Roses, as well as original source material, will be studied. more...	HISH2B18	20	Semester 2
Norman and Plantagenet England, 1066-1307 This module follows the history of England from the Norman Conquest of 1066 down to the death of Edward 1 in 1307. The aim of this module is to look at the political, ecclesiastical, social and intellectual history of England in this period and to place English history in the wider context of European history in the Middle Ages. more...	HISH2B12	20	Semester 2
Anglo-Saxon England, C. 500-1066 This module surveys the history of the English from their arrival of the English in Britain in the fifth century until the end of the eleventh century and the conquest by the Normans. We shall cover topics such as the conversion of the English in the seventh century; the domination of England by Mercia in the eighth century; the Viking invasions and the reign of Alfred the Great; the emergence of Wessex as the dominant force in England in the tenth century; the conquest of England by the Danes in the eleventh century; and the Norman Conquest of England. more...	HISH2A93	20	Semester 1
The Duchess of Devonshire to Nancy Astor: Women, Power and Politics This module explores female involvement in politics, from the Duchess of Devonshire's infamous activities in the 1784 Westminster election until 1919, when Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons. It will examine topics including the early feminists, aristocratic female politicians, radical politics and the suffragettes. It will investigate the changes and continuities with female engagement with the political process from the eighteenth century through to the twentieth century. more...	HISH2H12	20	Semester 2
Medicine and Society Before the 17th Century This module examines the theory and practice of medicine at all levels of English society during the medieval and early modern periods, and assesses the impact of medical ideas upon religious, literary and political thought. Topics include: the emergence of a healing profession and its attempts to secure a monopoly of practice; the role of women as both patients and practitioners; theories about the spread of disease and necessary measures for public health; medicine and the Church;and attitudes to mortality. Edited versions of original documents are used. more...	HISH2B95	20	Semester 1
Queens, Courtesans and Commoners: Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe (Cw) This module is a coursework only version of HISH2F25 WOMEN AND GENDER IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE and is available only to NON-HUM and Visiting Students. more...	HISH2F25C	20	Semester 1
Victorian Britain This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B73 VICTORIAN BRITAIN and is only available to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B73C	20	Semester 1
Modern Germany, 1914-1990 This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2D53 MODERN GERMANY, 1866-1945 and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2D53C	20	Semester 1
Modern Germany, 1914-1990 The history of few countries is as dramatic as that of modern Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries. This module will focus on themes such as: the making and re-making of the German nation; the political consequences of Germany's transformation into an industrial superpower; Germany's role in the origins of the war in 1914; the problems confronting Weimar democracy; the relationship of the German people to Hitler's regime; the rise and decline of the Nazi empire in Europe; and the impact of Nazism on the German nation since 1945. more...	HISH2D53	20	Semester 1
Tudor and Stuart England This module seeks to identify patterns of continuity and change in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with a view to defining the early modern period in practice. Through an examination of both political and constitutional history from the top down, and social and cultural history from the bottom up, it seeks to understand the period dynamically, in terms of new and often troubled relationships which were formed between governors and governed. Topics include: Tudor monarchy, the Protestant Reformation, the social order, popular religion and literacy, riot and rebellion, the Stuart state, the civil wars, crime and the law, women and gender. more...	HISH2B35	20	Semester 1
Queens, Courtesans and Commoners: Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe This module examines the issue of gender in European history, between 1500 and 1750. Using a variety of written and visual sources, and including a comparative element, it focuses on the following themes: definitions of femininity and masculinity; life-cycles; family, kinship, and marriage; social exclusion, charity and the welfare state; law, crime, and order; witchcraft and magic; honour, sex, and sexual identities; work; learning and the arts; material culture; the impact of European expansions. more...	HISH2F25	20	Semester 1
Landscape II (Cw) This module is a coursework only version of HISH2A52 LANDSCAPE II and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting Students. more...	HISH2A52C	20	Semester 2
The Papacy, Christianity and the State, 1050-1300 This unit is a coursework-only version of HISH2A10 THE PAPACY, CHRISTIANITY AND THE STATE, 1050-1300 and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2A10C	20	Semester 2
Conspiracy and Crisis in Early Modern England Assassination. Foreign invasion. Revolt and rebellion. Political and religious plots loomed large and posed a constant threat in Early Modern England. Conspiracy was not simply an imagined threat nor did it exist in theory; it was a social and political reality that elicited fear, shaped policies and gave rise to self-fulfilling prophecies. Did the greatest threat of subversion come from popular uprisings, foreign invasion or from the heart of the British government? From Mary, Queen of Scots and the Gunpowder Plot to the hidden agenda of Charles I, this module will survey a series of popular, elite and royalist conspiracies. Moving behind official narratives, it will draw on a host of resources to investigate alternative explanations for crisis over power, authority and legitimacy during this period. Each conspiracy will provide and point of entry into broader changes in early modern society as the crown and commons reimagined and realigned political, religious and social boundaries. more...	HISH2H08	20	Semester 2
The Power of the Past How do communities collectively remember the past? Through public memorials? Through historical fiction? Through published memoirs? Through ritual? How have various governments used the past to validate their policies? The module looks at the relationship between history and memory ' both academic and non-academic. It is assessed on the basis of a 2,000 word essay and a4,000 word project, which you design with help and advice from the module organiser. The lectures cover a wide range of topics ' but because this is a coursework based module, you are not expected to become an expert on every subject! The idea of lectures is to raise ideas and concepts, as well as to deliver historical information about the ways in which the past has been used, abused, hidden and explored by a variety of differing societies, cultures and states. The lectures are based around case-studies, each of which explores a wider theme (e.g., state repression of memory, gender and memory; memory and ward; etc). These include; history and the state in modern Europe; working class memory, war and memory in the 20th Century, memory, forgetting and the Spanish civil war; post-war Britain and wartime memories; racism, national identity and memory in modern Australia; the internet and history, popular memory in early modern Europe; the uses of the past in Nazi Germany; peasant memory in Latin America. Particular use is made of Web resources and in the first few weeks we will be looking at contemporary uses of the past in the print and electronic media. After that, the focus will be on thinking through your own project through group work and individual advice. more...	HISH2E02	20	Semester 2
Medicine & Society Before the 17th Century This module is a coursework only version of HISH2B95: MEDICINE AND SOCIETY BEFORE THE 17TH CENTURY and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting Students. more...	HISH2B95C	20	Semester 1
Latin for Historians This module provides an introduction to the linguistic skills in medieval Latin which enable students to read administrative documents such as charters, accounts, court rolls, etc. It is particularly suited for those who intend proceeding to postgraduate study in aspects of the past, such as medieval history, which require a reading knowledge of Latin. more...	HISH2A62	20	Semester 2
The English Civil Wars This module looks at the causes, course and significance at what, in terms of relative population loss was probably the single most devastating conflict in English history; the civil wars of 1642-6, 1648 and 1651. In those years, families, villages and towns were divided by political allegiances and military mobilisation. Hundreds of thousands died, not just from warfare, but also from the spread of infectious disease, siege and the disruption of food supplies. In the rest of the British Isles, suffering was even more profound. The execution of the King in 1649, intended to bring an end to the wars, divided the country ever more deeply. By the late 1640s, radical social groups had emerged who questioned the very basis of authority in Early Modern Society, and made arguments for democracy and for the redistribution of land and power. Karl Marx thought that English revolution marked the beginnings of capitalism. Was he right? Focussing on ordinary men and women as well as upon important generals, politicians and monarchs, this module examines the following issues: the causes of the civil war; the reign of Charles I; the start of the warfare in Ireland and Scotland; the outbreak of the English Civil war; the course of the war; popular allegiances ' why did ordinary people fight?; the Levellers, Diggers and Ranters; the crisis of 1647-9; the trial and execution of Charles I; gender, women and revolution; the experience of warfare; print and popular political gossip; the failure of the English Republic and the Restoration of Charles II. Particular use will be made of the primary source extracts and web resources. more...	HISH2H10	20	Semester 2
The Papacy, Christianity and the State, 1050-1300 In these centuries the pope became the most influential figure in Europe. He could depose emperors, mobilise vast armies to fight on crusade, and intervene in disputes in far-away realms. This module explores the origins of papal power and its impact on emerging nations in the west. more...	HISH2A10	20	Semester 2
Heritage and Public History Public history is history in the public sphere, whether in museums and galleries, heritage sites and historic houses, radio and television broadcasting, film, popular history books, or public policy within government. In the UK, it is a new and burgeoning area of academic interest and debate. The central challenge and task of public history is making history relevant and accessible to its audience of people outside academia, whilst adhering to an academically credible historical method. This module explores the theory and practice of public history in heritage, broadcasting and publication. The first half of the module considers the principles of visitor interpretation, museology and curatorship, asking questions such as, how is the past used? What is authenticity? What decisions are made in the presentation and interpretation of museums and historic houses? Must public ' or popular ' history mean `dumbing down', or can we satisfy the public's curiosity about the past in a way that also satisfies us as historians? The second half of the module seriously engages with the challenge of how to represent history in television documentaries, radio broadcasts, mainstream cinema, in the making of public policy, and as popular history or historical fiction. Outside speakers ' chosen from curators, interpreters, producers, and popular historians and broadcasters ' will lecture as part of this course. The course will also involve a field trip to Hampton Court Palace. more...	HISH2H05	20	Semester 1
Imperial Russian and Soviet History, 1861-1945 This module examines some of the main themes in Russian history between the Emancipation of the Serfs and the outbreak of the Second World War. We will look at the nature of industrialisation and the peasant economy, the autocracy and its fall in 1917, the revolutionary movement and the nationalities question. We will then examine how the Revolution of 1917 changed the state and the ways in which the Communists attempted to change society before 1929. We conclude by examining the country during the era of the five year plans and the impact of the Stalinist system on the Soviet Union before the outbreak of world war. more...	HISH2D89	20	Semester 1
Tudor and Stuart England This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B35 TUDOR AND STUART ENGLAND and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. more...	HISH2B35C	20	Semester 1
Semester Study Aboard (Spring Semster) X04 This module offers HIS students on the V100 programme the opportunity to spend the Spring semester of their second year studying abroad, either in a European university, as part of the ERASMUS scheme, or in a selected North American or Australian university approved by the School's Director of Teaching. more...	HISH2X04	60	Semester 2
Semester Study Aboard (Autumn Semster) X05 This module offers HIS students on the V100 programme the opportunity to spend the Autumn semester of their second year studying abroad, either in a European university, as part of the ERASMUS scheme, or in a selected North American or Australian university approved by the School's Director of Teaching. more...	HISH2X05	60	Semester 1
Twentieth-Century Britain, 1914 to the Present (Cw) This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2G01 TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITAIN, 1914 TO THE PRESENT and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2G01C	20	Semester 1
"Anglo-Saxon England, C. 500-1066 (Cw)" This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2A93C ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND, c. 500-1066 and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH2A93C	20	Semester 1
Twentieth-Century Britain, 1914 to the Present This module offers an in-depth history of Britain from the Great War to the present day, both through the study of political life and also by assessing the impact of economic, social and cultural change. There are opportunities to re-evaluate issues such as the impact of war on society, `landmark' General Elections such as those of 1945 and 1979, the rise of consumer society, post-colonialism, the sexual revolution, the politics of immigration, unrest in Northern Ireland, as well as Britain's changing role in the world. more...	HISH2G01	20	Semester 1

Free Choice Study (40 credits)

Students can select modules worth 40 credits from the course catalogue with the approval of their School.

Year 3

Option A Study (60 credits)

Students will select 60 credits from the following module(s).

Name

Code

Credits

Period

First Peoples, Colonizers and the USA

This is a two-semester, 60 credit module that aims to provide students with specialised knowledge of American Indian history up to the present day. The first semester will follow a chronological sequence and the second semester will be organised around topics. We will be combining the methodologies of History (with a focus on analysing change over time), Anthropology (with its concern with social structures and values) and American Studies (with its focus on deconstructing cultural representations and identities). By evaluating the developing historiography of American Indian history, students will learn about changing issues and concepts in the historical debate. Primary sources will be used throughout both semesters. A range of different types of texts will be analysed and students will learn techniques appropriate for interrogating them. On their own and in groups, students in this module will work with an increasing level of independence. In the second semester, they will work in groups to introduce different weekly topics and everyone will be given the opportunity to write a research project on a topic of his/her own choosing. more...

AMSA3H7Y

Year Period

You may also pick any of the modules that begin with:

HIST3

Fascist Revolutions and Reactions This module will explore fascist movements and regimes in the twentieth century. A prime objective is to introduce students to the methods of comparative history. To provide a firm foundation for comparative analysis, the first semester is devoted to an examination of fascism in Italy and Germany, with comparative analysis of themes such as the causes of the collapse of liberal democracy, the rise and path to power, and the nature of fascism in Italy and Germany. A comparison of the two classic `fascist' dictatorships will also be made throughout the first half of the course: the mass culture, base of support, resort to consent and coercion, social, family, and racial policies, political structures, economies, limits to power, and aims and ideologies of these regimes will be analyzed in depth through primary and secondary sources. The questions of whether National Socialism shared enough with Italian Fascism to be classified as part of the same genus of political ideologies and movements, whether it had more in common with communism of the Stalinist variety, or whether it was an exceptional case entirely will be considered. A wider geographic and chronological perspective broadens the comparative approach further. Outside of the two `core' countries, nations as diverse as Britain, France, Spain, Japan, Hungary, Romania, South Africa and Greece will also be covered, but students are welcome to examine any variety of fascism which they wish to investigate. Questions such as the aims of movements, the nature of party organization, and the social bases of support will be discussed in order that students gain a deep and broad understanding of one of the most successful, elusive, and enduring political movements and social forces of our time. more...	HIST3K1Y	60	Year Period
Cold War in Europe This module will combine analysis of grand strategies and Cold War flashpoints with consideration of counter-culture and civilian resistance in Soviet-controlled Europe, and the circumstances which led to the peaceful end of the Cold War in 1989. more...	HIST3J4Y	60	Year Period
Death, the Body and Disease: From Galen to the NHS Documents and a wide range of visual material from contemporary sources are used to examine the theory and practice of medicine in English and European society from the early modern period to the recent past. Topics include: changing perceptions of death, disease and the body; medicine and religion; the impact of medical ideas upon literary and political thought; the emergence of a healing profession; and women as healers and patients. We also examine the changing function of institutional care; concepts of `orthodox' and `alternative' medicine; the dissemination of medical knowledge and the rise of questioning of scientific medicine. more...	HIST3E5Y	60	Year Period
Communism and Nationalism in Yugoslavia This module will look at the creation of the Communist state of Yugoslavia after the Second World War. We shall examine the course of the war and the bitter fighting between fascists, nationalists and communists which resulted in the eventual victory of the partisans led by Tito. After 1945, he and his followers built a state which survived until 1991. With the demise of Communism, Yugoslavia fragmented into new nations. In some cases this transition was largely peaceful, but the wars for independence in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo gave rise to the bloodiest fighting in Europe for decades. We shall look at the role of individuals and ideas, including the career of key figures such as Milosevic and end by assessing at the international community's response to the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia at the Hague Tribunal. more...	HIST3H8Y	60	Year Period
Stalin and Stalinism: the USSR 1924-1953 This special subject will examine the Stalin era in the context of other 20th-century dictatorships. There will be a particular focus on: Stalin's rise to power; Stalin's revolution; terror and its impact on Soviet society; war and dictatorship; decline and fall - Stalin and destalinization. more...	HIST3H6Y	60	Year Period
The English in America 1607-1692 This module explores the colonization of America by seventeenth-century English people. The memory of the Mayflower Pilgrims has obscured the fact that the first three generations remained English, unaware of the political and cultural distinctiveness to come. We will therefore be concerned with 'the repatriation of early American history'. We shall examine settlers' lives from the foundation of Jamestown in 1607, through the creation of Massachusetts in the 1630s, to the wars and rebellions of 1670-90. Not confined to New England, this module looks at a range of colonial experiences from Maine to the Caribbean, especially the mentalities of people moving between old and new worlds. more...	HIST3J2Y	60	Year Period
Henry Viii: the Making of A Tyrant? The reign of Henry VIII was a major turning point in British history, and `bluff King Hal' continues to horrify and fascinate us in equal measure. This special subject uses the preoccupations, ambitions, and character of Henry VIII as a route into the political, religious and cultural changes of this tumultuous period. Starting with the acclaimed young king, his Spanish bride, Katherine of Aragon, and his consummate minister, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the course works chronologically and thematically through to the declining years of Henry VIII's reign, when a paranoid, obese and cruel monarch presided over an irrevocably changed religious and political landscape. It examines in detail the divorce crisis, the establishment of the Church of England, the Henrician Reformation, the politics and factionalism of the Court, war and foreign policy, magnificence, and opposition to the king, and engages with the intense historiographical debates on all these issues. The module considers some of the most colourful personalities in British history - Wolsey, More, Boleyn, Cromwell, and Cranmer - as well as structures, and the falls of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell are given particular attention. Finally, the module draws on material culture, art history, literature, film, and even dress, as well as relying on the more usual documentary sources, such as the State Papers. Above all, we will try to answer: did Henry VIII really become a tyrant? more...	HIST3L2Y	60	Year Period
The Devil??s Brood: the Angevin Kings of England (1154-1225) This Special Subject focuses on the lives and actions of three of the most charismatic kings of the English. It begins by an examination of the creator of the Angevin dynasty, Henry fitz Empress, who, by the time he was twenty-one, dominated more than half of France as well as being king of the English. On the continent, Henry was a successful military commander; in England, he was the creator of the English common law and a centralising administration. And it was of him that St Bernard is supposed to have declared `he came from the Devil and he will go to the Devil'. His son and successor, Richard the Lionheart, was one of the greatest knights of his age as well as being a crusader and hugely successful military commander who seemingly placed the Angevin Empire on a solid footing. After these two great makers of empire, the third ruler of the dynasty almost brought the whole edifice crashing down. King John lost the continental lands, and by the time of his death his lands were being ravaged by a foreign prince, his barons were in revolt having gathered themselves behind a document we know as Magna Carta, and his dynasty on the verge of extinction. This Special Subject has at its core the story of the creation and near destruction of this dynasty; and seeks further to examine the politics, culture, and society of the lands over which the Angevin dynasty held sway. This was an age of profound intellectual, religious, and political change, and this Special Subject will be set within this wider context. Students will be expected to become conversant with the primary sources in translation and to be aware of current historiographical debates. Teaching will be through student-centred seminars. Students will be expected to do weekly gobbets both as a way of becoming familiar with the sources and as preparation for the examination. more...	HIST3C1Y	60	Year Period
The Third Reich This module studies the history of the Third Reich from an international and comparative perspective through the extensive use of primary sources. It examines the origins and the rise of National Socialism, the seizure and consolidation of power, the nature and political structure of the dictatorship, and the transformation of German society under Nazi rule, but there is a particular focus on foreign policy and the impact of the regime's policies on Europe and the world. Aspects covered include Nazi Germany's relationship with other autocracies and right-wing forces in Europe, German geopolitical thought and the role of the Foreign Office, the formation and administration of the Nazi empire, issues of collaboration and resistance in occupied territories, combat motivation and war crimes of ordinary soldiers, the importance of non-German perpetrators of the Holocaust, the German home front and the effects of Allied aerial bombings, the various plans for a post-war Europe, and the problem of ethnic cleansing both before and after 1945. more...	HIST3D6Y	60	Year Period
Landscape Special Subject This Special Subject deals with the development of the English landscape from c.1450 to 1950. We will focus on agricultural change in the period up to 1870, before moving on to consider the landscape and architecture of the English country house and landed estates. We will discuss developments in architectural design, spatial planning and the changing appearance of parks and gardens during this period, as well as discussing the social and political ideologies that underpin these developments. We will also consider the development of the rural landscape in the period after 1870; the decline of the great estates, the effects of the agricultural depression and the impact of war and suburbanisation. Finally, we will discuss changing attitudes towards the conservation and preservation of the countryside. There will be a number of field trips during the year. more...	HIST3A5Y	60	Year Period
Britain At War and Other Modern Myths This module invites students to critically analyse popular understandings of the recent past in modern Britain. You will investigate the political uses of certain histories, shifts in meaning over time and preoccupations with the past in British politics and culture. Students will have the opportunity to examine why particular events in modern British history'such as the Second World War'have become so central to British national identity. In the first semester, we will focus on individual experiences and collective memories of the First and Second World Wars. We will look to popular poetry and public policies which worked to make sense of the horrors and sacrifices of modern warfare. You will have the opportunity to analyse a wide range of source material, including film and television, oral testimonies, diaries, state memorials and political speeches. In the second semester, we turn, firstly, to the contested memory of the British Empire, to memories of colonial violence and to the making of a `post-imperial' Britain. Lastly, we will consider myths of a youth revolt in 1960s Britain as well as modern nostalgia for Britain's `lost' traditional society. In the second semester, also, you will be trained in oral history techniques and have the chance to contribute to a collective oral history project on UEA and student protest in the 1960s. more...	HIST3L4Y	60	Year Period
Isolation to World War: Britain and the Origins of WWI This module examines the development of British foreign policy between 1880 and 1914. In the first semester we will undertake a detailed examination of Salisbury's foreign policy and the debate surrounding Britain's international 'isolation' up to the conclusion of the French entente. The second semester will see us examining the cause of British foreign policy under Sir Edward Grey until the outbreak of war in August 1914. more...	HIST3G3Y	60	Year Period
World War I and the Central Powers 1900-1920 The First World War represented a defining moment in modern European history. Nowhere were the consequences more devastating than in Central Europe - the area controlled in 1914 by the two Great Powers responsible for starting the war, Austria-Hungary and Germany. This module starts by looking from a comparative perspective at the role of Austria-Hungary and Germany in the outbreak of the First World War. It then focuses on the experience of WWI, examining a number of themes: the military and economic mobilisation of the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires for war; the role of propaganda; the Home Front; social and national conflicts; military defeat, revolution and the internal collapse of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires. more...	HIST3J3Y	60	Year Period

Option B Study (60 credits)

Students will select 60 credits from the following module(s).

Name

Code

Credits

Period

Australia: Politics, Culture, Society

This module examines the history, structures and key institutions of Australian government and their broader relationships with Australian society and culture. It has been argued Australia was manacled to its colonial past, and lacked innovation and proactivity. At the same time, the phrase, 'lucky country', has been used to project Australia as uniquely stable, politically, socially, and economically. Is this accurate? Some think so, attributing it to Australia's system of government: are they right? This module addresses such questions and, in its later stages, considers some of the challenges Australia faces, both internal such as multiculturalism and Aboriginality, and external, for example, regionalisation and globalisation. more...

PSI-3A12

Semester 2

Gender in American Culture

The aim of this module is to think about democracy in the United States through a gendered lens. The Declaration of Independence declared that "all men were created free and equal", but throughout the history of the United States certain social groups have been denied their rights to citizenship and democracy. Therefore this module will be focusing upon the ways in which gender has been central to the construction of citizenship and democracy in the US. These concepts are critical elements in the formation of a modern American identity, and this module will provide a broader understanding of this distinctive feature of American history and society. more...

AMSA3S22

Semester 2

Intellectuals and US Foreign Policy

This module examines the ideas and influence of nine American foreign policy 'intellectuals,' beginning with Alfred Mahan and concluding with Paul Wolfowitz. Why did each 'intellectual' strike a particular chord at a particular time? Do individuals matter in the history of US foreign policy? How, and with what consequences, were these ideas translated into policy? This module will explore the origins of key US foreign policy concepts such as isolationism, internationalism, containment and 'pre-emptive defence.' Aims of the Module ' To introduce students to nine particular strains of US foreign policy ideology. ' To encourage students to engage critically with the primary output of these 'intellectuals' and to identify their strengths and weaknesses. ' To stimulate students to consider whether these ideas have been manifested in policy, and to trace their impact. ' To encourage students to develop their own foreign policy philosophy. more...

PSI-3A48

Semester 2

Place, Race and Space: American Migration and Citizenship

This module will examine the contradictions of place-making, spatial mobility, and citizenship in the Americas by looking at the movement and settlement of immigrants and migrants since the 1870s. Although the concepts of place-making and spatial mobility appear to be contradictory, immigrants and migrants in their quest to find a home, move across regions, borders, and continents. Their ability to settle in certain places, depends on the economic and cultural conditions that prevail in the host locality and on the political-economic structure of the host society. Citizenship becomes an important variable in this process, because non-citizens are more vulnerable to social, political, and economic changes. more...

AMSA3S11

Semester 1

Power Over the Pacific: the American Relationship With Asia

This module will introduce important themes in the American relationship with East Asia, at a time when the Pacific region has assumed great importance. There will be a particular focus on the important historical periods in the American relationship with China and Japan. An understanding of elements of the trajectory of these relationships will be provided by taking a selection of historical subjects for analysis. While this will address the knowledge of history, and of long-term themes, the latter part of the module will consider contemporary political issues. This will require an understanding of the interaction of the United States with Asia, and China and Japan in particular. more...

PSI-3A29

Semester 1

The Great Society: America From Jfk & Lbj to Nixon, 1960-74

This module follows the American story from 1960-1974, from the promise and tragedy of JFK's Camelot, through the achievements and frustrations of LBJ's Great Society, to the period of adjustment ' and disillusionment ' during the Presidency of Richard Nixon and the era of Watergate. The work covers the key political events of a period that saw a defining struggle between liberalism and conservatism ' one which continues to resonate to this day. In part it focuses upon the politicians who helped define the era ' such as Bobby Kennedy, Barry Goldwater, and George Wallace as well as the Presidents. But consideration is not confined to Washington politics: we will look at popular protest, from the Civil Rights movement and Black Power to the New Left, the peace movement, women's liberation, and Stonewall. We consider the war on poverty, the politics of race, the emergence of a new environmental awareness, the questioning of gender, and the sexual revolution. In addition, the unit includes discussion of the continuing significance of the Cold War, not least in respect of Vietnam and the Space Race. Students are also invited to consider the ways in which the dramatic changes and conflicts of the era shaped American culture, especially movies, music, art, and literature more...

AMSA3H01

Semester 1

US Interventionism, the Cia and Covert Action

The covert activities of the CIA represent arguably the most notorious face of US foreign relations. Yet to what extent is clandestine American interventionism consistent with official overt policies? And how do we come to understand covert action campaigns? This module will introduce the main conceptual and historic debates relevant to the analysis of covert action as a tool of US foreign relations. In so doing it will consider the institutions and processes behind covert action, especially the role of the CIA. It also considers the mediums that narrate and explain American covert action. This will provide a fuller and richer understanding of the United States' place in the international system since World War II, its relationship to other states and non-state actors, and discussions about American identity and the nation's role in the world. more...

AMSA3H26

Semester 2

Western Political Thought

This Level 3 module examines in depth the works of selected thinkers who are seminal to the Western tradition of political thought, including Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Marx. Their work will also be compared thematically, with a focus on ideas such as political obligation, authority, the state and freedom. The module will be based on the study and interpretation of key texts and will enable students to develop skills of textual analysis and critique. more...

PSI-3A01

Semester 1

You may also pick any of the modules that begin with:

HISH3

The Age of Bede This module is a 20-credit coursework-only variant of HISH3A65 THE AGE OF BEDE and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. more...	HISH3A67	20	Semester 1
Dissertation in History This module offers students the opportunity to submit a dissertation of 9,000 words on a topic approved by the School. more...	HISH3P2Y	30	Year Period
Oliver Cromwell and the Puritan World After forty years of relative obscurity, Oliver Cromwell emerged as a leader in the parliamentary opposition to the king during the English Revolution and became the most powerful man in Britain. This module will explore the life and times of Cromwell and provide a point of entry into political, religious and social change in early modern England from the long Reformation to the Restoration. It will draw from a host of primary sources to enter into Cromwell's puritan mental world and seek to understand his personal and national aspirations. It will build on this to explore Cromwell's conquest of Ireland and Scotland and his ambitious plans to undermine Spanish power in the Atlantic. Finally, the module will consider Cromwell's controversial reception by contemporaries and his diverse representations in popular culture, film and history. more...	HISH3K05C	30	Semester 1
Youth in Modern Europe The importance of youth as a driving force for social change has been recognised by many historians. Young people were often at the forefront wherever revolutions took place, wars were fought and tensions in society erupted. However, the historical study of youth is still a relatively young discipline. The module uses `youth' as a prism to study key themes in 20th century European history, such as the experience of war, life under dictatorship and the longue dur??e of social change. We shall examine the diverse experience of youth in Western and Eastern Europe during war and peace times, including the Communist and Nazi state-sponsored youth systems, and also the way in which generational experience and conflicts became underlying forces for social and political change. The module employs a strong comparative approach and countries studied include France, Britain, the Soviet Union, West and East Germany, Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The seminars will be accompanied by several film screenings. more...	HISH3J04C	30	Semester 2
Tudor Rebellions This module looks at the nature of rebellions, riot and popular politics in Tudor England. The early part of the module proceeds in a chronological format; and after that, we analyse rebellion in more thematic terms, individual sessions look at: late medieval rebellion; early Tudor rebellion; The Pilgrimage of Grace of 1536; the 1549 rebellions Kett's rebellion, popular rebellion in the 1580s and 1590os; gender and ritual; seditious speech; popular culture; Shakespeare, drama and popular protest; food and enclosure rioting. A lot of use is made of extracts of primary material . After we have studied Kett's Rebellion of 1549, there will be a fieldtrip to examine key sites in Norwich associated with those events. This may possibly end in one of the oldest pubs in Britain; the Adam and Eve. more...	HISH3K08	30	Semester 2
British Intelligence in the 20th Century - Myth and Reality The study of intelligence history has seen considerable growth over the last 20 years, as a result of new archival evidence and above all a growing realisation that intelligence has for long been the "missing dimension" in historical interpretation of 20th century diplomacy, defence policy and strategy and in the operational history of two world wars. A consideration of the impact of intelligence assessment, its acceptance (or rejection) and its proponents has well known areas of historical analysis, particularly in the period from the 1930s to the Cold War. The aim of this module is to examine the current historiography of this "missing dimension" and assess its impact in the interpretation of British strategic and defence policy and to some extent, in internal and imperial security as well as considering popular and fictional interpretations of the intelligence service. more...	HISH3F97C	30	Semester 1
Twentieth Century Sport History This module explores key themes and topics in the history of twentieth century sport, from the founding of the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 to the impact which the collapse of socialism had upon sport at the end of the century. Sport's interaction with empire, nationalism, fascism , socialism and capitalism will be considered, demonstrating that the political history and international relations of the century are deeply entwined with sport. A range of examples are examined, from Franco's Spain to the superpower competition of the Cold War. As an aspect of social history, issues of gender, race and disability are inseparable from this topic, as are the harnessing and exploitation of sport as a means of war or reconciliation at various periods throughout the century. more...	HISH3F76	30	Semester 2
The Norman Conquest This module will examine the Old English and Norman states before 1066, the Conquest and the colonisation of the Kingdom of England. Particular attention will be given to the processes by which England was brought under Norman rule, both in the ecclesiastical and secular spheres. The module will be taught through original sources in translation. more...	HISH3K10	30	Semester 2
From `Manchester Manufacturer?? to `International Man??: the Victorian Worlds of Richard Cobden This module will relate the career of Richard Cobden (1804-1865), Britain's leading mid-nineteenth-century Radical statesman, to many different facets of Victorian Britain ' an entrepreneur in Manchester engaged in the new world of the industrial city; as Radical crusader for the repeal of the Corn Laws; as Liberal politician campaigning for the ballot, economic reform, state education and peace; it will examine his career in relation to the 1848 revolutions, the Crimean Wear, the Anglo-French Commercial treaty of 1860, the Cotton Famine, the British Empire and American Civil War. It will draw on Cobden's diaries, writings, published and unpublished letters, providing a unique insight into middle class politics and culture and into British liberalism in its European n international contexts. more...	HISH3H07	30	Semester 1
Edwardian Britain This module will examine the 'crisis of Liberal England' which has dominated modern discussion of this period. Themes will include the rise of new liberalism, the tariff reform controversy, women's suffrage, Home Rule for Ireland, the land question, national efficiency and social reform. more...	HISH3E56	30	Semester 2
Chamberlain, Churchill and Appeasement, 1935-1940 Britain's response to the aggression of the fascist powers in the inter-war period has been the subject of fierce debate for decades, and is still hotly disputed between historians. This module examines British foreign policy in the era of 'appeasement'. It will focus on the period between 1935 and 1940, analysing a range of primary source material in detail. It will explore the role of key policy-makers, their critics, and the domestic context in which policy was constructed. more...	HISH3G13C	30	Semester 1
Napoleonic Europe This module examines the impact of Napoleonic rule on Europe. Beginning with an examination of the foundations of the French Empire, the unit goes on to examine different aspects of Napoleonic rule: social and economic change; culture and ideology; warfare and the state; collaboration and resistance. It will look comparatively at the experience of France, Italy, Germany and Spain under Napoleon, before assessing the reasons for the downfall of the Napoleonic regime. Material used will include memoirs, literature and other contemporary documents. more...	HISH3K01C	30	Semester 1
The Crusades This module will consider the history of the Crusades and the Crusader States from 1095 to 1291, covering a broad range of themes, religious , military and social, and taking into consideration the relations between Christians and Moslems in the Holy Land. Particular attention will be paid to primary sources, which are abundant and available in English translation. more...	HISH3A61C	30	Semester 1
Victorian Underworlds This module introduces students to the darker side of life in Victorian Britain. Though this was undoubtedly a period of economic prosperity, not everyone shared in the gains. In this module we shall look at those who, for reasons of poverty or `deviance' were confined to the margins. Topics will include the poor, the criminal and insane, prostitution, drink, child-workers, the workhouse, the London Irish, homosexuality and the Oscar Wilde case. By looking at the margins and the misfits, we will seek to gain a deeper understanding if British society in the nineteenth century. more...	HISH3H12	30	Semester 2
Tyranny and Revolution: the Age of Richard II This module explores the `Age of Richard II' (1377-99) as revealed in an exceptionally-rich corpus of primary sources. Richard's was a tumultuous reign. To many contemporaries it seemed as if the world was turning upside down as those who traditionally wielded power in English society ' the king, the church and the aristocracy ' faced unprecedented challenges to their authority. Through weekly seminar discussions, members of the class will learn to assess the significance of the reign based on a close reading of selected texts. Two sources in particular will provide the documentary spine of the course: the `Parliament Rolls of medieval England' (recently re-edited in translation and freely available online) and the great chronicle of Thomas Walsingham, a monk of St Albans and perhaps England's foremost chronicler of the period. We will also explore a range of other records and narratives as well as the verse of some of England's most famous medieval poets, many of whom (notably Geoffrey Chaucer) were closely connected to the court of Richard II. The module falls into two parts. Part 1 investigates the political developments from the dying days of Edward III through the Peasant's revolt (1381) to Richard II's final years of `tyranny' (1397-9). Part two adopts a thematic approach. Topics here include parliament, political society, heresy, the Hundred Years War, chivalry and courtliness. We conclude by examining the revolution of 1399, which resulted in Richard's deposition and death. more...	HISH3K17	30	Semester 1
Madness and Medicine This module considers the practice of medicine in Britain from the eighteenth century to the establishment of the NHS. Themes include the impact of science and professions, the organisation and control aspects of medical and hospital services and healthcare as seen by sufferers and patients. more...	HISH3F62C	30	Semester 2
The Industrial Revolution In the two hundred years following 1700, the British economy and population entered a sustained and unprecedented phase of growth. The economic, demographic, social and cultural changes that ensued were so far reaching, that by 1850, commentators were agreed that an 'industrial revolution' had taken place. This module seeks to illuminate the many facets of this transformation, and to explore the extensive historiography surrounding them. This module introduces students both to the economic processes which underpinned industrialisation, and to many ways in which Britons of all social levels ranks experienced and thought about their changing world. more...	HISH3E37C	30	Semester 1
'Redcoats': British Military Power in the Age of the First Global Wars, 1754-1783 This module concerns the experience of the British army in the period of the Seven Years War and American War of Independence. It will examine the organisation and conduct of war in both Europe and America from a British perspective and discuss how the British army coped with the demands of conducting operations in the era of the first truly 'global' wars. more...	HISH3F87C	30	Semester 1
Powerful Words: Education, Culture and Politics in the Middle Ages This module will cover two centuries (1050-1250) during which a cultural revolution took place: the written word, from being remote and confined to a small elite, became conspicuous and increasingly necessary to medieval people - even to those who could not read for themselves. The reasons for this radical change will be explored, as will the new knowledge, the new institutions and the new social groups that the growing role of writing created. The contents of books, as well as their availibility, changed deeply. New Schools (some eventually turning into the first universities) developed, and higher learning moved from monastic to urban settings, training much larger numbers of men. These men were more likely to turn to the secular world for employment after they left the schools, and kings and princes needed the new learned elite to be their courtiers and bureaucrats. The new importance of written words transformed the face of Europe in the realms of religion, culture and politics. more...	HISH3K14	30	Semester 2
Castles, Cannon and Concrete: Landscapes of Fortification From the Middle Ages to the Cold War The module examines the landscape of fortification from the origins of the castle to the Cold War, with the aim of assessing the landscape `footprint' of defended sites. The module starts with the castle and an examination of the place of `fortified residence' in medieval war. We will then go on to assess the artillery forts of the Tudors and the archaeology of the English Civil War. Thereafter we will examine the various schemes for national defence up to 1900 before looking at landscapes of `Total War'. The latter includes both World Wars and the archaeology of Britain's nuclear deterrent. more...	HISH3K06	30	Semester 2
Russia in Revolution 1905-1921 This module will look at the upheavals in Russia between 1905 and the introduction of a limited Parliament, and continue by examining the First World War and the downfall of the Romanov monarchy. We will then study the year 1917 in some detail and discuss the causes of the Bolshevik seizure of power. The Civil War and the reasons of the Communist victory will be analysed. The module will place the Russian Revolutions in their historical, political and geographical context and will consider the impact that these events had in the history of the twentieth century. more...	HISH3F18	30	Semester 2
Landscape III Field Course The field course builds on the landscape archaeology units to provide forty hours of practical instruction in the field. The field course runs for one week in June, concentrating on the recording and analysis of archaeological earthworks, buildings and historic landscapes. Assessment will take the form of a short report and an extended project. THIS 20 CREDIT VERSION IS AVAILABLE TO NON HUM STUDENTS ONLY. more...	HISH3P4Y	30	Year Period
A World At War This module will consider the history of the Second World War from 1939 to 1945, looking at the decisive battles that settled its outcome. It interprets `battle' in the widest sense and it will look at `classic' land, sea and air encounters ' from the fall of France to midway, Stalingrad and D Day ' and also at the other critical battles such as the battle of production, the Home Front and the technological battle, from Enigma to the atomic bomb more...	HISH3F01	30	Semester 1
Working in the Historic Environment This module will provide students with the opportunity to undertake a work placement with an employer working in the historic environment sector. A number of placements based on specific projects will be arranged with host organisations, and students will choose their placement from these options. Every student will be expected to attend an informal interview with their host organisation prior to starting their placement. Alternatively, a student may arrange their own work placement but this must be approved in advance by the module organisers. Past placements have been hosted by the National Trust, Norfolk Historic Environment Service, Suffolk County Council and the Peak District National Park Authority. Placements must be undertaken between June and December, and will be followed up by a series of practical seminars in the spring semester. A list of provisional placements and projects will be available in Spring 2012. Please note that enrolment on this module will only be confirmed after a short interview with the module organisers. more...	HISH3H1Y	30	Year Period
British Intelligence in the 20th Century - Myth and Reality The study of intelligence history has seen considerable growth over the last 20 years, as a result of new archival evidence and above all a growing realisation that intelligence has for long been the "missing dimension" in historical interpretation of 20th century diplomacy, defence policy and strategy and in the operational history of two world wars. A consideration of the impact of intelligence assessment, its acceptance (or rejection) and its proponents has well known areas of historical analysis, particularly in the period from the 1930s to the Cold War. The aim of this module is to examine the current historiography of this "missing dimension" and assess its impact in the interpretation of British strategic and defence policy and to some extent, in internal and imperial security as well as considering popular and fictional interpretations of the intelligence service. more...	HISH3F96C	30	Semester 2
Death, Body and Disease: Themes in Medical & Social History This module focuses upon the theory and practice of medicine in the context of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century social history. Topics include healing and science; concepts of 'orthodox' and 'alternative' medicine; interpretations of epidemic disease; the sufferer's agenda; minds, brains and bodies; and changing perceptions of death. We will consider contemporary texts and key contributions to the historiographical literature. It is expected that you will have some background in level 2 medical history course modules. more...	HISH3F91	30	Semester 1

Disclaimer

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.

History Courses

History

BA Modern History (V140)

Assessment

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3