| 'REDCOATS': BRITISH MILITARY POWER IN THE AGE OF THE FIRST GLOBAL WARS, 1754-1783 | HISH3F87C | 30 |
| 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. |
| A WORLD AT WAR | HISH3F01 | 30 |
| 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 |
| ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND, C. 500-1066 | HISH2A93 | 20 |
| This is a general survey module of the history of England from the 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. |
| ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND, C. 500-1066 (CW) | HISH2A93C | 20 |
| This unit is a coursework-only version of HISH2A93C ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND, c. 500-1066 and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| BRITAIN AT WAR AND OTHER MODERN MYTHS | HIST3L4Y | 60 |
| This module invites students to critically analyse the prevailing historical narratives of twentieth-century Britain. It offers an understanding of the political uses of certain histories, shifts in meaning over time and preoccupations with the past in British politics and cultures. The module will set the heritage industry and the "memory boom" in the context of social, political, economic and cultural change. Students will have the opportunity to examine why particular events in British history - such as the Second World War - have become so central to British national identity. Using political speeches, film and television, private memoirs and state memorials, this module will uncover the power of historical consciousness and collective memory throughout twentieth century British history. |
| BRITISH INTELLIGENCE IN THE 20TH CENTURY - MYTH AND REALITY | HISH3F97C | 30 |
| 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. |
| BRITISH INTELLIGENCE IN THE 20TH CENTURY - MYTH AND REALITY (CW) | HISH3F96C | 30 |
| 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. |
| CASTLES, CANNON AND CONCRETE: LANDSCAPES OF FORTIFICATION FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE COLD WAR | HISH3K06 | 30 |
| 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. |
| CHAMBERLAIN, CHURCHILL AND APPEASEMENT, 1935-1940 (CW) | HISH3G13C | 30 |
| 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. |
| COLD WAR IN EUROPE | HIST3J4Y | 60 |
| 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. |
| COMMUNISM AND NATIONALISM IN YUGOSLAVIA | HIST3H8Y | 60 |
| 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. |
| CONSPIRACY AND CRISIS IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND | HISH2H08 | 20 |
| 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. |
| CONSPIRACY AND CRISIS IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND (CW) | HISH2H08C | 20 |
| 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. This module is only available to non-HIS and visiting students. |
| DEATH, BODY AND DISEASE: THEMES IN MEDICAL & SOCIAL HISTORY | HISH3F91 | 30 |
| 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. |
| DEATH, THE BODY AND DISEASE: FROM GALEN TO THE NHS | HIST3E5Y | 60 |
| Documents and a wide range of visual material from contemporary sources are used to examine the theory and practice of medieval and early modern medicine, focusing upon English and European society. Topics include changing perceptions of death, disease and the body, medicine and religion, the impact of medical ideas upon literary and political thought, public health, medical and surgical training, and women as healers and patients. This module examines a wide range of iconographic and archaeological sources, as well as documents in translation. |
| DISSERTATION IN HISTORY | HISH3P2Y | 30 |
| This module offers students the opportunity to submit a dissertation of 9,000 words on a topic approved by the School. |
| EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE | HISH2B13 | 20 |
| 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. |
| EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE (CW) | HISH2B13C | 20 |
| This unit is a coursework-only version of HISH2B13 EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| EDWARDIAN BRITAIN | HISH3E56 | 30 |
| 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. |
| FROM AGINCOURT TO BOSWORTH: ENGLAND IN THE WARS OF THE ROSES | HISH2B18 | 20 |
| 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. |
| FROM AGINCOURT TO BOSWORTH: ENGLAND IN THE WARS OF THE ROSES | HISH2B18C | 20 |
| 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. |
| HENRY VIII: THE MAKING OF A TYRANT? | HIST3L2Y | 60 |
| 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? |
| HERITAGE AND PUBLIC HISTORY | HISH2H05 | 20 |
| 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. |
| IMPERIAL RUSSIAN AND SOVIET HISTORY 1861, - 1941 | HISH2D89C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2D89 IMPERIAL RUSSIAN AND SOVIET HISTORY and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| IMPERIAL RUSSIAN AND SOVIET HISTORY, 1861-1945 | HISH2D89 | 20 |
| 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. |
| ISOLATION TO WORLD WAR: BRITAIN AND THE ORIGINS OF WWI | HIST3G3Y | 60 |
| A double module special subject that 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. It would be helpful (but not essential) to have done NAPOLEON TO STALIN and/or RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH POWER. |
| LANDSCAPE I: STRUCTURES OF LANDSCAPE | HISH2A51 | 20 |
| This unit 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 Middle and later Saxon periods. The unit 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 before the Norman Conquest. |
| LANDSCAPE I: STRUCTURES OF LANDSCAPE | HISH2A51C | 20 |
| This unit is a coursework-only version of HISH2A51 LANDSCAPE I and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| LANDSCAPE II (CW) | HISH2A52C | 20 |
| This unit will examine the development of the English countryside from late Saxon times into the eighteenth century. Topics covered will include medieval settlement and field systems, medieval and post medieval earthworks, woods and wood-pastures, enclosure, walls and hedges, the archaeology of houses, and vernacular houses. There will be a substantial practical component to the unit, involving the analysis of earthworks, hedges and woods, early maps and aerial photographs. |
| LANDSCAPE II : BUILT AND SEMI-NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS | HISH2A52 | 20 |
| 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. |
| LANDSCAPE III FIELD COURSE | HISH3P4Y | 30 |
| 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 buildings and historic landscapes. Assessment will take the form of a practical assignment in the field and an extended project. |
| LANDSCAPE SPECIAL SUBJECT | HIST3A5Y | 60 |
| A special subject dealing with various types of landscapes found in England, and their development over time. In the first semester, Dr Liddiard will examine castles, monasteries and urban settlements in England and discuss the evidence for medieval designed landscapes. Dr Williamson considers the various kinds of rural landscape, paying particular attention to: designed landscapes (parks and gardens), wood-pasture countryside, marshes and fens, and landscapes of reclamation and enclosure. |
| LATER MEDIEVAL EUROPE | HISH2A94 | 20 |
| This module focuses on the political, cultural and social history of later medieval Europe (c. 1100-c. 1500) looking particularly at France and Italy. We discuss the formation of cities, the position of the papacy, lay piety, the role of women, and other related topics. |
| LATER MEDIEVAL EUROPE (CW) | HISH2A94C | 20 |
| This is a coursework-only version of HISH2A94 LATER MEDIEVAL EUROPE and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. |
| LATIN FOR HISTORIANS | HISH2A62 | 20 |
| The aim of this module is to provide 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 contemplate proceeding to the MA pathways in Medieval History or in Local and Regional History. |
| MADNESS AND MEDICINE | HISH3F62C | 30 |
| 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. |
| MEDICINE & SOCIETY BEFORE THE 17TH CENTURY | HISH2B95C | 20 |
| 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. |
| MEDICINE AND GENDER | HISH2B97 | 20 |
| 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. |
| MEDICINE AND GENDER (CW) | HISH2B97C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B97 MEDICINE AND GENDER and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| MEDICINE AND SOCIETY BEFORE THE 17TH CENTURY | HISH2B95 | 20 |
| 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. |
| MEDICINE AND SOCIETY IN MODERN BRITAIN | HISH2B96 | 20 |
| 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. In the context of background trends in social history, students can follow up special interests (eg, gender issues, rural services) in essay topics. |
| MEDICINE AND SOCIETY IN MODERN BRITAIN (CW) | HISH2B96C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B96 MEDICINE AND SOCIETY IN MODERN BRITAIN and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| MODERN GERMANY, 1866-1945 | HISH2D53 | 20 |
| The history of few countries is as dramatic as that of modern Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries. This module will examine the making of the German nation, the political consequences of Germany's transformation into an industrial superpower, why Germany plunged Europe into war in 1914, whether Weimar democracy had any chance of survival, the relationship of people to regime in Nazi Germany, what in Germany's history produced a regime as barbarous and destructive as that of Adolf Hitler, and the impact of Nazism on Germany since 1945. |
| MODERN GERMANY, 1866-1945 | HISH2D53C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2D53 MODERN GERMANY, 1866-1945 and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| MODERN ITALY, 1860-1945 | HISH2E08 | 20 |
| 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. |
| MODERN ITALY, 1860-1945 | HISH2E08C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2E08 MODERN ITALY, 1860-1945 and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| NAPOLEON TO STALIN: THE STRUGGLE FOR MASTERY IN EUROPE | HISH2D02 | 20 |
| 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. |
| NAPOLEONIC EUROPE | HISH3K01C | 30 |
| 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. |
| NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET ENGLAND, 1066-1307 | HISH2B12 | 20 |
| 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. |
| NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET ENGLAND, 1066-1307 | HISH2B12C | 20 |
| This unit is a coursework-only version of HISH2B12 NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET ENGLAND, 1066-1307 and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| OLIVER CROMWELL AND THE PURITAN WORLD (CW) | HISH3K05C | 30 |
| 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. |
| POWERFUL WORDS: EDUCATION, CULTURE AND POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE AGES | HISH3K14 | 30 |
| 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. |
| QUEENS, COURTESANS AND COMMONERS: WOMEN AND GENDER IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE | HISH2F25 | 20 |
| 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. |
| QUEENS, COURTESANS AND COMMONERS: WOMEN AND GENDER IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE (CW) | HISH2F25C | 20 |
| 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. |
| REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION | HISH2H01 | 20 |
| 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. |
| REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION | HISH2H01C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework only version of HISH2H01 REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION and is available only to NON-HUM and Visiting Students. |
| RUSSIA IN REVOLUTION 1905-1921 | HISH3F18 | 30 |
| 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. |
| SEMESTER STUDY ABROAD (AUTUMN SEMESTER) | HISH2X05 | 60 |
| 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. |
| SEMESTER STUDY ABROAD (SPRING SEMESTER) | HISH2X04 | 60 |
| 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. |
| STALIN AND STALINISM: THE USSR 1924-1953 | HIST3H6Y | 60 |
| 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. |
| THE BRITISH EMPIRE, 1857-1956 | HISH2B74 | 20 |
| 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. |
| THE BRITISH EMPIRE, 1857-1956 | HISH2B74C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B74 THE BRITISH EMPIRE and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. |
| THE CRUSADES | HISH3A61C | 30 |
| 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. |
| THE DEVIL’S BROOD: THE ANGEVIN KINGS OF ENGLAND (1154-1225) | HIST3C1Y | 60 |
| 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. |
| THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE TO NANCY ASTOR: WOMEN, POWER AND POLITICS | HISH2H12 | 20 |
| 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. |
| THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE TO NANCY ASTOR: WOMEN, POWER AND POLITICS | HISH2H12C | 20 |
| 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. This module is only available to non-HIS and visiting students. |
| THE ENGLISH CIVIL WARS | HISH2H10 | 20 |
| 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. |
| THE ENGLISH CIVIL WARS (CW) | HISH2H10C | 20 |
| 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. This module is only available to non-HIS and visiting students. |
| THE ENGLISH IN AMERICA 1607-1692 | HIST3J2Y | 60 |
| 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. |
| THE NORMAN CONQUEST | HISH3K10 | 30 |
| 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. |
| THE PAPACY, CHRISTIANITY AND THE STATE, 1050-1300 | HISH2A10 | 20 |
| 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. |
| THE PAPACY, CHRISTIANITY AND THE STATE, 1050-1300 | HISH2A10C | 20 |
| 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. |
| THE POWER OF THE PAST: MEMORY AND HISTORY | HISH2E02 | 20 |
| Ideas about the past have often been very political. This unit looks at popular ideas about history. The first part of the unit focuses on modern Britain and Europe c. 1848-1991. The second part of the unit looks at a range of case studies from earlier periods. |
| THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH POWER | HISH2B57 | 20 |
| 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 lowing its empire. |
| THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH POWER | HISH2B57C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B57 THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH POWER and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| THE THIRD REICH | HIST3D6Y | 60 |
| This special subject makes extensive use of primary sources to examine: the ideology, structure and social base of the Nazi movement, the type of dictatorship it constructed during and after the seizure of power, the impact of the regime's policies on German society and on the Germans' relationship to Hitler, and the social, economic and political changes wrought by Germany's war of racial conquest, and the experience of the German 'home front' during the war. |
| TUDOR AND STUART ENGLAND | HISH2B35 | 20 |
| 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. |
| TUDOR AND STUART ENGLAND | HISH2B35C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B35 TUDOR AND STUART ENGLAND and is available only to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| TUDOR REBELLIONS | HISH3K08 | 30 |
| 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. |
| TWENTIETH CENTURY SPORT HISTORY | HISH3F76 | 30 |
| 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. |
| TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITAIN: 1914 TO THE PRESENT | HISH2G01 | 20 |
| This module examines the themes of conflict and consensus in 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 nature and durability of consensus politics in the 1950s, or Britain’s role in the contemporary world. |
| TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITAIN: 1914 TO THE PRESENT | HISH2G01C | 20 |
| 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. |
| TYRANNY AND REVOLUTION: THE AGE OF RICHARD II | HISH3K17 | 30 |
| 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. |
| VICTORIAN BRITAIN | HISH2B73 | 20 |
| 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. |
| VICTORIAN BRITAIN | HISH2B73C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2B73 VICTORIAN BRITAIN and is only available to non-HIS and Visiting students. |
| VICTORIAN UNDERWORLDS | HISH3H12 | 30 |
| 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. |
| WAR AND PEACE SINCE 1945 | HISH2G02 | 20 |
| 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 |
| WAR AND PEACE SINCE 1945 | HISH2G02C | 20 |
| This module is a coursework-only version of HISH2G02C WAR AND PEACE SINCE 1945 and is available only to non-HUM and Visiting students. |
| WORKING IN THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT | HISH3H1Y | 30 |
| This module will provide students with the opportunity to undertake a work placement with an employer working in the historic environment sector. Each placement will last for six to eight weeks and will focus on a specific project relating to landscape history or archaeology. Placements must be undertaken between June and December, and will be followed up by a series of practical seminars in the spring semester. Students may arrange their own work placements but this must be approved in advance by the module organisers. Project based placements will be agreed in advance with the host organisations. Students will then have to ‘apply’ for the placement of their choice, and will attend an informal interview with the relevant organisation before their choice of placement is confirmed. A list of provisional placements and projects will be available in Spring 2011. Please note that enrolment on this module will only be confirmed after a short interview with the module organisers. |
| YOUTH IN MODERN EUROPE | HISH3J04C | 30 |
| 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 durée 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. |
