Module Content and Indicative Topics 

This module will introduce students to some of the key historical events which have shaped modern France, as well as to the discipline of history more generally, including the consultation of historical documents. You will examine documents relating to the Revolution, the Dreyfus Affair, the Vichy regime, and the decolonisation of Algeria – four periods and events that are central to modern, and contemporary, French identity. You will also develop your critical and essay-writing skills, and reflect on the key ideas that shaped the events and period examined. The module looks at the historical context and explores the social, political and symbolic significance of the events. It also incorporates an element of peer-reviewing, which will ask you to reflect upon and improve your own writing practices. 

The module will cover the following topics, which may be subject to variation depending on developments in academic research and the interests of the class: 

Introduction to the discipline of history 

The French Revolution of 1789 

The Dreyfus Affair (1894-1906) 

The Vichy regime (1940-44) and its memory 

The colonisation and decolonisation of Algeria (1830-1962) and its memory 

eaching Delivery 

The module is taught via weekly lectures followed by one-hour seminars, in which you will discuss the set texts and other key themes of the lecture, and be able to pose your own questions. Seminar preparation will involve reading set texts and taking notes based on pre-circulated questions. 

By the end of the module, you should be able to: 


	Demonstrate an understanding of key moments in modern French history 
	

	Interpret and analyse both primary and secondary sources 
	

	Improve your written and spoken communication, via essays, exam answers, and class discussions 
	

	Formulate and justify arguments regarding certain aspects of French history 
	

	Apply your knowledge of the ideas and events central to this course to your understanding of contemporary France more generally 
	
Recommended Reading 

In preparation for the module, we advise reading the following core texts, although this is not compulsory. These can be found in the UCL Library: 

Rod Kedward, La Vie En Bleu: France and the French since 1900 (London: Allen Lane, 2005). 

Robert Gildea, France 1870-1914 (Longman: London, 1996). 

James F. McMillan, Twentieth-Century France: Politics and Society, 1889-1991 (London: Edward Arnold, 1992) 

William Doyle, The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001). 

 