This module is only for affiliate students at UCL in Term 1 only or in Term 2 only.

The module explores the literary and cultural histories of Saint Petersburg, its mythologies and ‘urban geography,’ as represented in a range of fictional and non-fictional texts dating from the 19th c. to the early 20th c. Students will be introduced to the concept of the ‘city-text’ and the basics of urban semiotics, and to the major aesthetic movements and stylistic trends of the period (including Romanticism, Realism, and Symbolism). Approached from diverse perspectives (as a myth, text, ‘body,’ modern urban metropolis, a metaphor for Russia, an imperial city, the epitome of state bureaucracy, a ‘window onto Europe,’ and the ‘cultural capital’) Petersburg will also be contrasted to Moscow to examine the fundamental duality informing Russian national identity. Contextualization within broader historical, ideological, and cultural parameters will be combined with close textual analysis of selected passages. Native views on Petersburg will be juxtaposed against foreign reception.

BRITISH HISTORY|LONDON|MODERN HISTORY|ECONOMIC HISTORY|FINANCIAL HISTORY

This module focuses on the &quot;financial city” of London during the first era of financial globalisation. The period from the 1870s to World War I was...

The City of London in the Age of Global Capital 1870-1914 (HIST0557)

This module focuses on the "financial city” of London during the first era of financial globalisation. The period from the 1870s to World War I was marked by the dominance of the City of London as the leading international financial centre. The financial success of the City was closely linked to the performance of its key institutions, mainly the London Stock Exchange and the Bank of England. These organisations, together with several others, constituted the pillars of the City’s governance and ensured an effective running of its banking system, its various exchanges, and its money market. As the capital flows surged across the world, the London Stock Exchange became the hub for domestic, international and colonial stocks, bonds and currencies. The rise in financial activity was slowed down by several episodes of domestic and global financial crises, which gave way to further regulation and adaptation of the City to the changing market conditions. This module aims to establish and analyse the success record of the City by using some of the key contemporary sources drawn from various print and digital collections. It contemplates the histories of financial capitalism, imperialism and globalisation during 1870-1914. In terms of methodology, students are expected to engage in both quantitative and qualitative literature of financial history. The module is structured thematically. Each theme covers the entire period and is discussed with reference to the key historiography and a relevant source. Besides these core themes, the first four weeks will introduce key concepts, debates, sources and methods in the financial history of the City, as well as its physical geography and technology during 1870-1914.