In this course, you will gain a better understanding of the modern world by studying some of the most important political revolutions that took place between the 17th century and today. You will seek to understand the causes of each revolution, analyze the ideologies that inspired the revolutionaries, examine revolutionary uses of violence, and consider how historical revolutions still shape contemporary politics.
In the 1970s, the Chinese Communist leader Zhou Enlai was asked to assess the outcomes of the French Revolution of 1789. He supposedly answered: “It is too soon to say.” Though this story has a somewhat apocryphal status, it captures a fundamental truth about the world in which we live: it is a world which has been shaped by revolutions, and their legacies are always difficult to evaluate.
In this course, you will gain a better understanding of the modern world by studying some of the most important political revolutions that took place between the 17th century and today. You will seek to understand the causes of each revolution, analyze the ideologies that inspired the revolutionaries, examine revolutionary uses of violence, and consider how historical revolutions still shape contemporary politics. Close and critical readings of historical sources will be crucial in this process.
The course begins with a theoretical analysis of revolutions and a careful examination of pre-revolutionary Europe and the Enlightenment. Subsequent units examine the English Revolution of the 17th century; the American and the French Revolutions, which are often described as the crucible of modernity; the Mexican Revolution, which changed the history of Latin America; the Russian and the Chinese Revolutions, which sought to create Marxist states; the Iranian Revolution, which created an Islamic Republic; and finally, the Eastern European revolutions of 1989, which brought about radical changes without recourse to violence.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Provide a concise historical narrative of each of the revolutions presented in the course.
- Identify the origins and causes of each revolution, and compare revolutions with respect to their causes.
- Analyze the goals and ideals of the revolutionaries, and compare how these functioned in various modern revolutions.
- Discuss how revolutions in various parts of the world have affected women’s rights.
- Analyze how religious and secular worldviews came into conflict during times of upheaval and revolution.
- Discuss the patterns and dynamics of revolutionary violence, and evaluate how revolutionaries have used nonviolent tactics against oppressive regimes
- Evaluate connections between revolutionary ideologies and revolutionary events.
- Analyze how the legacies of each revolution are present in modern politics..
- Describe and evaluate competing theoretical models of revolutionary change.
- Interpret primary historical documents.
