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Undergraduate History 2015-2016

HI1022: EUROPE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

15 credits

Level 1

First Sub Session

A comprehensive treatment of this enormous subject is obviously impracticable in an introductory course within the space of one semester, so we aim to highlight a selection of six key political, economic, social and other themes. The selection varies from year to year, but is likely to include the rise of Bolshevism, reconstruction and European integration after WW2, and the Cold War. The twice-weekly lectures introduce the topics, while the eight tutorial meetings emphasise the development of practical transferable research and presentation skills as well as the building of historical knowledge.
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HI1523: RENAISSANCES AND REFORMATIONS

15 credits

Level 1

Second Sub Session

The course provides a broad overview of the changes which the Renaissance and Reformations introduced to European culture, politics, religion, society and people’s understanding of their role in the world. It traces these developments in a comparative way, from Europe’s Atlantic cost to East Central Europe and Russia, throughout a changing image of the world and its relationship to the spiritual, brought on by Renaissance, a time of unrest triggered by European Reformations, the radical and magisterial reformations, European expansion, the growth of monarchies and republics, and the wars of religion of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. For more information please see course guide.

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HI1526: VIKINGS!

15 credits

Level 1

Second Sub Session

This course introduces students to a period of warfare and pillage, political turmoil and social transformation, but also economic expansion and cultural innovation. In 795 Viking raiders mercilessly attacked the Christian monastic community on Iona in the Scottish western isles. From then on their activities extended from Denmark, Norway and Sweden out to Continental Europe, North America, Russia, and the Mediterranean Basin. Over time they became transformed from heathen raiders into Christianized settlers. In Iceland they created a republic which has remained Scandinavian in culture; elsewhere, for instance Britain, Ireland, and Russia, they adopted and modified the host culture. For more information please see course guide.
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HI2020: BIRTH OF MODERNITY: POLITICS, CULTURE AND SCIENCE IN EUROPE, 1700-1870

30 credits

Level 2

First Sub Session

This course introduces students to the crucible of the modern age. Hinging on the American, French and 1848 Revolutions, it explores how men and women in elite and popular communities generated new modes of living, experience and expression and how they understood and manipulated the natural world. Attention will be given to the Enlightenment, Revolution, Empire, Romanticism and Ideology with interrelated developments in politics, culture and science also being explored. Students will be introduced to the works of figures such as Newton, Voltaire, Paine, Goethe, Marx, Darwin and Nietzsche. Topics will include Salons, the Terror, nationalism and secularisation.
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HI2021: POWER & PIETY: MEDIEVAL EUROPE, 1100-1500

30 credits

Level 2

First Sub Session

Between 1100 and 1500 western Europe underwent fundamental transformations: new technical, economic and political challenges, fresh developments in religious and intellectual life and catastrophes like wars, diseases and climate change fundamentally shaped European societies for centuries to come. This course offers a thematic survey of medieval western societies, focusing on religion, kingship and warfare, economy and environment, cultural renaissances and intellectual novelties, the emergence of national states and identities and the discovery of new worlds.   
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HI2520: GLOBAL EMPIRE IN THE LONG NINETEENTH CENTURY

30 credits

Level 2

Second Sub Session

The  long nineteenth century (c.1760-1914) saw dramatic rises and falls in political units and power systems (empires) bringing together a range of peoples and territories.  Generally, but not exclusively, they were dominated by Europeans (or those who at least claimed European descent). These global empires are now recognised by historians as a key feature of modern history, and have generated an increasingly rich and varied literature. This course offers you the chance to examine this crucial and controversial phenomenon which, for better or worse, made the modern world. For more information please see course guide.
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HC3503: ICONS I: GREAT FIGURES PAST AND PRESENT

15 credits

Level 3

Second Sub Session

This course provides an opportunity to examine 'icons': great figures past and present that are part of our cultural, intellectual, political and religious vocabulary, helping us to narrate our lives. Stripping away the myths and popular understandings, how, where and why did such figures originate? A key aim is for students to take one such figure and explore critically the icon's biography, historical origins or cultural derivations. Examples may include prominent figures in history or contemporary culture, such as Marilyn Monroe, Hitler, Michelangelo, Napoleon, Elizabeth I, Darwin and Buddha. For further information please see course guide.
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HC3801: ICONS II: MAKING THE MYTH

15 credits

Level 3

Second Sub Session

This course follows Icons I: Great Figures Past and Present. Student will examine the way in which their chosen 'icon' has been transformed after death, or period of initial construction, up to the present day. Key aims of this course are for students to: discuss the different representations of their icon and the meanings assigned to that icon, in changing historical, cultural and religious contexts. A successful student will produce an extended analytical review of the ways in which a particular 'icon' has been reconstructed and the reasons for that reconstruction. For further information please see course guide.
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HI303T: IMPERIAL RUSSIA 1801-1914

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

This course will examine key issues and events in Russian history during the period 1801-1914. The following themes will be central: Autocracy, opposition and alternatives; International affairs, military might and great-power status; Social problems and the inter-relation of sections of Russian society; Economic problems such as modernisation, industrialisation, finance, communications etc; and Problems of a vast contiguous Empire, containing many non-Russian groups, religions and cultures, in an age of imperial competition.
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HI304A: CULTURAL HISTORY OF SPORT

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

This course uses sport as a way of trying to understand the historical past as well as viewing it as an active agent in producing historical change. The main chronological focus is on the development of modern sports from the nineteenth century onwards. Geographically, the focus is on western Europe, but there is also detailed consideration of the British Empire, the United States and other areas. Issues addressed include social class, 'race', gender, violence, senses of identity and governmental policies. A comparative and interdisciplinary approach is encouraged.

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HI304M: POWER AND TRADITIONS: FRANCE 1799-1900

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

Questions about who exercised power and why resonated at every level of nineteenth-century French society. The Revolution of 1789 had brought about fundamental reforms to the political and social order in France. It set down the roots of the French republican tradition whose supporters became locked in an ongoing ideological struggle against conservative political and social elites. This course examines the myriad forms that power took in French society, from Napoleon’s coup d’état of 18 Brumaire to the early Third Republic.
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HI304S: SCOTLAND: A SOCIOLOGICAL HISTORY

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

Questions of national identity have been thrown into high relief by devolution and potential independence, so how might we explain contemporary Scotland?  Assessing what Scotland and Scottishness are today requires a thematic approach to historical understanding.  This course provides a case study of how ideas about of the development of nations stand up against the evidence since the mid-eighteenth century.  It addresses popular myths about difference from England, industrial development and decline, education and empire, immigration and emigration, sectarianism, political allegiance, tourism and heritage as well as the images and icons constituting ‘Scottishness’.
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HI304T: WORLD WAR ONE: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

This course examines the history of the First World War in an international comparative perspective through detailed study of contemporary as ell as secondary sources. Following a series of introductory lectures on various aspects of the war, the students taking this course will be divided into sub-groups with normally a maximum of 20 students per group. Each group will focus on either the war experience of a particular country such as Russia or France or undertake comparative study of selected themes such as political, social and cultural transformations and the peacemaking process.
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HI305E: LAWYERS AND LECHERS IN THE MIDDLE AGES: THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH COURTS AS EVIDENCE FOR MEDIEVAL LIFE

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

By the end of the mediaeval period, European society had learned to solve most of its conflicts in courts rather than in military confrontations. The records of these courts allow us to see life as lived by ordinary people. Using translated legal sources, we investigate why people resolved conflicts in court and asks what we can learn about litigants, law and lawyers.
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HI306A: BACK IN THE VIKING HOMELANDS

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

This course offers a study of the society, culture and religion in Viking Age Scandinavia. Within these broad themes, special attention will be devoted to the situation during the Viking Age in Scandinavia, and also the impact from the continent and the Isles, especially regarding the change of religion, the introduction of literacy and the social links between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. Detailed attention will also be paid to the Christianization process.
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HI30BD: GERMANY, 1517-1806: REFORMATION, EMPIRE AND ENLIGHTENMENT

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

Composed of hundreds of territories, the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation seemed an incoherent patchwork. Yet it functioned as a political entity for centuries. This course studies the profound transformation of Germany from the onset of the Reformation to the destruction of the Empire by Napoleon. We will look at religious conflict, the impact of war, the early Enlightenment and the development of early national identity. The question we have to ask is not why did the Holy Roman Empire fail, but why and how did it survive for such a long period?
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HI30BF: JACOBITES: WAR, EXILE, AND POLITICS OF SUCCESSION IN BRITAIN

30 credits

Level 3

First Sub Session

This course examines the Jacobite movement in a British and European context from the defeat and exile of James II in 1688 through to last days of Charles Edward Stuart a century later. It will explore the Jacobites in a three kingdoms context: England, Scotland and Ireland and will put events in a wider European context examining power and politics within the courts of Paris and Rome.
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HI353W: STEWART SCOTLAND 1406-1603

30 credits

Level 3

Second Sub Session

This course examines Scotland in the last two centuries of its dynastic independence. Organised chronologically, it will address the rule of the realm under the Stewart dynasty. Kingship, nobility and the exercise of power on the national, regional and local levels will form major themes of this course. It will also examine regicide, regency, and resistance to authority, the relationship between crown, church and nobility, and the development of governmental institutions and offices. Attention will also be given to exploring social and political change, especially with regard to landowners and other power-holders. For further information please see course guide.
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HI3540: THINKING HISTORY

15 credits

Level 3

Second Sub Session

This course looks at how history is written. It considers the problems involved in studying and explaining the past, and the many dilemmas faced by historians in reconstructing it. By examining the ways in which history has been written from the Ancient Greeks to Postmodernism, it considers the limits of historical study, asks whether history can ever be a science, and reveals the assumptions behind the various approaches to history that inform its writing. It is designed to provide honours history students with an essential understanding of what they are doing when they study history. For further information please see course guide.
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HI354F: THE EMPIRE IN THE 'ORIENT': THE BRITISH IN ASIA, 1600-1858

30 credits

Level 3

Second Sub Session

This course examines English and, after 1707, British imperial interests in Asia. It explores the evolution of the English East India Company's 'commercial empire' in Asia. After 1750 the Company began acquiring territorial interests in India and these, together with contacts in the Persian Gulf, Indonesia and china, are traced. The political repercussions of this 'crisis in expansion' are explored, as are efforts at reforming Indian society. The final theme is the 1857 'Mutiny', an event which revealed the considerable strengths and weaknesses of Britain's empire in Asia. For further information please see course guide.
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HI355M: AZTECS, MAYAS & INCAS: EMPIRES ON THE EVE OF APOCALYPSE

30 credits

Level 3

Second Sub Session

This course will examine the economies, cultures, religions, and socio-political structures of the three ‘great’ civilizations of Meso- and South America: Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas. Their concepts of wealth, civilization, history, and overall worldviews will be examined in detail. The course will close by considering the status of these empires on the eve of contact with Europeans and the extent to which inherent factors within the empires may have contributed to their collapse and subsequent conquest by the Spanish. For further information please see course guide.
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HI355N: CONFLICT AND ITS LEGACIES: FRANCE 1900 - 2007

30 credits

Level 3

Second Sub Session

Experiences and memories of conflict have played an important role in shaping the development of twentieth-century France. This period is marked by two world wars, Occupation and Liberation, colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria, student revolt of May 1968, strike wave of 1995, and riots of November 2005. We study the underlying causes of wars and unrest; investigate links between conflict, cultural production, and social change; and examine the legacies of conflict in debates about 'French' identity and France's relationships with other parts of the world. For further information please see course guide.
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HI4015: SPECIAL SUBJECT

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

The Special Subject is the central final year History course, and each Special Subject deals in depth with a specific historical topic. Substantial emphasis is placed on the analysis of primary sources. Students typically have a choice of around a dozen different topics (of which they choose one), and the seminar-based learning environment is enhanced through the small group setup with normally no more than 12 students in each Special Subject.
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HI403T: IMPERIAL RUSSIA 1801 - 1914

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

This course will examine key issues and events in Russian history during the period 1801-1914. The following themes will be central: Autocracy, opposition and alternatives; International affairs, military might and great-power status; Social problems and the inter-relation of sections of Russian society; Economic problems such as modernisation, industrialisation, finance, communications etc; and Problems of a vast contiguous Empire, containing many non-Russian groups, religions and cultures, in an age of imperial competition.
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HI404A: CULTURAL HISTORY OF SPORT

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

This course uses sport as a way of trying to understand the historical past as well as viewing it as an active agent in producing historical change. The main chronological focus is on the development of modern sports from the nineteenth century onwards. Geographically, the focus is on western Europe, but there is also detailed consideration of the British Empire, the United States and other areas. Issues addressed include social class, 'race', gender, violence, senses of identity and governmental policies. A comparative and interdisciplinary approach is encouraged.

More Information

HI404M: POWER AND TRADITIONS: FRANCE 1799-1900

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

Questions about who exercised power and why resonated at every level of nineteenth-century French society. The Revolution of 1789 had brought about fundamental reforms to the political and social order in France. It set down the roots of the French republican tradition whose supporters became locked in an ongoing ideological struggle against conservative political and social elites. This course examines the myriad forms that power took in French society, from Napoleon’s coup d’état of 18 Brumaire to the early Third Republic.
More Information

HI404S: SCOTLAND: A SOCIOLOGICAL HISTORY

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

Questions of national identity have been thrown into high relief by devolution and potential independence, so how might we explain contemporary Scotland?  Assessing what Scotland and Scottishness are today requires a thematic approach to historical understanding.  This course provides a case study of how ideas about of the development of nations stand up against the evidence since the mid-eighteenth century.  It addresses popular myths about difference from England, industrial development and decline, education and empire, immigration and emigration, sectarianism, political allegiance, tourism and heritage as well as the images and icons constituting ‘Scottishness’.
More Information

HI404T: WORLD WAR ONE: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

This course examines the history of the First World War in an international comparative perspective through detailed study of contemporary as well as secondary sources. Following a series of introductory lectures on various aspects of the war, the students taking this course will be divided into sub-groups with normally a maximum of 20 students per group. Each group will focus on either the war experience of a particular country such as Russia or France or undertake comparative study of selected themes such as political, social and cultural transformations and the peacemaking process.
More Information

HI405E: LAWYERS AND LECHERS IN THE MIDDLE AGES: THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH COURTS AS EVIDENCE FOR MEDIEVAL LIFE

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

By the end of the mediaeval period, European society had learned to solve most of its conflicts in courts rather than in military confrontations. The records of these courts allow us to see life as lived by ordinary people. Using translated legal sources, we investigate why people resolved conflicts in court and asks what we can learn about litigants, law and lawyers.
More Information

HI406A: BACK IN THE VIKING HOMELANDS

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

This course offers a study of the society, culture and religion in Viking Age Scandinavia. Within these broad themes, special attention will be devoted to the situation during the Viking Age in Scandinavia, and also the impact from the continent and the Isles, especially regarding the change of religion, the introduction of literacy and the social links between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. Detailed attention will also be paid to the Christianization process.
More Information

HI406B: GERMANY, 1517 - 1806: REFORMATION, EMPIRE AND ENLIGHTENMENT

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

Composed of hundreds of territories, the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation seemed an incoherent patchwork. Yet it functioned as a political entity for centuries. This course studies the profound transformation of Germany from the onset of the Reformation to the destruction of the Empire by Napoleon. We will look at religious conflict, the impact of war, the early Enlightenment and the development of early national identity. The question we have to ask is not why did the Holy Roman Empire fail, but why and how did it survive for such a long period?
More Information

HI406G: JACOBITES: WAR, EXILE, AND POLITICS OF SUCCESSION IN BRITAIN

30 credits

Level 4

First Sub Session

This course examines the Jacobite movement in a British and European context from the defeat and exile of James II in 1688 through to last days of Charles Edward Stuart a century later. It will explore the Jacobites in a three kingdoms context: England, Scotland and Ireland and will put events in a wider European context examining power and politics within the courts of Paris and Rome.
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HI4516: UNDERGRADUATE DISSERTATION IN HISTORY

30 credits

Level 4

Second Sub Session

The undergraduate dissertation is the final-year major research undertaking, based on primary and secondary material and providing a critical analysis of a specific subject chosen by the student. It is obligatory for Single Honours students, whereas Joint Honours students choose to write their dissertation in either of the two subjects. After initial sessions about the nature of the dissertation and research approaches, students develop a topic with the help of a member of staff, who will also supervise their project throughout. For further information please see course guide.
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HI4517: HISTORY IN PRACTICE I

15 credits

Level 4

Second Sub Session

History is not simply a dry, academic study of the past; it shapes contemporary political, economic and cultural attitudes and is vital to the tourist and heritage industries - now one of the largest employment sectors in western societies. This course gives an understanding of the theoretical and practical links (as well as clear distinctions) between 'academic' History and 'public' History. This is done by having students assess how heritage and tourist businesses construct a particular version of the past. Students then undertake another project to present their ‘public’ version of an aspect of History. For further information please see course guide.
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HI4518: HISTORY IN PRACTICE II

30 credits

Level 4

Second Sub Session

History is not simply a dry, academic study of the past; it shapes a host of contemporary political, economic and cultural attitudes and is a central underpinning to the tourist and heritage industries - now one of the largest sectors of employment among mature western economies. This course is designed to give a critical understanding of the theoretical and practical links (as well as clear distinctions) between the practice of 'academic' History and 'public' History. This is done by having students assess how heritage and tourist businesses project a particular version of the past. For more information please see course guide.
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