FR350 The French Revolution
| Module Code: FR350 |
|---|
| Module Name: The French Revolution |
| Module Coordinator: Professor Kate Astbury |
| Term 1 |
| Module Credits: 15 |
Module Description
This module aims to introduce students to the key events, people, and ideas of the French Revolution both in mainland France and in the Caribbean through contemporary sources. A range of material will be used, from the Déclarations des droits de l'homme, to short pamphlets and plays, to caricatures and Robespierre's speeches, to the words of the Marseillaise. By the end of the module, students will be able to assess both the impact of the French Revolution and the role of culture and of the writer in times of revolution, when censorship, rhetoric and propaganda all have a part to play. We will also explore the ongoing relevance of the Revolution for modern France. One week of the module will be spent in the Modern Records Centre on campus handling revolutionary plays and other contemporary documents. Students will have the opportunity to develop their research skills and their own interests in the assessment for the module.
The module will be co-taught by Kate Astbury and Pierre Botcherby and the teaching will be organised into lectures ans seminars. Everyone will have the opportunity to do a group presentation to practise oral presentation skills before their final individual assessment.
Illustrative reading list
Please use as your main reading list the one on Talis, accessible via the Library website
- William Doyle, The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2001)
- Louis-Sébastien Mercier, Adieux à l'année 1789 available on Gallica, the Bibliothèque Nationale's digital library: http://gallica.bnf.fr/)
- La déclaration des droits de l'homme available on the Assemblée nationale's website here.
- Olympe de Gouges, Déclarations des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne (Poche 2003 or available on Gallica, the Bibliothèque Nationale's digital library: http://gallica.bnf.fr/)
- 1791 and 1793 constitutions and the Déclarations des droits de l'homme in Les Constitutions de la France depuis 1789(Garnier-Flammarion) or available on Elysée website Les textes fondateurs | Élysée.
- 3 Pamphlets against the monarchy:
- Lettre secrette et curieuse de Marie-Antoinette (on Gallica)
- Louis XVI et Marie-Antoinette, traités comme ils le méritent (on Gallica)
- Républicains, guillotinez-moi ce jean-foutre de Louis VI et cette putain de Marie Antoinette (on Gallica)
- Robespierre’s speeches Sur les principes de morale politique and Sur les rapports des idées religieuses et morales avec les principes républicains. The Project Gutenberg E-text of Discours—17 Avril 1792-27 Juillet 1794, by Maximilien Robespierre
- Saint-Just, Rapport sur la nécessité de déclarer le gouvernement révolutionnaire jusqu'à la paix (Oct 1793). pp 174-185 in Oeuvres de Saint-Just. Discours, rapports. Institutions républicaines. Organt. Esprit de la Révolution. Proclamations, lettres. Introduction de Jean Gratien | Gallica
- Sonthonax's proclamation abolishing slavery (1793) here: https://archive.org/details/proclamationauno00sont/page/n1/mode/2up?view=theater
- Maréchal, Le Jugement dernier des rois (Le jugement dernier des rois : prophétie en un acte, en prose / par P. Sylvain Maréchal, jouée sur le Théâtre de la République, au mois vendemiaire et jours suivants. - Le jugement dernier des rois - Marandet Collection - Revolutionary Drama - Warwick Digital Collections) or Le jugement dernier des rois by Sylvain Maréchal | Project Gutenberg
- A selection of Napoleon Bonaparte's pronouncements (to be provided in class)
You may like to look at the following web sites for background information:
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution
Assessment Method:
2750-3000 word essay (80%)
10 minute presentation (20%)
