Booklist for Spring 2011

Below is a list of the assigned texts for History of France in Spring 2011. I STRONGLY recommend that you search online for used copies of these texts. You can save a great amount of money compared to the KU Bookstore.

• Jeremy Popkin, A Short History of the French Revolution
• Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow, Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong
• William Cohen ed., The Transformation of Modern France
• Joseph Strayer, The Albigensian Crusade
• Voltaire, Candide

An Interesting Relic from the Revolution

An anonymous family in Italy is claiming that this gourd once contained a handkerchief that had been soaked in the blood of Louis XVI after his execution in January 1793. Scientists have been able to collect remnants of blood stains from inside the container and much of the DNA evidence determined so far strongly suggests that it is authentic. We know that many of the witnesses of Louis' execution collected blood from the scaffold. Many still believed in the sacred nature of the monarchy and viewed the king as a martyr. Others, like the original owner of this artifact believed that they were taking part in a dramatic historical event and kept the blood as a memento.

Orientalism in Modern Cinema

Orientalism is term scholars use to describe the romanticization of the Near and Far East, usually by projecting the desires generated by our disillusionment with the modern Western world onto an exotic, foreign tableau. In this sense, the Orient is viewed as the antithesis of the West, either as a purer, more spiritual, timeless place waiting for Westerners to come and discover themselves, or as a confusing, untamed, and irrational place where Western norms break down. Much like the dichotomy of the Noble Savage/Cannibal in the Western imagination of the New World, both rely on stereotypes and placing the foreign into Western mental categories.

Orientalism arguably goes back to the ancient Greeks, who emphasized the foreignness of their Persian adversaries. Modern orientalism is a product of the Age of Exploration, the Enlightenment, and went hand-in-hand with imperialism. It continues to inform many of our views of the East. It is important to understand it as a cultural process because it so often limits our ability to understand Asia on its own terms. While these misunderstandings aren't always harmful, it is important to realize that they are there, and that just as we approach the foreign with our own mental toolbox, the foreign also approaches us with theirs'.

This article from NPR describes orientalism using examples from modern cinema, including the new film Eat, Pray, Love.

Ethnic Rioting in Grenoble

The French have a very different model of integrating immigrants than the United States in which ethnic and religious differences receive no official acknowledgment from the state. While this is part of an ideology that seeks to establish absolute equality among its citizens, it can have some unintended consequences. The French government does not collect any data on the ethnic origin of its citizens, which makes it difficult to target social resources to where it might be most needed. This also opens the way for covert racism, since employers might overlook applications with ethnic names.

Although there are no official numbers, the unemployment rates among immigrant communities are more than twice the national average. The poverty in these communities often fuels anger against the state and especially the police. The suburbs of Paris saw weeks of violent rioting in 2005 that was precipitated by the accidental death of a teenager who was fleeing from the police. Now the city of Grenoble is facing similar unrest after police shot an armed robbery suspect.

While on the surface these incidents appear to be common criminality, they offer some insight into the modern problems post-colonial societies face with national identity and integration.

Looking for Meaning in France's World Cup Disgrace

From winning in 1998 and being a finalist in 2006 to imploding in 2010, France has gone a long way over the past twelve years. Their victory in '98 was seen as a triumph for the French model of integration, since their multi-ethnic team was comprised of players from all parts of the former French Empire. This editorial from NYT columnist Roger Cohen suggests that there may be some cracks in the fascade of French national identity and suggests some of the complexities of Frenchness.

Uproar Over Desecration of the French Flag

The French have a different relationship with their national flag than Americans have with ours'. While the French can be just as patriotic as the most red-blooded American, the Tricolor flag is not nearly as ubiquitous as the Stars and Stripes are here. It is almost unheard of for the French flag to be displayed on private homes, bumper stickers, t-shirts, or lapel pins. This has nothing to do with national pride, just with where the French draw the line between the state and the personal. Still, the flag has a lot of historical and emotional significance as is evident from this story about a man who apparently wiped his backside with the flag.

Spring '10 Final Exam

Directions: Answer 2 of the following questions in essay form using the same style guidelines as for the research paper. An adequate answer will be 4 pages minimum. Your grade will be based on how well your response uses evidence from the assigned readings. Exams will be due between noon and 1pm on Wednesday of Finals Week at a location TBA (our classroom might be occupied). I will only accept hardcopies. No email attachments please.

1) Describe the social, economic, cultural, and political factors that contributed to the Enlightenment in France. What were some of the new values that came with the Enlightenment? In what ways did the Enlightenment contribute to the Revolution?

2) The central theme of this class has been the development of a sense of "Frenchness" that overrides regional particularism. How did the French Revolution contribute to this development? What other factors after 1800 contributed to this process? What are some of the challenges the French face today in keeping this sense of "Frenchness"?

3) Since the Revolution, France has seen two monarchies (Bourbon and Orlean) two empires (Napoleon I and III), and is currently in its Fifth Republic. Discuss.

Paper Guidelines

It was brought to my attention that the link on the syllabus to the paper guidelines is broken. Until I am able to fix it, you can click here to access the guidelines.

Matisse Retrospective

The Chicago Art Institute has an exhibit of Henri Matisse's early works that shows how he developed into one of the masters of modernism. This interactive article from the Daily Beast shows some of the highlights of this exhibition.

French President Visits Haiti

Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, is on a visit to Haiti. While his personal presence is largely symbolic, he has pledged aid for the ravaged country. His visit is a reminder of the continued ties France and other former imperialists have with their former colonies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8519835.stm

Spring '10 MIDTERM Instructions

I will post THREE questions on this blog and you will be responsible for answering TWO in essay form. Your response should be 3-5 pages and you should adhere to the same formatting guidelines that I have listed for your research papers. The questions are purposely open-ended to give you the flexibility to demonstrate what you have learned so far. You will be graded on how well your responses use evidence from the course readings and discussions.

You are strongly encouraged to discuss these questions among yourselves on this board. I will monitor the discussions and participate in them from time to time.

CLICK THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW TO ACCESS THE QUESTIONS

Tea Parties in 1950's France

This article by Robert Zaretsky, an American historian of France, shows some striking parallels between the current Tea Party movement and a short-lived populist movement in France.

Discussion Questions for Strayer

Montsegur, the site of the final stand of the Albigensians

Here are some questions that you should think of during your reading that will guide the discussion on Wednesday and Friday:

• What was Occitania? How did it differ from northern France in terms of social structures, economics, and culture? How were these differences significant in the Albigensian conflict?
• How did the structure of the church differ in Occitania? How did this affect religious attitudes and the willingness/ability of the local bishops to respond to the heresy?
• Who were the main players in the conflict? What were their motives? Describe the rivalries among the Occitanian lords.
• Why didn't the French monarchy get involved at first? Why did they get involved later?
• Why was Simon de Montfort so successful at the onset? What troubles did he face in the aftermath of his successful invasion?
• Why was northern France ultimately successful with the Crusades?
• How did the Albigensian Crusade strengthen the French monarchy?

Syllabus for Spring 2010

Link is fixed, sorry about that. I realized that it did not have the http:// prefix, and so the link was looking for a local file that doesn't exist.

http://faculty.kutztown.edu/ejohnson/h234s10.htm

Culture and Integration in France

Here is a story from BBC about one of the most contentious issues in France today. France has a large Muslim population, many of which immigrated from former colonies. The French model of citizenship emphasizes Frenchness and consciously ignores religious, ethnic, and racial identities. The French census does not even collect data on race or religion because the French government does not consider it to be important. Despite this there is a high degree of tension within the Muslim community, which is typically concentrated in poorer neighborhoods where unemployment is more than twice the national average.

Many Muslims try to retain their culture, which provokes anxiety among many native French that their refusal to integrate will change the character of French culture. One of the steps many politicians have called for is the banning of visible signs of non-French culture, especially the head scarf. This issue has been debated for many years, and lies at the heart of French notions of citizenship, national identity, and individual liberty.

Haiti and France

The earthquake on 12 January has once again brought Haiti to the world's attention as the disaster has compounded the miserable living conditions that its inhabitants face on a daily basis. Over the last century Haiti has been destabilized by foreign entanglements, harsh dictatorships, and environmental degradation.

Haiti began as a French colony called Saint-Domingue, which they seized from the weakened Kingdom of Spain with the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697. Over the next century Saint-Domingue became the most valuable colonial territory of France, producing sugar, coffee, and indigo. These products were grown on plantations worked by African slaves. During the years of the slave trade more Africans were forcibly transported to the Caribbean than any other part of the New World. The tropical climate was often deadly for enslaved workers. A large portion died within the first year of their arrival, necessitating a constant stream of new slaves to replenish the workers who had died.

Conditions for these slaves as well as freed blacks was largely determined by the Code Noir (Black Code) which was enacted by Louis XIV in 1685. This law code forbade slaves to do anything without their master's permission, made Catholicism the only permitted religion in French colonies, and outlined harsh punishments for rebellion or fleeing.

Haiti gained its independence from France during the Revolution under the leadership of a former slave named Toussaint L'Ouverture. The rebellion L'Ouverture posed a major challenge to the ideals of liberty and equality that the French were granting themselves in Europe. Events in France forced the legislature to grant Haiti independence, although Napoleon and Charles X made attempts to reconquer the former colony. In 1825 Charles X forced Haiti to pay a 150 million franc indemnity for damages the rebellion caused to the slave trade.

Haiti has the unique distinction of being the only successful slave revolt in history. However many of its neighbors viewed the example of Haiti as a threat to their own regimes that also relied on exploitative peasant/slave labor. Over the past two hundred years Haiti's government has been unduly influenced by foreign businessmen who in some case have organized coups against seated regimes. US Marines supported a coup in 1888, Germany helped suppress a reform movement in 1892, and American, German, and British forces invaded in early 1914 to protect western business interests. All in all there have been more than 30 coups over the last two centuries.

Haiti is one of many examples of the long-term consequences of European colonization that the world still contends with today.

Syllabus for Spring 2010

The syllabus for Spring 2010 is now online at:

faculty.kutztown.edu/ejohnson/h234s10.htm