This course provides a survey of major wars, the development of states' military and financial capacity, the course of imperial expansion and retreat, diplomatic alignments and alliances, arrangements for international trade and investment, as well as efforts to create international institutions. In short, it surveys the history of modern inter-state relations in the nineteenth century. This course covers the period from the Congress of Vienna (at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars) through the origins of World War I. It covers key elements of international history needed for further study of international politics and IR theory. Besides diplomatic relations among the Great Powers, the course examines long-term trends in economic development and military force. Specific topics include the settlement after the Napoleonic Wars, World War I, European imperialism, the industrial revolution and its impact on international affairs.

		Undergrad & Grad
	World Politics from the 1490s to 1815: A History	Political Science 213 & 323
	World Politics in the Nineteenth Century: A History	Political Science 214 & 324
	World Politics in the Twentieth Century, 1914-45: A History	Political Science 215 & 325
	World Politics in the Twentieth Century, 1945-91: A History	Political Science 216 & 326
	Big Wars: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern	Political Science 291 & 392

The reading requirements are straightforward:

T. C. W. Blanning, ed., The Nineteenth Century (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), chapters 3, 5, 6.  Paperback ISBN: 0198731353

Norman Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, 1814-1914 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992), read the entire book.  Paperback ISBN: 0070522545

Larry H. Addington, The Patterns of War Since the Eighteenth Century (2nd ed.; Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994), read chapters 2 and 3.   Paperback ISBN: 0253208602

In addition to these readings, there are two writing assignments:

timeline + dictionary: chronology of events during one selected period in the nineteenth century, plus an annotated list of people, places, and events related to your chronology (approximately 15 events, 15 dictionary items)

major paper: a fifteen to twenty page paper; must cover the same subject as your timeline/dictionary; you may choose one of two basic approaches

1. 1. research paper on any topic during the 19th century (as understood in this course, from 1814-1914); or
   2. review of historical writings about one major period, country, or event (this must cover the same topic as your timeline/dictionary)

There are no examinations in this class.

For your timeline and dictionary: Pick one issue or theme within the time period of the course and create (a) a timeline of major events related to that topic and (b) a dictionary of key people and events for that same topic, with brief descriptions. If possible, please put the exact day of any event you list. The timeline and dictionary may be done individually or, if you wish, as a small group project with friends in the class. This is a real opportunity for group learning.

For your major paper: This paper must cover the same topic as your timeline. You should choose between two types of papers: (A) a normal research paper on any topic related to world politics or great power politics in the Nineteenth Century or (B) a review of how diifferent historians look at some Nineteenth Century topic related to world politics or the great powers. This paper must be done by you individually.

You already know how to write a regular research paper, so let me concentrate on the other option, a historiographic review.

What is a historiographic paper? Consider yourself a fair-minded "referee" among the different viewpoints. First, you should lay out the different perspectives clearly and coherently. What are their varied strengths and weaknesses? Where do they agree and disagree? Where do they emphasize different issues and different evidence? You may wish to conclude by explaining which perspective (or combination of perspectives) you find most convincing.

Please note that this is not an original research paper. It is an essay discussing key debates among historians on a major international issue, such as the origin of a specific war or the breakdown of an alliance. It should be an informed, critical review of the historical literature on a selected time period or topic. In effect, you will serve as an informed "referee" of a debate among historians on a topic that interests you.

Please note that this is not an original research paper. It is an essay discussing key debates among historians on a major international issue, such as the origin of a specific war or the breakdown of an alliance. It should be an informed, critical review of the historical literature on a selected time period or topic. In effect, you will serve as an informed "referee" of a debate among historians on a topic that interests you.

No Plagiarism: The timeline, dictionary, and major paper must all be your original work. Of course, you will need to consult reference works and scholarly monographs, in print and online. But you must scrupulously avoid any significant "borrowing" (especially verbatim borrowing) or any "cutting and pasting" from others' works. That would misrepresent other people's work as your own and is plagiarism. When you rely on others' work, be sure to cite it fully and use quotation marks to denote any verbatim usage.

Plagiarism is a basic violation of academic rules and will result in failing the course. If you have questions, please consult Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement, available online (published by the Dartmouth and adopted by the University of Chicago).

Please note that all co-authors of the timeline and dictionary are held jointly responsible for ensuring the academic integrity of the work, just as they are held jointly responsible for its quality.

For a detailed discussion of the timeline and dictionary, including examples, click here.

For a detailed discussion of the longer paper, click here.

2. Draw connections, where possible, between the historical materials and analytic questions of interest to IR theorists;

3. Incorporate international economic issues, which are too often slighted in political and diplomatic histories. They should be included for two reasons. They should be included for two reasons.

a. They are often a central object of state policy, especially since states were charged with political responsibility for the performance of their economies.

b. They are a source of countries' rise to great power status. Germany became a great power not only because the Prussian military was so efficient or because Bismarck unified it under Prussian leadership, but also because northern Germany was the largest and most dynamic industrial power of the late 19th century. Spain disappeared as a Great Power because of its economic decline.

Books are available at UC/Barnes & Noble Bookstore and the Seminary Cooperative Bookstore.
Books are also on reserve at the Regenstein Library.
Undergraduates normally enroll in PS 214.
Graduate students enroll in PS 324.
Students have weekly discussion sections, which will be assigned in Week 2.
There will be a lecture on Tuesday of Thanksgiving Week, but attendance is optional (in case you are leaving town early).

All papers must have a title and must include your name, phone, and e-mail address. Please staple.

Extensions: In unusual or difficult circumstances, students may request an extension for the major paper. The request must be in writing (by letter or e-mail) and should give specific reasons why the extension is needed. All requests must be made via e-mail directly to the appropriate teaching assistant (not to Mr. Lipson). If any special extension is granted, then the paper must be turned in by date given by the TA. Except for cases of serious illness or personal difficulties, no extensions will be made for any date later than Friday, 4 p.m., on the first week of the following quarter.

The readings rely on three books, and you should purchase all of them. For your convenience, I have also included the call numbers.

1. Overview: Nineteenth Century
   • Paul W. Schroeder, "International Politics, Peace, and War, 1815-1914," in T. C. W. Blanning, ed., The Nineteenth Century, Chapter 5.
2. Congress of Vienna: The Settlement after the Napoleonic Wars
• Norman Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, 1814-1914, Chapters 1-2
3. The Concert of Europe at Work
• Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapter 4
4. Free Trade and Industrialization from 1800-1873
• Niall Ferguson, "The European Economy, 1815-1914," in Blanning, ed., Nineteenth Century, Chapter 3.
• Optional: David S. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, pp. 186-309
5. The Failed Revolts of 1848
• Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapter 6
6. The "Eastern Question" and the Crimean War
• Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapters 3,5,6
7. German Growth and Unification, 1848-71
• Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapter 11
8. Informal Imperialism
• Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapter 12
• Optional: Landes, Wealth and Poverty of Nations, pp. 310-441.
9. Imperialism and the Scramble for Territory
• Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapters 14, 15, 16, 17
• A. G. Hopkins, "Overseas Expansion, Imperialism, and Empire, 1815-1914," in Blanning, ed., Nineteenth Century, Chapter 6.
10. The Bismarckian Alliance System and its Collapse, 1871-94
• Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapters12, 13, 18
11. Economic Growth in the late 19th Century (1873 to 1914)
• Niall Ferguson, "The European Economy, 1815-1914," in Blanning, ed., Nineteenth Century, Chapter 3.
• Optional: Landes, Wealth and Poverty of Nations, pp. 442-64
12. Military Technology in the 19th Century
• Larry H. Addington, The Patterns of War Since the Eighteenth Century, Chapters 2,3
13. The Origins of World War I (1894-1914)

    • Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, Chapters 20-26
    • Optional for entire course: an excellent collection of online documents and articles

1. Chronology (or timeline) of key events in one historical period. This might be the success of Vienna peace settlement, the rise of nationalism and its impact on international relations, the rise (or decline) of free trade, the growth and changing character of imperialism, the rise of Japan during the Meiji Restoration and its impact on Asian politics, or a number of other topics. Pick a period or theme that interests you. If you are uncertain what constitutes an appropriate time period, please consult Professor Lipson or your teaching assistant. Because of this course's focus, the paper, dictionary, or timeline must concentrate on the period between 1814 and 1914. Some material before 1814 or after 1914 may be included to complete a paper or timeline that concentrates on the nineteenth century.

What a timeline should do? A timeline should list the major events in proper sequence, with dates given for each. It should provide a few essential details to clarify the event; the dictionary entry should offer more detail. Here, for example, is the beginning of a timeline for an earlier period.

Sample Timeline: French Expansion in the Age of Richelieu and Louis XIV

Related to the timeline, you should produce a brief dictionary covering 15 or more key events and people during the same period covered by the chronology. Dictionary entries should range between 10 and 50 words, providing brief definitions and discussions for each entry. Dictionary entries should provide key dates and briefly explain the significance of major events, people, and places.

What should dictionary lists include? Let me give some examples. A list covering the early Cold War would certainly include the "Truman Doctrine," "Berlin Blockade," "NATO," "European Recovery Program," and "NSC-68," among others. Some entries, like the formation of NATO, might be longer and should list the initial members of the alliance. On the other hand, it is a dictionary entry, not a monograph, so be concise. When individuals are mentioned, the entry should include their full name, years of birth and death, and years in high office, e.g., George C. Marshall (1880-1959), General of the U.S. Army and its chief of staff during World War II (1939-45), Secretary of State (1947-49) and Secretary of Defense (1950-51).

You can, if you wish, produce a chronology and dictionary covering a theme, rather than a time period. For example, you might cover "major issues in international trade" (listing the biggest treaties, disputes, etc.) or "developments in applied military technology" or "the rise of the Nazi party."

PLEASE NOTE: The chronology and dictionary may be either "group projects" or "individual projects." That is, 2-5 students may organize themselves to produce the timeline and dictionary as group projects. This is an excellent opportunity for group learning, not just on the written projects but on the assigned readings as well. By the same token, students are free to do the projects individually if they choose. If some students do decide to work as a group, then their dictionaries and timelines should be somewhat more extensive than individual assignments. The group should not only divide the work, they should review each other's efforts and produce a genuine joint product. Each group project will receive a single grade, which will apply equally to all participants. The grades for the timeline and dictionary will constitute about 30 percent of your grade for the course. The remaining 70% comes from the historiographic essay, which you must write individually.

2. Write a historiographic essay, approximately 12-15 pages, double-spaced. This essay should be done individually, not in groups. It may cover any time period or theme in the course. It need not cover the same time period as the chronology and dictionary (although it can, if you wish).

The historiographic essay should examine a major topic and analyze the debates among historians, as well as giving your own considered view. It must cover at least three major books or articles, and will likely include more than that. The essay is not intended as original research. Its main point is to review (critically) the perspectives of major historians on some important theme or historical period. For example, you might choose to write about the origins of a major war, such as Crimean War or the Wars of German Unification. Or you might choose to write about the rise of free trade in the mid-19th century and its decline later in the century. Or you might choose to write about the continuities (or discontinuities) of British foreign policy (or French, or German, or Russian, etc.). You might want to discuss how economic growth affected Great Power relationships--as that is understood by major historians writing on the subject. Your job is not so much to explain the specific phenomenon but to describe and analyze the major schools of thought on the subject, their strengths and weaknesses, and the direction of recent historical research. In short, you should provide an informed, critical guide to the literature.

Most topics in this course are the subjects of vigorous historical debate. You may choose your own topic from among them. Why, for instance, did Europe divide Africa into formal colonies in the late 19th century after centuries of informal imperialism? Historians differ on the basic reasons for this change. Similarly, you might consider the decline of imperialism in the 20th century. You might select a topic covering the whole time period of the course, such as the incorporation of military technology into warfare. There are certainly different historical schools dealing with the "military revolution."

Before writing your historiographic essay, please write a one-page precis and get approval of the topic from Mr. Lipson or your teaching assistant. The precis should list the topic of the essay, briefly outline some of the major historical debates on it, and then list some key books and articles to be included. The clearer your precis, the better chance we have to advise you. Remember: the time period should be between 1815 and 1914 (even though the course lectures may not cover all the relevant topics in the period).

The assigned projects might well require students to share books. If that proves difficult, please let us know. We will put these books on reserve for everyone to use. All required and listed supplementary books are on reserve.

Undergraduate majors in Political Science must fulfill a writing requirement, which can be done with either a BA thesis or a twenty page class paper. Students sometimes ask if they can use a paper in this class to meet the 20-page paper requirement. Yes, you can. Here's how. First, you must write the normal 15 page historiographic paper and get a grade for it. After that, simply figure out a sensible way to expand the paper to twenty pages. Make sure you add "real muscle" and not padding. Then hand it in to Prof. Lipson with the proper paperwork for the twenty-page requirement. This longer paper does not receive a grade; it is marked only as passing (or not passing) the twenty-page requirement. You do not need any special permission from Prof. Lipson to hand in this supplementary paper.

Since the course requires papers, you will need to do more detailed readings to explore your paper topics. To aid your search for the best readings, please feel free to ask your section leaders or me for suggestions. I have also listed a few background readings for those who want to deepen their understanding of the particular periods or topics. Of course, the list of useful readings is far longer than I can include here. Again, please feel free to ask for suggestions regarding topics that specially interest you.

For a strong collection of modern history resources on the Web, please see my page
     Scholarly Resources-Modern History.

Optional for entire course: an excellent collection of online documents and articles covering the entire era.

Edward Whiting Fox, The Emergence of the Modern World (Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell, 1991). D102.F690 Gen Harp

J. M. Roberts, A History of Europe (New York: Allen Lane, 1996). D20.R645 1997 Harp

Both Fox and Roberts provide a useful background and general setting for the events discussed in this class. The Fox book essentially begins with the French Revolution (he has a little material on the earlier period) and goes up through the Cold War. Roberts covers a longer period and in greater depth. Both are well-written, intelligent books that require no prior knowledge of the subjects; both are focused on Europe.

Other useful supplementary books are:

F. Roy Bridge and Roger Bullen, The Great Powers and the European States System 1815-1914 (London: Longman, 1980), same territory as Norman Rich book but briefer and more selective. D363.B750

William H. McNeill, The Pursuit of Power: Technology, Armed Force, and Society since A.D. 1000 (Univ. of Chicago Press, 1982), pp. 63-184, covers the same territory as Addington. U37.M380 Law

Robert I. Rotberg and Theodore K. Rabb, eds., The Origin and Prevention of Major Wars (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1989), has excellent essays on individual wars U21.2.o720 1989 (Gen) (Harp)

David S. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor (New York: W. W. Norton, 1998), an excellent analysis of the economic development in historical perspective. HC240.Z9 W45 1998

For supplementary readings on the period preceding this course, go to 15th-18th c. World Politics

For supplementary readings on the Twentieth Century, go to 20th c. World Politics to 1945 

Available at UC/Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Seminary Coop and Regenstein Library Reserve.

T. C. W. Blanning, ed., The Nineteenth Century (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).  Paperback ISBN: 0198731353

Norman Rich, Great Power Diplomacy, 1814-1914 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992). Paperback ISBN: 0070522545

Larry H. Addington, The Patterns of War Since the Eighteenth Century (2nd ed.; Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994). Paperback ISBN: 0253208602

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