EUP417 La Grande Nation: The Strategic History of France from 1624 to Today

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2009
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 7 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Oliver Benjamin Hemmerle, M.A. (lecturer), PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Timetable
Tue 12:00–13:30 P21
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
In this course the student should gain general knowledge about French history (especially related to foreign relations and military/defence/security issues); should gain insights into the historiography and the political science debates related to the topic; and should be empowered to understand current policy debates in a better and more informed way.
Syllabus
  • In this lecture I will discuss the political and military aspects of French foreign policy from 1624 to today:
  • 1. Richelieu, founder of modern French foreign policy
  • 2. Louis XIV. and the "natural borders"
  • 3. Loosing French North-America – an early colonial disaster
  • 4. Spreading Republicanism (1792-1804)
  • 5. Napoleon rules the land, Britain rules the sea (1804-1814/15)
  • 6. Loosing Europe, starting a new colonial Empire (1830-1919)
  • 7. Another Napoleon: foreign policy of Napoleon III.
  • 8. In the shadow of Bismarck's Prussia and Germany
  • 9. "Révanche" at a high price (WW I)
  • 10. In mortal danger (WW II)
  • 11. Reconstructing France, loosing the colonies, leaving NATO (1944-1989)
  • 12. At least a minor super-power? (France today)
Literature
  • R. Gildea: The Past in French History (New Haven 1996)
  • P. Burke: The Fabrication of Louis XIV (New Haven 1994)
  • F. Kersaudy: Churchill and De Gaulle (London 1990)
  • R. Price: A Concise History of France (Cambridge 2005)
  • J. Black: Introduction to Global Military History: 1775 to the Present Day (London 2008)
Assessment methods
Requirements:
- regular attendance
- 1 hour exam at the end of the lecture
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught only once.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2009/EUP417