MVZ185 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)
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
there are 18 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
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. Price: A Concise History of France (Cambridge 2005)
  • F. Kersaudy: Churchill and De Gaulle (London 1990)
  • R. Gildea: The Past in French History (New Haven 1996)
  • J. Black: Introduction to Global Military History: 1775 to the Present Day (London 2008)
  • P. Burke: The Fabrication of Louis XIV (New Haven 1994)
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)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2009/MVZ185