HIST*4580 The French Revolution
Term: Winter 2026
Course Synopsis:
This course explores the major themes of the French Revolution of 1789-1799 in the light of modern research. These include: the state of France on the eve of revolution, the crisis of the Old Regime, the Revolution of 1789, the Constituent Assembly’s reforms, the radicalization of the Revolution, the fall of the monarchy, the struggle in the National Convention, the role of the sans-culottes, the emergence of counter-revolution, the Terror, the collapse of the Jacobin dictatorship, and the subsequent efforts to establish political stability in France. The course also examines topics which sometimes receive less attention: the role of women, the upheaval in the Caribbean colonies, and the Revolution’s cultural dimensions. Throughout, the course emphasizes historiographical debates regarding the French Revolution’s nature and its significance to modern history.
The course’s format is two weekly seminars: you will be expected to participate regularly in these discussions.
NOTE: This course will be taught on campus face-to-face. Classes will not be recorded.
Assignments & Means of Evaluation:
- Book Review 10%
- Research Essay 30%
- Participation 30%
- Final Exam 30%
Required Textbooks:
William Doyle, The Oxford History of the French Revolution, 3rd Edition, (Oxford, 2018)
R.R. Palmer, Twelve Who Ruled: The Year of the Terror in the French Revolution, (Princeton, 1941; rpt. 2005)
Georges Lefebvre, The Coming of the French Revolution, (Princeton, 1947; rpt. 2005)
*Please note: This is a preliminary web course outline only. The History Department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester. Please login to Web Advisor, once the course schedule goes live, for instructor and room information.
