HIST 33604 - France In World War I And World War II

This class considers the history of French society, culture, and politics through participation in the First and Second World Wars. While WWI and WWII affected millions of people around the globe, France held a unique position in that in addition to the fighting, French civilians lived under harsh occupation in both world wars. This course explores the French experiences during the two world wars, considering the war experience from diverse perspectives, including those of soldiers, civilians, men, women, collaborators, resisters, and France’s imperial subjects. While the class is centered on the two world wars, it is not a military history course; rather, the course focuses on society and culture and how the war experiences shaped France, the French Empire, and its people. Along with the war experience, students will consider the shifting view of war as it was being anticipated, fought, and remembered.

Cr 3.
Notes
Course will typically be offered online.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Understand the variety of experiences of soldiers and civilians during World War I and World War II.
2. Understand the work of historians in approaching these challenging topics.
3. Engage in historical inquiry, research, and analysis.
4. Learn to practice historical empathy.
5. Relate intellectual, political, social, and cultural trends to one another.
6. Understand how experience differs based on gender, race, and other identity factors.
7. Use primary source documents to extract meaning from the voices of the past.
8. Hone skills of interpretation, analysis, and written presentation.
9. Identify and discuss how written records both provide evidence for and serve as vehicles of historical change.
10. Assess historiographical contributions and understand historical debates.
11. Contextualize secondary source readings and pair them with primary source documents to drive deeper connections.