Undergraduate - UnitATS1320 - Nations at war: Revolution and empire

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	History
Offered	Caulfield First semester 2014 (Day) Clayton First semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Michael Hau

Notes

Previously coded HSY1111

Synopsis

This unit explores the process of nation building in the "long nineteenth century" through revolution and war. Stretching from the French Revolution to the First World War, the course examines how three key elements - war, revolution, and empire - interacted in the making of modern nation-states. We will consider this question by looking at a variety of case studies, including the American Civil War, the creation of unified states in Italy and Germany, the struggle for nationhood in the face of Western imperialism in East Asia, and the founding myth of Australian nationalism at Gallipoli. Emphasizing connections and commonalities between societies geographically apart and culturally different, the course seeks to understand the global processes that led to the forging of nations and nationalisms through wars and revolutions.

Outcomes

Students who have successfully completed this unit will be able to demonstrate:

an understanding of the major issues in the historiography of modern war and nationalism.
Knowledge of the history of major military conflicts during the long nineteenth century.
the ability to explain how wars have transformed Western societies.
the ability to assess the impact of war on people's understanding of gender, social class, and citizenship.
the ability to discuss critically the impact of wars on the creation of national identities and mythologies.
the ability to analyse critically different kinds of historical sources.
the development of skills for collaborative learning and group work.
the acquisition of solid writing and oral presentation skills.