The twentieth century was a turbulent period in French history. The French experienced victory and defeat in war, foreign occupation, change in political regime, civil unrest and near revolution in 1936, 1945 and 1968, the demise of their empire and integration into the European Union. The course provides a broad introduction to the major political, social and cultural turning points in the period and examines some of the major themes that shape the period as a whole (such as immigration, the birth-rate, class conflict and economic modernisation).

• demonstrate a broad and systematic knowledge of the history of France from 1898-2012 and an understanding of the major interpretative issues.
• identify the main developments in intellectual life, politics, economy and society, and gender relations, and in France’s relations with the wider world;
• demonstrate an understanding of a range of concepts/perspectives/debates within the appropriate secondary literature;
• analyse the themes mentioned above in the light of those ideas/contexts/frameworks.

The course will be taught and students will learn through

• A series of formal lectures will introduce students to the main factual and conceptual issues to be discussed and analysed during the module.
• Seminars, in which key issues and topics are analysed, will enable students to further develop analytic skills.

Intellectual Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• identify the nature and scope of the issues raised concerning French history from 1898-2012;
• summarise and appraise the relative merits and demerits of alternative views and interpretations about intellectual life, politics, economy and society, and gender relations, and in France’s relations with the wider world and evaluate their significance;
• identify problems, assess evidence, and reach conclusions consistent with them.
• devise and sustain arguments about the previously mentioned topics using ideas or techniques.
• present, accurately, succinctly and lucidly, and in written or oral form their arguments in accordance with appropriate scholarly conventions in assessed essays and unseen examinations.

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• express their ideas and assessments on French history from 1898-2012;
• discuss in an informed manner French history from 1898-2012;
• evaluate a range of arguments of alternative historical/historiographical interpretations;
• to demonstrate an understanding of some of the primary sources and an appreciation of  how historians have approached them.

Transferable and ‘Employability’ Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• communicate ideas and arguments effectively, whether in speech or in writing in an accurate, succinct and lucid manner;
• formulate and justify their own arguments and conclusions about a range of issues;
• demonstrate an ability to modify as well as to defend their own position;
• posses a range of information technology resources to assist  with information retrieval;
• organise their own study methods and workload;
• work as part of a team in seminar or tutorial discussions

Students will be assessed by means of a combination of one 1000 word assessed essay [15%], one 2000 word assessed essay [35%] and one two-hour unseen written examination paper in which the student will answer two questions [50%].

Course assignments:

1. Assessed Essay 1will contribute 15% of the final mark for the module. It is designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to review evidence, draw appropriate conclusions from it and employ the formal conventions of scholarly presentation. It must be no longer than 1,000 words (excluding empirical appendices and references).
2. Assessed Essay 2will contribute 35% of the final mark for the module. It is designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to review evidence, draw appropriate conclusions from it and employ the formal conventions of scholarly presentation. It must be no longer than 2,000 words (excluding empirical appendices and references).
3. The Examination will take place during the second assessment period [May/June] and will consist of an unseen two hour paper that will contribute the remaining 50% of the final mark for this module. Students must write 2 answers in total.

1. The Republic
2. The Dreyfus Affair
3. The Great War
4. Fascsm & antifascism
5. Resistance and collaboration
6. The French Empire
7. Industry, agriculture and the economy
8. Depopulation and the birth rate
9. National identity and immigration
10. The Liberation
11. Gaullism
12. Decolonisation and the Algerian War
13. The events of May 1968
14. The Mitterrand years
15. The National Front

Charles Sowerwine, France since 1870 (London: Palgrave, 2000)

Rod Kedward, La vie en Blue: France and the French since 1900 (London: Penguin, 2006)

Robert Gildea, France since 1945 (Oxford, 1996)

Maurice Larkin, France since the Popular Front (Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1988).