Eliza Ablovatski

The European continent is incredibly diverse: geographically, culturally, economically, ethnically and politically (to name only the most obvious factors). Throughout the semester we explore this diversity of experiences since the end of the 18th century. We look at issues of race, class and gender, as well as violence, poverty, faith, nationalism, technology and art. We read novels and memoirs, watch films and listen to music as we hone our historical knowledge and sensibilities regarding modern Europe, its peoples and its governments. We examine the fates of a variety of nations, using examples from across the continent. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirements for the major. No prerequisite

As a political entity, the aggregation of central European lands ruled from Vienna for almost four centuries constitutes the strangest major power on the European scene in the past 500 years. Alone among the great states of Europe, the Habsburg realm accepted cultural heterogeneity and actively sought to avoid war. This course assesses the Habsburg experiment in political and cultural multiculturalism, seeking finally to account for the empire's inability to survive the tensions of the 20th century. Among the subjects to be considered are Vienna as the cultural capital of Europe, the role of language in politics, the creative rivalry between Prague and Vienna, the emergence and character of nationalism, the postwar successor states, and the concept of Central Europe. The course involves lectures and discussions. This counts toward the premodern and Europe/Americas requirements and the colonial/imperial field for the major. No knowledge of German is required. No prerequisite.

This survey of the history of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union in the modern era introduces students to the region, familiarizes them with the major periods of modern Russian history and helps them to understand some of the important historical issues and debates. Students should develop an appreciation for the ethnic, social and cultural diversity of both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union as well as for the ways in which political events shaped the personal lives of the country's population. Though focusing on 20th-century history, this course begins with an introduction to the social structures, ethnic composition and political problems of the late Russian Empire. We cover the Russian Revolution and early Soviet history, then turn our attention to Stalinism, collectivization, terror and the Second World War. In the postwar era, we examine the failure of the Khrushchev reforms and the period of stagnation under Brezhnev, before turning to Gorbachev and the reforms of perestroika. At the end of the semester, we approach the end of the Soviet Union and its legacy for the many successor states (not only Russia). Although organized along the lines of political periodization, the class emphasizes the perspectives of social and ethnic diversity as well as culture and gender. We look at art, literature and music, and we attend film screenings outside class. Historical background in modern European history is recommended. Russian and other regional language skills are welcomed. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirement and the colonial/imperial field for the major. No prerequisite.

Modern German history is often seen as a tension between the land of the "poets and thinkers" (Dichter und Denker) and the "land of the murderers and executioners" (Mörder und Henker). In this class, we use the perspectives of gender, race and class to explore and illuminate the main themes and topics in modern German history, beginning with the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, up to reunification and European Union membership in the present. German language is not required. One unit of history, English or modern languages is recommended. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirements and the women, gender and sexuality field for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every two or three years.

This seminar examines the mass migrations of people within, to and from modern Europe, with special attention to the plight of refugees from war and violence and the creation of the international legal categories of refugee and asylum. Historical examples begin with the mass emigration of Europeans in the late 19th century and then focus on the two world wars, the Cold War, decolonization and contemporary debates in the European Union over migration, immigration and refugees. Through shared class readings and student research projects, the course investigates the intertwined histories of modern nation-states, border control, citizenship, community, sovereignty and international law, comparing historical and contemporary developments and ideas about human mobility. Throughout the course, we also examine migration as part of the life experiences and identities of people in and from Europe through their own words and life narratives. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirements and the Europe and colonial/imperial fields in the major. No prerequisite, though familiarity with European history is helpful. sophomore standing.

This seminar introduces students to the German National Socialist regime, to major historical debates in the field, and to methods of historical research and writing. We begin with the rise of the NS party and the problems of the Weimar Republic in the late 1920s and end with the defeat of Germany and its military occupation after May 1945, looking at major questions including anti-Semitism; Nazi party support; collaboration; terror; and the roles of gender, class and sexuality. The course uses the perspective of daily life to look at the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust through sources from below, and the work of historians who use these sources. Students become familiar with the major events of the period and explore many historical debates in depth in the seminar. They also explore a topic of their own choosing through progressive assignments, developing their skills in research and analysis. Prior coursework in European history is strongly recommended. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing.

This course looks at the history of the Soviet Union and the post-1945 German and East European socialist states with a concentration on films made in these countries, as well as films made elsewhere or later about life under state socialism. We focus on a few key eras and topics, such as World War II films, Stalinism/socialist realism, the Thaw, the position of women in socialist society and generational conflict. Students are required to attend a weekly film screening and participate in class discussion. During the semester, each student may pick a topic for an in-depth research project. Previous coursework in European history recommended. This counts toward the modern and Europe/Americas requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing.

Why do people fight for change? What is the difference between a “revolt” or “rebellion” and a “revolution,” and who decides which is remembered as which? In this seminar, we investigate several aspects of revolution and revolutionary ideas in modern Europe, beginning with the era of the French/American/Haitian revolutions, when it seemed Europeans had begun to think of society as an object to be shaped and created through human thought and action rather than passively received or experienced. Revolution is naturally a liminal moment – the old order has been torn down, is in ruins (or so it seems) and the new is still uncertain. In such moments, images of a “topsy-turvy” world fly to the forefront, and it is not primarily the topics of economic or political transformation that serve as fodder for the imagination, but rather the breaking of taboos – gender hierarchies overturned, ritual sacrifices and iconoclasm. Revolutionary archetypes of a world overturned helped to determine the behavior of participants and the perceptions of observers on both sides of the revolutionary divides of 19th- and 20th-century Europe. Along with the inspiration or temptation of revolution came its twin or mirror: fear and the desire to prevent revolution, to protect the social order from radical transformation, leading both opponents and supporters of revolutionary change to political violence. Students will examine the legacy of the revolutionary idea through study of successful and failed revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries and the history of radical and revolutionary political movements, and will conduct research on related topics. This seminar counts toward the modern and Europe/America requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Sophomore standing.

The goal of this course is to give each history major the experience of a sustained, independent research project, including formulating a historical question, considering methods, devising a research strategy, locating and critically evaluating primary and secondary sources, placing evidence in context, shaping an interpretation and presenting documented results. Research topics are selected by students in consultation with the instructor. Classes involve student presentations on various stages of their work and mutual critiques, as well as discussions of issues of common interest, such as methods and bibliography. Open only to senior history majors. This counts toward the senior research seminar requirement for the major. Prerequisite: HIST 387. Offered every fall.

The honors candidates enrolled in this course will devote their time to the research and writing of their honors theses under the direct supervision of a history faculty member. This counts toward the senior research seminar requirement for the major. Permission of instructor and department chair required. Prerequisite: HIST 387.

This course presents an interdisciplinary inquiry into the destruction of European Jewry during World War II. How was it that in the 20th century, in the midst of civilized Europe, a policy of genocide was formulated and systematically implemented? We will examine the Holocaust within the contexts of modern European history, Nazi ideology and practice, the Jewish experience in Europe, the history of anti-Semitism and the psychology of human behavior. Data will be drawn from films, literature, art, memoirs, theology and historical investigations. An ongoing concern of the course will be the significance of the Holocaust in political discourse and in our own thinking as individuals. When a faculty member from religious studies, modern languages and literatures (German) or history is teaching the course, it counts toward the history, German or religious studies majors.