Module and Programme Catalogue

Search site

Find information on

2018/19 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST2073 Most Christian Kings: France, 1515-1715

20 creditsClass Size: 42

Module manager: Dr Sara Barker
Email: s.k.barker@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2018/19

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The two centuries between the accession of Francis I in 1515 and the death of Louis XIV in 1715 saw great change and upheaval in France, particularly in terms of the role and institutions of the state, ideas about the monarchy and the religious situation in towns and rural areas. Whilst the repercussions of the Reformation had unsettling effects all across Europe, in France the emergence of Protestant belief exposed tensions within the Catholic Church and within both the nobility and urban society, leading to violence, civil war and, temporarily at least, uneasy religious co-existence. Although the seventeenth century is typically associated with the reign of Louis XIV, and his quest for la gloire (glory), in towns and cities across France, the age of reason saw people asking new questions about the society they lived in and their role in it. Over the course of this module, students will investigate how French people dealt with social, cultural, political and religious change, and how this impacted on the development of one of the most important, and controversial, states in early modern Europe.

Objectives

The objectives of this module are:
- To assess the nature of religious, political, social and cultural change in France in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
- To explore contemporary reactions to these changes
- To evaluate key historiographical and methodological developments in relation to the history of early modern France
- To critically analyse a range of primary sources, both written and visual, relating to these issues.
- To formulate sophisticated and nuanced arguments in relation to these issues, in written and verbal form.
- To further develop generic transferrable and subject specific skills.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate good awareness of the key events, people and themes relating to the history of France in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
2. Demonstrate ability to think critically about the key themes underpinning social, cultural, political and religious change in sixteenth and seventeenth century France
3. Evaluate carefully and critically the approaches that historians and scholars working in other disciplines have taken when exploring this period
4. Show analytical and critical skills in oral presentations
5. Show analytical skills in written work, using citations and footnotes correctly
6. Show proficiency in the use of primary sources to study early modern French history

Skills outcomes
- in-depth study and interpretation of primary sources
- thorough understanding of historiographical debate
- development and substantiation of own arguments
- independent research
- teamwork skills
- communications skills


Syllabus

Lectures
Pre-teaching podcast - Early modern France – when, where & why?
1. Theories of Monarchy & the Valois monarchs
2. Absolutism & the Bourbon monarchs
3. The nobility
4. Religion in the sixteenth century: Reformation & Reaction
5. Religion in the seventeenth century: Co-existence and Piety
6. Governing the country
7. Economy and Trade
8. Protest and Rebellion
9. Cultures of le grand siècle (the Golden Age)
10. The business of war – France v. the rest of the world
11. More than Musketeers and Versailles? Understanding early modern France
Seminars
1. Introduction – where & what was early modern France?
2. Theories of Monarchy in early modern France
3. The changing role of nobles
4. Martyrs and Massacres – explaining religious violence
5. Co-existence from Nantes to Fontainebleau
6. Regencies & Regents/Essay advice
7. The Frondes
8. The World of Versailles
9. Recap & Exam preparation

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture111.0011.00
Tutorial91.009.00
Private study hours180.00
Total Contact hours20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Students will prepare for each seminar by reading texts and primary sources specified by the Module Leader. They will also be expected to undertake further, self-directed reading for each class. Students will also research and prepare an oral presentation (10% of module assessment), research and write an assessed essay (30%) and prepare for the final examination (60%).

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Contributions to class discussions
- Feedback on written work, including on presentation plan
- Feedback on any online work
- Tutorials with the module leader

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay1 x 2,000-word essay due by 12 noon on Monday of teaching week 840.00
Written WorkEncyclopedia entry (750 words)10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated


Exams
Exam typeExam duration% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)2 hr 00 mins50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 04/03/2019

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD

© Copyright Leeds 2019