About this course: The French Revolution was one of the most important upheavals in world history. This course examines its origins, course and outcomes. This course is designed for you to work through successfully on your own. However you will not be alone on this journey. Use the resources included in the course and take part in the suggested learning activities to get the most out of your learning. To successfully complete this course, it is recommended that you devote at least six hours to every module over the six weeks of the course. In that time you should watch the video lectures, reflect and respond to in-video pause points, and complete the quizzes. As part of the required reading for this course, during each week of this course you will have free access to a chapter of Peter McPhee's textbook, The French Revolution, which is also available for purchase as an e-book. View the MOOC promotional video here: http://tinyurl.com/gstw4vv
Created by: The University of Melbourne
Taught by: Peter McPhee, Honorary, Melbourne Graduate School of Education
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 6 weeks of study, 4-6 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Week 1 - France in the 1780s
We begin this course with an introduction to the French Revolution. We will examine the social and institutional structures of the Old Regime. We will look at the main occupational groups and the roles of the First and Second estates (the clergy and nobility) in particular. We will also consider the relationship between Paris and the provinces in Old Regime France. Finally, you will be introduced to the Enlightenment and we will reflect on its significance and its possible revolutionary implications.
7 videos, 4 readings
- Video: Welcome to the French Revolution MOOC
- Reading: Course Overview
- Reading: Your teaching team
- Reading: Start of course survey
- Video: 1.1 An Introduction to the French Revolution
- Video: 1.2 The Essentials of Eighteenth-Century France
- Video: 1.3 The First & Second Estates: Clergy and Nobility
- Video: 1.4 Paris and the Provinces
- Video: 1.5 The 'Enlightenment': 'from above'
- Video: 1.6 The 'Enlightenment': 'from below'
- Reading: France in the 1780s
- Discussion Prompt: What was the Old Regime?
Graded: Week one quiz - 12% of final grade
WEEK 2
Week 2 - The Revolution of 1789
This week we look at the Revolution of 1789 and its causes. We will explore the tensions and conflicts that led to the crisis of the Old Regime. The focus will be on the Third Estate and the revolt of the bourgeoisie, the 'menu peuple' and the peasantry. We will look at the Declaration of the Rights of Man and citizen and you will be asked to reflect on its 'universal' significance.
6 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 2.1 An Atlantic crisis
- Video: 2.2 A fiscal crisis and its repercussions
- Video: 2.3 The Third Estate in revolt: bourgeoisie and menu people
- Video: 2.4 The Third Estate in revolt: the peasantry
- Video: 2.5 The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the August Decrees
- Video: 2.6 The October Days - the end of the Revolution?
- Reading: The Revolution of 1789
- Discussion Prompt: Was 1789 inevitable?
Graded: Week two quiz - 12% of final grade
WEEK 3
Week 3 - The Reconstruction of France, 1789-92
Week three of this MOOC deals with the reforms introduced in 1789-91. We look at the institutional and administrative reorganisation of France. We will then consider three critical turning points of the Revolution: the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, the King's attempted flight in 1791 and the outbreak of war in 1792. Finally we will look at the fate of the King and the ultimate failure of the monarchy. You will be asked to reflect on the immediate effects and longer-term consequences of these events.
6 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 3.1 Making the new nation 1789-91
- Video: 3.2 The Revolution divides
- Video: 3.3 Turning-point 1: Church reform
- Video: 3.4 Turning-point 2: the King's flight June 1791
- Video: 3.5 Turning-point 3: The outbreak of war April 1792
- Video: 3.6 A second revolution: 10 August 1792
- Reading: Reform, conflict, and a second Revolution, 1789-1792
- Discussion Prompt: Why was Louis executed?
Graded: Week three quiz - 12% of final grade
WEEK 4
Week 4 - The Republic in crisis 1792-93
Week four deals with the crisis of the Republic in 1792-93. We will examine the conflicts and disunity within the National Convention and consider the balance between revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces by mid-1793. We will explore the civil war in the Vendee region of Western France and attempt to make sense of the growing revolutionary violence. We will look at the origins of the 'Terror', its institutions and its ideology, and students will be asked to reflect more broadly not he role of violence during the Revolution.
10 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 4.1 September 1792: blood and death
- Video: 4.2 September 1792: republican unity and disunity in the National Convention
- Video: 4.3 Revolution and counter-revolution: the balance of forces
- Video: 4.4 The crisis of 1793
- Video: 4.5 Emergency measures: the implementation of 'terror'
- Video: 4.6 How to end 'terror', December 1793
- Reading: The crisis of 1792-1793: war and terror
- Discussion Prompt: The Terror - Necessary emergency measures or revolutionary violence?
- Video: Interview with Dr Marisa Linton
- Video: Interview with Professor Timothy Tackett
- Video: Interview with Professor Ian Germani
- Video: Interview with Charles Walton
Graded: Week four quiz - 12% of final grade
WEEK 5
Week 5 - Ending the Terror and Ending the Revolution
This week we look at the ideology and culture of the 'Terror' and the nature of the Jacobin and sans-culottes alliance. We will consider possible explanations for the increasing intensity of revolutionary violence and ask whether such violence was a proportionate, emergency response to the growing counter-revolutionary threat. This module also deals with the end of the 'Terror', and the overthrow of Robespierre and the ensuing 'Thermidorian reaction'. Finally we look at the 'settlement' of 1795 and ask whether the Revolution was indeed over.
6 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 5.1 Robespierre and 'virtue'
- Video: 5.2 The ideology and culture of the Terror
- Video: 5.3 The Jacobin and sans-culottes alliance
- Video: 5.4 Emergency measures or revolutionary violence?
- Video: 5.5 Thermidor Year II - 27 July 1794
- Video: 5.6 The 'settlement' of 1795: the end of the Revolution?
- Reading: Ending the terror, ending the revolution, 1794-1799
- Discussion Prompt: What was the nature of the ideology of the 'Terror'?
- Discussion Prompt: Why were Robespierre and his associates overthrown in July 1794?
Graded: Week five quiz - 12% of final grade
WEEK 6
Week 6 - Change and continuity: How revolutionary was the Revolution?
This final week of the course offers you the opportunity to reflect broadly on the significance of the Revolution. We begin by looking at Napoleon Bonaparte and the Restoration of the monarchy in 1814-15. We then consider the ways in which the revolutionary experience affected the lives of women and slaves. We will discuss the Revolution's global implications and ask whether or not 1789 can be understood more broadly, as part of an international 'Age of Revolution'. Finally we explore the 'minimalist' and 'maximalist' approaches to the significance of the Revolution and you will be asked to reflect on the impact of the Revolution on the lives of French citizens.
7 videos, 3 readings
- Video: 6.1 Napoleon Bonaparte and the Restoration
- Video: 6.2 The 'minimalist' approach to the signifance of the Revolution
- Video: 6.3 Who is a citizen? The experience of women
- Video: 6.4 Who is a citizen? The experience of slaves
- Video: 6.5 The international repercussions: a global crisis?
- Video: 6.6 The 'maximalist' approach: the turning-point of the modern world
- Reading: The significance of the French Revolution
- Discussion Prompt: How revolutionary was The French Revolution?
- Video: Assignment video
- Reading: Academic integrity
- Reading: End of course survey
Graded: Peer assessed writing assignment - 40% of final grade
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is an internationally recognised research intensive University with a strong tradition of excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement. Established in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest University.
Ratings and Reviews
Engaging. It is clear that the professor has a passion for the subject which makes all the difference.
This is an excellent course. Professor McPhee's lecture style is very relaxed and engaging, and the visual aids - whether texts or works of art of the period - are great. Do not be put off by the 1000 word essay at the end, as by the time you have finished all of the lectures and readings, the topic will be clear in your mind.
Excellent course combining structured information, insight, and captivating presentation. Helpful reading material. Interesting visuals. Not being a native English speaker, I really appreciated Professor McPhee's clear and well articulated speach (for the very few words I couldn't grasp, the complete scripts provided a back up).
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education, partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2017 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
The content is easy-following and detail. It's is a very good fundamental course for those who want to have a basic idea on the French revolution.