Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE HST2018

 
TITLE France and Germany: Rethinking Interrelations in the Making of Europe

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT History

 
DESCRIPTION It is commonplace to think of present France and Germany as Europe's two main actors sharing a special relationship, and playing a decisive role in the continent. That these two countries would build strong collaborative relations and jointly serve as the continent's linchpin was by no means historically evident given the violent legacy and years of hostility which shaped their pasts. With both entities tracing their origin to Charlemagne's empire, the intertwined relations of France and Germany featured bouts of attraction and repulsion, coercion and conciliation, war, occupation and territorial entanglements. Centuries of deep-seated antagonism feeding on rivalry for territory and hegemony on the continent - a persistent tug of war of humiliation and revenge, came to pass before Germany and France became the close partners they are now in the European Union and the world.

This study-unit will focus on 'old' and 'new' in Western Europe to explore how the interrelations of these two countries defined the continent. Taking the analysis back to the Thirty Years' War, on to the Diplomatic Revolution, the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleonic expansion, the unification of Germany, the two world wars and the failed inter-war pursuit for rapprochment, up to the Franco-German interaction in the making of the European Union, this course will shed light on the major transformations and developments that relations between France and Germany have undergone from the early modern period till recent times, and to assess their significance in and for Europe.

Study-unit Aims:

- Familiarising students with the main events and trends in Western European history through a thorough analysis of Franco-German relations over the centuries;
- Rethinking students' understanding of the role played by France and Germany in Europe, not in isolation of, but in tandem with, each other;
- Reviewing the art of diplomacy, the role of economic policies, the centrality of military strategy and the power of nation-states in the making of Europe;
- Reassessing students' understanding of the past through a comparative and transnational historiographical/historical approach, rather than through a study of the nation-state.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- describe the connection between the two countries' interactions and how these conditioned the tempo of European events, with consequences not only for rest of the continent, but beyond too;
- appreciate the non-linearity of historical and cultural European development through the case-study of Franco-German relations;
- revisit the more prominent European events from a different angle;
- realise the long and elaborate evolution of Europe and Europeanity.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- read, assess and synthesise range of secondary sources covering the varying phases and themes making up Franco-German relations;
- assess various aspects of national and international traits, and landmarks in the making of Europeanity and of Europe;
- realise how French and German strategy and diplomacy have helped shape or otherwise influence European political, economic and cultural development;
- identify situations from past European historical experiences with a bearing on the present or future.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Carine Germond and Henning Turk (eds.), A History of Franco-German relations in Europe: from "hereditary enemies" to partners (New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2008).
- Ulrich Krotz, 'Three eras and possible futures: a long-term view on the Franco-German relationship a century after the First World War', International Affairs, 90:2 (2014).
- Hans Schmitt, 'The Privileged Partnership: Franco-German Relations in the European Community, 1969-1984', The Journal of Modern History, 59.3 (1987).

Supplementary Texts:

- René Lauret, France and Germany: The Legacy of Charlemagne, trans. Wells Chamberlin, (Chicago, Henry Regnery Company, 1964).
- Ruth Putnam, Alsace and Lorraine: From Caesar to Kaiser, (Freeport, New York, Books for Libraries Press, 1915).
- Adrian Treacher, 'Franco-German relations and European Integration: peeling off the labels', British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 4:3 (2002).
- Mark Hewitson, 'Germany and France before the First World War: A Reassessment of Wilhelmina Foreign Policy,' The English Historical Review, 115:462 (2000).
- Conan Fischer, A Vision of Europe; Franco-German Relations during the Great Depression, 1929–1932, (Oxford University Press, 2017).
- Sandra Ott, Duplicity, Indulgence and Ambiguity in Franco-German Relations, 1940-1946, 'History and Anthropology', 20:1 (2009).
- Corine Defrance, 'The Élysée Treaty in the Context of Franco-German Socio-cultural Relations', German Politics and Society, 31:1 (2013).
- Ben Clift and Magnus Ryner, 'Joined at the hip, but pulling apart?: Franco-German relations, the Eurozone crisis and the politics of austerity', French Politics, 12:2 (2014).

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM1 Yes 50%
Examination (1 Hour) SEM1 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Simone Azzopardi

 

 
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The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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