History Commons^™

Representation, Narrative, And “Truth”: Literary And Historical Epistemology In 19th-Century France, Samuel A. Schuman

Honors Papers

My thesis examines the fluid boundaries between French historical and literary writing in the 19th century, and the shifts in “historical consciousness” that occurred in both fields as the century progressed. I examine three exemplary French writers—Jules Michelet, a historian, and Honore de Balzac and Emile Zola, both novelists—considering each primarily as a historical thinker, regardless of whether they considered themselves to be one. I argue that as the 19th century progressed, the broad shift in French institutions towards positivist epistemological and explanatory frameworks was reflected in literature, as well as in history. Both disciplines, one increasingly academic and one …

Harrowing The Church: Gregory Vii, Manasses Of Reims, And The Eleventh-Century Ecclesiastical Revolution In France, John Schechtman-Marko

Honors Papers

This thesis examines the deposition of French bishops from office during the pontificate of Gregory VII (1073-1085). By comparing the various cases of deposition, I analyze how the ideologies of papal supremacy which were then being developed in Rome were actually put into practice by the Gregorian reformers. Based on this analysis, I conclude that the establishment of Roman supremacy in France, although revolutionary in character, was achieved through the manipulation of existing ecclesiastical institutions and through an alliance between the papacy and a variety of low-level church officials.

Shades Of Cato And Brutus: Classical References In The Révolutions De Paris And The Rise Of Republicanism, June-October 1791, Suzanne Michelle Levin

Honors Papers

Historians have long assumed that French Revolutionaries invoked Antiquity as a model to imitate. Two major rival schools, the "Marxist" and the "Revisionist", base their interpretation of the Revolution in part on this assumption, but few have investigated it. This study examines the significance of classical references made by one journal, the Révolutions de Paris, in the aftermath of the king's flight and concludes that in this case, revolutionaries did not invoke Antiquity to imitate it, but to give legitimacy to the burgeoning republican movement.

Leon Blum: Socialist And French Premier During The Spanish Civil War, Gail Schechter

Honors Papers

This study will investigate Blum's response to the Spanish Civil War. Contemporaries and later scholars have differed in their assessments of this response.

First, Blum's most recent biographers, Colton and Lacouture, maintain that his fear of taking risks prevented him from taking a strong stance in support of the Spanish Republic. Blum's perception of his duties as a democratic leader within a coalition government were reinforced by his personal qualities. Writes Colton, "his desire not to offend political allies or even strong opponents, his role as conciliator and advocate of compromise, his strong sense of moral integrity, his faith in …

The Three Frances: 1940-1944, Sarah Fishman

Honors Papers

France during the German Occupation was divided into two zones, the northern two/thirds, directly occupied by German troops, and the southern zone, which remained until 1942 an independent French state. However France, divided more than physically, can also be broken down into three groups, the Collaborators and the Resisters, who responded actively to the Occupation, and Passive France, the large majority of French people who allowed events to run their course without attempting actively to shape them.

This thesis, rather than a history of France from 1940 through 1944, will examine these three categories of response to the occupation. Why …

Francois Hotman And Jean Bodin. Political Activity In Sixteenth Century France, Joan C. Tronto

Honors Papers

The sixteenth century was a tumultuous age for Europe. The Habsburg dynasty established its hegemony in Europe. The exploration of the New World provided a new source of wonder and wealth. Dynasties changed in France. England had women rulers. The Reformation exploded, transforming the religion of millions. With the Reformation and Counter-Reformation came political and religious disputes that resulted in warfare for more than thirty years.

Political theory flourished during this century. The printing presses became important weapons in these wars, as writers attempted to analyze political authority in, light of religious disunity. As the single Christian Commonwealth disappeared, questions …