TOPIC: The 1821 Greek Revolution in the Age of Revolutions

The seminar focuses on the Greek Revolution of the 1820s during the age of revolutions (1770s-1830s). The course begins by looking at uprisings in the Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, Sicily and the Ottoman Empire in the 1820s). We then examine the role of the army and especially navy in the Greek Revolution, the role of European and American supporters and public opinion, the emergence of civilizational narratives of Christianity against Islam, the mobility of volunteers, travelers and other philhellenes, the fortunes of the civilian population, and the intervention of European powers. The course takes a macro-historical approach (the causes and impact of the revolutions) and a micro-historical approach (the mobilization and struggle of individuals to transform their political and social world), and the formation of a nation as a political community. How did the 1821 Greek revolution succeed in creating an independent state and to what extent were the demands of revolutionaries fulfilled? What changes did the Greek Revolution bring to Ottoman and European history? How does the Greek Revolution compare to other revolutions in Southern Europe?

We will also discuss and reflect on the commemoration of such events; 2021 marked the 200-year anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821 and the course will reflect on how the commemoration of the event has changed over time in Greece and among Greek communities abroad, in Canada and the United States.

*TENTATIVE*

Isabella, Maurizio. Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2022 (to be purchased).

Mazower, Mark. The Greek Revolution. 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe. New York: Penguin Press, 2021 (to be purchased).

Kitromilides, Paschalis M. The Greek Revolution: A Critical Dictionary. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2021. (available online through York Library).

*TENTATIVE*

Participation and reading posts in Discussion Forum: 20%

Primary Source Analysis: 10%

Analysis of an Article or Book Chapter: 10%

Research Proposal and Bibliography: 10%

First Essay (Fall Term): 20%

Major paper: 30%

The course is organized in 24 modules (Topics). Each week, you’ll have some brief introductory material, learning objectives, content, readings and learning activities and additional resources in most modules. You must start working with the material as early as possible before our next class.

The introductory materials will provide you with a brief introduction to the week’s content, and may also remind you of links to previous weeks’ concepts that you might wish to refer to or review prior to starting on the new module.

The learning objectives are provided as a tool to ensure you have adequately worked though the content of the week and have a good understanding of the concepts and material. Use the objectives as your own indicator of whether you’ve sufficiently met the learning goals for that week.

The module (topic) readings are an important part of your learning each week. Some weeks have more reading than others, so make sure you set aside time each week to go through the readings and try to understand the concepts and discussions that the authors are presenting. Most of the module content will help you to “unpack” the concepts and material you’ll read, so doing the readings alongside going through the module content is always a good idea.

The assignments section will describe which assignments you are required to do each week to complete the module (sometimes with clear deadlines). Most weeks, assignments will include discussion questions to which you are expected to contribute, either as an individual or in a small group, in the online discussion forum.

You will develop your historical skills through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, critical thinking, and clear and concise writing, as well as train in giving a presentation on your final project.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

Describe the origins, development, causes and outcome of the Greek revolution and similar liberal revolutions.

Understand the causes and consequences of the circumstances that gave rise to the involvement of European Empires in the “Greek cause” in the Ottoman Empire.

Interpret and contextualize the Greek Revolution within broader social, political, and cultural contexts and in particular the outbreak of several revolutions in the Mediterranean, Europe, and beyond.

Analyze primary and secondary sources from the field of Greek and Mediterranean History, and primary sources such as English and United States newspapers and books on the Greek Revolution published in the 1820s.

Synthesize the methods and arguments of different scholars in the field of history of revolutions and Modern Greek and European History in particular.

The course will familiarize students with various approaches in the study of nineteenth-century liberal revolutions, and focus on the Greek Revolution, through training in primary sources, the writing of research-based papers and the critical analysis of secondary sources. Primary documents to be examined critically include: English and U.S. newspapers from the 1820s, books on the revolution that were published by English and American volunteers and images (paintings) of the revolution that were produced at the time.