ATS1320 Nations at war: Revolution and empire

This unit explores the process of nation building in the "long nineteenth century" through revolution and war. Stretching from the French Revolution to the First World War, the course examines how three key elements - war, revolution, and empire - interacted in the making of modern nation-states. We will consider this question by looking at a variety of case studies, including the American Civil War, the creation of unified states in Italy and Germany, the struggle for nationhood in the face of Western imperialism in East Asia, and the founding myth of Australian nationalism at Gallipoli. Emphasizing connections and commonalities between societies geographically apart and culturally different, the course seeks to understand the global processes that led to the forging of nations and nationalisms through wars and revolutions.