HIST 223 The History of France: From the Gauls to De Gaulle
This course covers the political, social, cultural, and religious history of France, from the ancient Gallic tribes who fought Caesar to the long-haired and then do-nothing Merovingian kings; from Charlemagne through Louis XIV to Napoleon; from the wars of religion to perpetual revolution; from the mission to civilize French peasants to a "civilizing" mission cast out over Europe and the entire globe. A wide array of material culture will be used in class: music, art, coins, architecture, fashion, battle maps and fortifications, and, of course, food.