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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

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War Reprint, No. 5

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WAR REPRINTS, NO. 5.

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Preliminaries of the World Conflict

Syllabus of a Course of Study

BY HALFORD L. HOSKINS, HIGH SCHOOL, WICHITA, KANSAS.

PREFACE.

This study outline is the result of an attempt to supply the need for an especially practical course in European history. It is not intended to constitute a history of the World War, nor a plan which stresses all the phases of life in modern Europe. It is, however, designed to secure for the student a broad, comprehensive view of European history, particularly during modern times, noting tendencies and motives, and attempting to interpret the significant facts and to give their explanation in terms of every-day life. It is primarily a history course rather than merely a war course, but it is intended to be the means of conveying a sane and intelligent understanding of the circumstances in which we live.

Prepared for a one semester's course, the plan as given is necessarily not exhaustive; it does provide a sufficiently complete course of study for the average high school student. The teacher must determine, of course, to what extent the outline is to be developed. Our views of the comparative importance of the many phases of the present situation are so varied and so changing that the relative amount of time which should be devoted to the different features of the course is difficult to determine. Moreover, there are no established precedents for such a course, and, in a sense, it is a pioneer. It is evident that in one semester the ground covered cannot be very extensive if a thorough understanding of historical development is to be secured. For this reason, high school courses in European history, covering the field of history from its beginning to about 1700, are made a prerequisite. This furnishes a working basis for the development of the specialized topics of the course. The outline provides for sixty lessons, thus giving sufficient latitude for supplementary work, reviews, tests, or more thorough consideration of some of the topics in the outline.

The topic for each day's work has been outlined somewhat in detail, chiefly for the purpose of serving as a guide to reading. This outline is not intended to summarize the chief points of the lesson, but rather to direct the investigation and to stimulate interest and curiosity on the part of the student. Recitations in such a course are not supposed to be devoted to the mere recitation of facts, except where necessary to insure a proper understanding of important points, but are intended to give opportunity for the discussion of the more significant facts in human development. Neither are the problems included in each lesson in any sense exhaustive. They are inserted chiefly for the purpose of stimulating thought and inquiry, as well as for serving as an indication of the more important phases of the lesson. However, a student who has a good comprehension of all the problems listed must needs have a rather thorough knowledge of the whole field.

Since there is as yet no textbook available for such a

course, it is taken for granted that a reasonably good working reference library is at hand. Also, since much of the material needed for reference in the latter part of the course is not yet in permanent form, the student must necessarily have access to the recent volumes of dependable current literature. The references cited in connection with the study outline are those which are to be found in most history reference libraries, and while the list is not in any sense complete, it still provides a sufficient working basis for the preparation of the lesson and the discussion of the main facts involved in it. Special reports and notebook exercises may be given by the teacher. It may be said, however, that too much stress cannot be laid upon the study of maps showing the development of modern Europe.

An additional list of references is given in the bibliography appended to this syllabus. Only those books have been listed which offer material from an historical point of view. The object in preparing this bibliography has been not so much the presentation of a complete list of authoritative works as the listing of a comparatively few dependable volumes on the main phases of the war and its foundation.

In the references given in the outline proper the titles of reference books are given but once, and thereafter are not included. The most important references for the preparations of lessons are starred. There seems to be no necessity here for a grouping of references under the heads of sources and secondary works. Both outlines and references are presented more in detail as the course progresses, for reasons which are obvious.

The success of the course depends largely on the willingness of the student to do extensive reading and investigating, while constantly striving to understand the forces which have directed the actions of men. If a sufficiently critical, questioning spirit is consistently applied, the course will have well served its purpose.

BRIEF OUTLINE OF PRELIMINARIES OF THE PRESENT WORLD SITUATION.

A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.

I. Origin of the European States.

1. Heritage of the Dark Ages.

2. Outcome of the Feudal Period.

3. Development of Nationalities to the Reformation. 4. Situation at the End of the Religious Wars.

II. National Consolidation and Expansion.

1. The Constitutional Development of England.
2. Founding of the British Empire.

3. Louis XIV in European Affairs.

4. Rise of Russia: Sweden.

5. Rise of Prussia: Poland Partitioned. III. Revolutionary Period in Europe.

1. The French Revolution and Napoleon.
a. The Course of the French Revolution.
b. Napoleon: His Campaigns.

c. Napoleon's Reconstruction of Europe.

d. The Congress of Vienna.

2. Later Revolutionary Activity.

a. Europe Under Metternich.

b. The French Revolution of 1848.

c. 1848 in Austria and Germany.

IV. Constitutional Development of the Western Powers.

1. The Unification of Italy.

a. Italy from 1815 to 1849.

b. Subsequent Steps in Unification.

2. The Unification of Germany.

a. Bismarck and the Austro-Prussian War.

b. The Franco-Prussian War.

c. The New German Empire.

3. France and Britain.

a. The Third French Republic.

b. The Present British Constitution.

c. The Irish Problem.

B. DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD PROBLEMS.

I. Phases of Territorial Expansion.

1. The Partition of Africa.

a. Problems of European Expansion. b. The Resulting African Situation.

2. The Far East.

a. The Russo-Japanese War.

b. Relations of Japan and China.

3. The Balkan Situation.

a. Liberation of the Balkan States. b. Recent Conflicting Balkan Interests.

4. The Near East.

a. Turkey and the Eastern Question. b. The Problems of Constantinople.

II. Events Leading to the War.

1. Review of Conflicting Interests.

a. Aims of Austria.

b. Situation of Russia.

c. The Case of Germany.

d. The Case of Britain.

e. The Case of France.

f. The Circumstances of Italy.

g. Situation of the Minor Powers.

2. Late Diplomatic History.

a. Triple Alliance and Triple Entente.

b. The Hague Peace Conferences.

c. Recent Diplomatic Crises.

3. Preparation for War.

a. Objects of War.

b. Militarism and Armaments.

c. Austro-German War Preparations.

d. The German Idea of War.

C. THE WAR.

I. Opening Events.

1. The Austro-Serbian Controversy.

2. Failure of Diplomacy.

3. Violation of Belgian Neutrality.
4. Spread of the War.

II. The Course of the War.

1. Conduct of the War.

a. Events of 1914-15.

b. The War During 1916.

c. Developments in 1917-18.

2. The Russian Situation.

3. Entrance of the United States.

a. Struggle to Maintain Neutrality.

b. Reasons for the Declaration of War.

c. America's Place in the Struggle.

III. Prospectus.

1. Proposals for Peace.

2. Proposed Remedies for War.

3. The Future of War.

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What are the three prime elements of modern civilization?

Show that the barbarian invasions of Europe were the greatest blessings in disguise.

Where, in these dark times, were any elements of the
problems of the present?

Explain the similarities and differences of the Spanish,
French, Italian, English and German languages.

2. Outcome of the Feudal Period.

a. The Feudal System in theory and practice.

(1) Its causes and nature.

(2) Growth of common language and sentiment.

b. Gradual rise of nations.

(1) Formation of the nuclei of nations.

(2) Absence of natural or racial boundaries.

(3) First attempts at centralized government.

c. Complete disintegration of the Carolingian Empire. References:

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II. NATIONAL CONSOLIDATION AND EXPANSION.

1. Constitutional Development of England.

a. Struggles of Parliament for ascendancy.

(1) Effect of the Wars of the Roses.

(2) Recuperation of Parliament under the Tudors.

b. Conflicts between King and Parliament.

(1) Divine Right idea of the Stuarts.

(2) Opposition of Parliament.

(3) Civil War and the Commonwealth.

(4) The Restoration and the Revolution of 1688.

c. Later growth of constitutional government.

(1) Parliamentary growth under the Hanovers.

(2) Influence on the English people.

(3) Results on the world's progress.

References:

Harding, pp. 221-225, chap. 21.

Myers, chap. 28.

West, chaps. 23-26.

Robinson and Breasted, chap. 27.

Cheyney, Short History of England, summaries of chaps. 9-17.

Problems:

What has been the importance to modern history of British constitutional development? Cite concrete illustrations.

In what sense has England been the laboratory of the world?

Why should it matter particularly to other powers whether England or Germany controls Gibraltar and Suez in times of peace?

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Has British expansion always been conscious?

How can England's monopoly of so many large colonial fields be accounted for?

Where do you find possible "bones of contention" in this territorial growth?

Which state should be considered England's most logical rival in the colonial field up to the nineteenth century? Why?

3. Louis XIV in European Affairs.

a. Louis' chief ambitions.

(1) To be supreme in France.

(2) To make France supreme in Europe.

b. Louis' foreign designs.

(1) Attempts to conquer the Dutch.

(a) Lack of success; small gains.

(2) War of the Palatinate (King William's War).

(a) Seizure of German territory.

(b) Gains at the end of the war.

(3) War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne's War).

(a) New coalitions and interests involved.

(b) Peace of Utrecht.

c. Summary of his influence.

(1) On the political map.

(2) On social and religious conditions.

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Were Louis' ambitions pardonable?

Summarize the territories by which France was gainer at the end of his wars and note the nations which were losers.

What did the people in the territories concerned have to say about it? Would such wars and transfers tend to develop national feeling, or not?

Note that Europe is in a constant state of unstable equilibrium, of which now one, now another, ambitious man tries to take advantage.

4. Rise of Russia: Sweden.

a. Origin of Russia.
(1) Races, peoples and geography of Russia.
(2) The coming of the Northmen: Rurik.
(3) The founding of the Romanoff dynasty.

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