The Fall of France
TOPIC : THE FALL OF FRANCE
2 ARTICLES TO COMPARE:
Robert J. Young, “Lingering Doubts and Certain Defeat,” in Robert J. Young, ed., France and the Origins of the Second World War. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1996, pp. 131-148. (available on course Blackboard site)
Eugen Weber, The Hollow Years: France in the 1930’s. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1996, Chapter X “The War Nobody Wanted,” 257-279. (available on course Blackboard site)
Write a 6 to 8-page essay in which you compare and evaluate the manner in which these articles approach the topic. In your essay, you should begin by clearly identifying and comparing the theses, or main arguments, presented in each of the selected articles. The remainder of your essay will then compare and evaluate the arguments presented by the authors, commenting on the respective strengths and weaknesses of each article and the arguments being presented by their authors. As with any history paper, be sure to cite all references.
Questions to consider:
1. Are the authors’ interpretations different?
2. If so, how and why have they come to differing conclusions?
3. What types of sources or references did they use?
4. What is their methodology?
5. What kind of audiences do the authors have in mind when they are writing?
6. Do the three foregoing aspects of their work affect the interpretations they take and the conclusions they draw?
7. Which of the two interpretations do you find the most persuasive and why? (This last point should be the focal point of your essay.)
Present your essay in typed, 12-point font, double-spaced format. Avoid exceeding the specified length by more than 1-2 sentences. Your essay will be graded on content (your understanding of the reading/article), presentation, and writing (grammar, syntax, etc.).
