Tue, T: 3:15-4:30
Prof. Maria Bucur
Ballantine Hall 333
Email: mbucur@indiana.edu
Office Hours: W 1:30-3:30, BH 719
Phone number: 855-1993
 
D 425: History of the Balkans: 1804-1923

This course will lead you through the political entanglements, Great Power conflicts, social particularities and rich cultural life that worked together to transform the peoples of the Balkan peninsula from subjects of the Ottoman Empire to independent countries and participants in European affairs. During the nineteenth century the developments in this area were both dynamic and traumatic for the inhabitants of these lands and tell a different story about modern European history than that told from the French, British, or German perspectives. This course will focus on these differences important for understanding not only Balkan, but also European history at large, and even wider developments, such as the origins of WWI.

 Requirements:

There will be two midterm examinations, each worth 15%, a final examination for 40%, a book review (5 pages) for 15%, and a short biography (3 pages) for 15%. Attendance is required, as we will be doing a lot of readings and engage in discussions during class meetings. Lectures will take up only a portion of class time. Every student is entitled to two unmotivated absences, with each additional unmotivated absence lowering your grade by a fraction of a point.

 For the bibliographies you will have to select a name from a list I will be handing out in class during the first week, then use 2-3 different sources (one of which cannot be an Encyclopedia entry) to write the paper (3 pp.). Each person will have an assigned time to present his or her bibliography before the entire class and will also hand in the paper at the same time.

You will have to consult with me regarding your selection for the book review. You will have to initiate the search yourself, then finalize the selection with me one week before Thanksgiving (18th November). The papers will be due in class on December 9th. Please consult the Chicago Manual of Style for correct citation and footnote styles.

 
Readings:

Charles and Barbara Jelavich, The Establishment of the Balkan National State, 1804-1920.
Ion Rebreanu, Ion.

There will also be a required course packet. You can also find all the readings in the packet at the Media Reserve Desk. We will use the readings in the packet in the class meetings, so please make sure you always bring the selected pages for that day with you.

 
Weekly Topics (the readings under each date are due for that meeting):
 

  1. Sept. 2: Introduction and geography;

    2.  
  2. Sept. 4: The Ottoman Background: Society in the Old Regime;

    3. Read: Jelavich: pp. 3-11; readings packet: Warriner, pp. 255-260 and K. Abu-Jaber article. up to 220 (reforms…)
     

  3. Sept. 9: Case study: Women in the Ottoman Empire;

    4. Read: readings packet: Moutzan, pp. 55-61; Hanimefendi, pp. 58-90.
     

  4. Sept. 11: The Ottoman Background: Politics at the Porte and in the Balkan peninsula;

    5. Read: Jelavich: pp. 11-25.
     

  5. Sept. 16: The Serbian Revolt: 1804-1830;

    6. Read: Jelavich: pp. 26-37; readings packet: Hobsbawm, ch. 5, "Haiduks."
     

  6. Sept. 18: The Greek Revolution and War of Independence.

    7. Read: Jelavich, pp. 38-52; readings packet: Humphreys, 22-26, 33-34; Macfie, 86-87, 89.
     

  7. Sept. 23: The Beginnings of the Greek Kingdom.

    8. Read: Jelavich, pp. 68-83.
     

  8. Sept. 25: The Romanian Principalities to 1856;

    9. Read: Jelavich, pp. 84-98; readings packet: Giers, pp. 129-35; 138-46; 148-49.
     

  9. Sept. 30: The Ottoman Empire and the Bulgarian lands before the 1870s;

    10. Read: 99-113; readings packet: Vucinich, pp. 159-64; History of the Eastern Question, pp. 74-78. Read rest of Abu-Jaber, pp. 220-23
     

  10. Oct. 2: Midterm;

    11.  
  11. Oct. 7: Autonomous Serbia;

    12. Read: Jelavich, pp. 53-67; readings packet, Ivo Andric, The Snake.
     

  12. Oct. 9: The United Principalities from the Paris Peace to Independence (1856-1878);

    13. Read: Jelavich, pp. 114-127; readings packet: Warriner, pp. 178-188, 203.
     

  13. Oct. 14: The Bulgarian National Movement and the Exarchate;

    14. Read: Jelavich, pp. 128-141; readings packet: Dontas, pp.195-200.
     

  14. Oct. 16: The Crisis of the 1870s;

    15. Read: Jelavich, pp. 141-157, readings packet: Fadeeff, pp. 80-91; 178-180; Macfie, 107-110.
     

  15. Oct. 21: Autonomous Bulgaria;

    16. Read: Jelavich, pp. 158-169, 192-96; readings packet: Faedeeff, pp. 185-188.
     

  16. Oct. 23: Greece and the Megali Idea;

    17. Read: Jelavich: 170-178.
     

  17. Oct. 28: The Balkan Nationalities in the Habsburg Empire;

    18. Read: Jelavich, pp. 235-61.
     

  18. Oct. 30: Culture in the Age of Nationalism;

    19. Read: Jelavich, pp. 266-83; readings packet: Colombo and Roussanoff, pp. 76-79; Eminescu, pp. 158-66.
     

  19. Nov. 4: Society in the Age of Nationalism: Ion.

    20. Read: Rebreanu, Ion.
     

  20. Nov. 6: Midterm;

    21.  
  21. Nov. 11: The Great Powers and Balkan Nationalism, 1878-1908;

    22. Read: Jelavich: 178-192; readings packet: Macfie, pp. 117-18.
     

  22. Nov. 13: Ottoman Reforms and beginning of Turkish Nationalism; selection for book review due.

    23. Read: Jelavich, pp. 207-215, readings packet: Vucinich, pp. 164-172.
     

  23. Nov. 18: The Expulsion of the Ottoman Empire from Europe;

    24. Read: Jelavich, pp. 215-221.
     

  24. Nov. 20: No class;

    25.  
  25. Nov. 25: The Establishment of Albania;

    26. Read: Jelavich, pp. 222-234; readings packet: Skendi article.
     

  26. Nov. 27: Economic and Social developments in the Balkans in the first decade of the 20th century;

    27. Read: Jelavich, pp. 196-206.
     

  27. Dec. 2: Thanksgiving;

    28.  
  28. Dec. 4: World War I;

    29. Read: Jelavich, pp. 261-65, pp. 284-297.
     

  29. Dec. 9: Postwar Settlements; book reviews due.

    30. Read: Jelavich, pp. 298-319; readings packet: Macfie, pp. 120; 122-24.
     

  30. Dec. 11: Nationalism in a New Key
  32. Read: Jelavich, pp. 320-27, readings packet: Macfie, pp. 124-25; Vucinich, pp. 181-86