Primary Source Exercises

Jules Ferry (1832 - 1893): On French Colonial Expansion http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1884ferry.html
Friedrich Nietzsche: Parable of a Madman http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/nietzsche-madman.html

Read and critically analyze these two documents using the Guidelines for Historical Documentation (22.0K).

Consider the following claims with respect to the two authors - in what ways can these claims be seen as correct or incorrect?

1		Both men typify central trends in early 20th century culture and society.
2		Ferry's ideas had a more profound impact on the history of the early 20th century world than did Nietzsche's beliefs.
3		Both Ferry and Nietzsche were Social Darwinists.
4		Ferry's stance on imperialism provides evidence for Nietzsche's claim that Western culture was depraved and hypocritical.
5		The ideas of both men contributed indirectly to the outbreak of the First World War.