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Europe, 1648-1815

From the Old Regime to the Age of Revolution

Robin W. Winks and Thomas E. Kaiser

Publication Date - 31 July 2003

ISBN: 9780195154467

240 pages
Paperback
6-1/8 x 9-1/4 inches

In Stock

Description

In 1648, Europe was reeling from the destabilizing effects of religious conflict, economic change, and social upheaval. The issues that divided the Church in the late Middle Ages had forced Europeans to choose sides in a bitter and bloody Catholic/Protestant conflict. A powerful capitalist movement had broken down old social ties, leading to the near disappearance of serfdom in Western Europe and to the formation of a larger merchant class in the cities. The discoveries of the Scientific Revolution had begun to corrode old certainties about the universe, just as the exploration of the New World was revealing the existence of peoples, cultures, and even continents that would have been unimaginable to previous generations. In the face of such chaos, which led many to fear that society was heading towards an utter breakdown, the European elite engaged in a desperate effort to restore order. Between 1648 and 1750, peoples and governments throughout Europe sought to contain the shift toward anarchy through the reinforcement of religious orthodoxies, the strengthening of national states, and the stiffening of social hierarchies. But by the later eighteenth century, the success of this effort led paradoxically to new institutional and intellectual demands for change. The search for order had given way to a quest for progress. A new movement known as "the Enlightenment" was transforming the old order, and revolution was about to become a Western tradition.
Europe, 1648-1815 is a concise narrative of this fascinating epoch in European history. Framing the events of the period in terms of two successive movements--the search for order and the pursuit of reform--this book surveys the political, economic, social, and cultural events of the period, from the rise of absolutism to the campaigns of Napoleon, from the creation of European empires in the Americas to the controversies of the Enlightenment. With numerous selections from primary sources, a detailed and updated bibliography, a chronology of the period, and numerous illustrations, Europe, 1648-1815 is indispensable for courses on Early Modern Europe. It can be used as a stand-alone textbook or in conjunction with supplementary readings.

Table of Contents

    1. The Problem of Divine-Right Monarchy
    Bourbon France
    Stuart England
    Century of Genius/Century of Everyman
    Summary
    2. The Old Regimes
    The Economic "Revolutions"
    The Established Powers
    The Newcomers
    War and Diplomacy, 1713-1763
    Summary
    3. The Enlightenment
    The Settings
    The Core Ideas
    The Program
    Enlightened Absolutism
    Russia, 1725-1825
    George III and American Independence
    Challenges to the Enlightenment
    Summary
    4. The French Revolution and Napoleon
    The French Revolution
    The Dissolution of the Monarchy
    The First Republic
    Napoleon and France
    Napoleon and Europe
    Summary
    Chronology
    Suggested Readings

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