Lahore University of Management Sciences

HIST 2218
Modern Europe 1600 - 1914
(Spring 2018)
Instructor Waqar Zaidi

Room No. New HSS Wing, Academic Block

Office Hours TBA

Email waqar.zaidi@lums.edu.pk

Course Description

European history remains crucial to understanding the modern world. This course introduces students to
key aspects of European history from around 1600 to the end of the first World War. It provides students
with a framework for understanding Europe’s place in the modern world, and its own turn to modernity.
The course stresses the dynamics of economic, social, political and cultural change within the amazing
diversity of Europe, and builds on recent historiographical trends – including most prominently the better
integration of Eastern Europe into our understanding of European history.

The course also brings the European past to life through the lives of men and women who have played
major roles in European history: religious reformers such as Martin Luther and Jean Calvin; Queen
Elizabeth I, who solidified the English throne, and Maria Theresa, who preserved the Habsburg monarchy;
King Louis XIV of France and Tsar Peter the Great, two monarchs whose reigns exemplified the absolute
state; great thinkers like Kepler and Voltaire; and Napoleon, heir to the French Revolution. The course
also evokes the lives of ordinary people who played a significant role in shaping Europe’s story.

Key themes running through the course include the emergence of the modern European state (“state-
making”), social, political and intellectual transformation, international trade, imperialism, revolution, and
war. Social, political and intellectual transformations include the rise of mass politics and of class, religious
upheavals, protest and political reform, and the rise of political ideologies.

Course Prerequisite(S)
None.

Course Objectives

To provide students with an introduction to Europe and Europeans in the Early Modern and Modern
periods.

Learning Outcomes
The course is designed to, first, develop historical skills and, second, impart content knowledge relating to
key themes in twentieth century global history.
Content Knowledge

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Through this course, students will develop: a framework for understanding Europeans and European
history in the Early Modern and Modern periods; a foundation for the further study of European and
world history through to the twentieth century; familiarisation with European geography and
environment; an appreciation of the connections between Europeans and between Europeans and the
rest of the world; a broader cultural literacy through exposure to important aspects of European events,
history, society, culture and self-identity.
Historical Skills
This course will introduce students to: the reading, interpretation, and evaluation of primary and
secondary sources; developing and framing historical questions and arguments; integrating primary and
secondary sources, historical data, and historical arguments into narratives that interpret, evaluate, and
impart meaning upon past events; attributing source materials properly in your historical writing;
conforming to the standards and conventions of written expression; collaborating with peers in the
analysis and construction of historical narratives; and presenting historical narratives through oral
expression and powerpoint presentations.

Grading Breakup and Policy

Class Participation and Attendance 20%

Mid Term Exam 35%
Response papers 10%
Presentations 10%
Final Written Assignment (essay, 2000 words) 25%
This course is designed to facilitate active learning and give students a prominent role in the discussion of
class material. To achieve these goals, students must attend each class meeting and complete the assigned
reading just before or soon after the class, and offer informed contributions to the class discussion. To
encourage and reward class attendance, preparation, and participation, I will regularly take attendance and
assign occasional homework exercises throughout the semester. If I sense that students are not
participating adequately, I may also occasionally give unscheduled quizzes. Marks will be deducted for late
submissions of written work.
The attendance component of the final grade will be based on attendance at beginning of each class and
after break. Students are required and expected to attend each and every class.
The participation component of the final grade will be based on how actively students engage in discussions
and other exercises we complete during class and how well they prepare themselves by reading and
thinking about the assigned material before class. I encourage questions, welcome alternative viewpoints,
and expect everyone to demonstrate respect for the ideas of their fellow students. Students disrupting class
by leaving early, arriving very late, making noise or other misbehavior will have attendance and
participation marks deducted.
The lectures and readings complement the other; students will be required to demonstrate familiarity with
both during the exams and the written assignments. The dates for the Midterm Exam and the Written
Assignments shall be announced in advance. Presentation timings will also be arranged in class in advance.
Please note that these dates are final regardless of your extracurricular contributions to LUMS. Requests
for grade revisions will NOT be tolerated. The Instructor’s grading is final. If this is unacceptable, do not
take this course.
It is a requirement of this course that all participants purchase a hardcopy (paper copy) of the Course Pack
at the beginning of the Course. If you are unable or unwilling to do so, then do not take the course.

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Academic Honesty
The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and
students. This means that all academic work will be done by the student to whom it is assigned without
unauthorized aid of any kind. Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.
Any instances of academic dishonesty in this course (intentional or unintentional) will be dealt with swiftly
and severely. Potential penalties include receiving a failing grade on the assignment in question or in the
course overall. For further information, students should make themselves familiar with the relevant section
of the LUMS student handbook.

Readings
The required readings are listed in the Course Overview. Additional primary sources and readings will be
distributed in class or through the LUMS online system.
The reference to Merriman in the Course Overview is to: John Merriman, A History of Modern Europe 3rd
edition (New York: WW Norton, 2010).
The following are recommended for further general reading:
Stefan Berger (ed.), A Companion to Nineteenth Century Europe 1789-1914 (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006)
Robert Gildea, Barricades and Borders: Europe 1800 – 1914 3rd edition (Oxford: OUP, 2003)
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Early Modern Europe 1450–1789 2nd ed. (Cambridge: CUP, 2013)
Stephen Lee, Aspects of European History 1494-1789 (London: Methuen & Co, 1978)
H.M. Scott, The Birth of the Great Power System 1740-1815 (London: Routledge, 2013)
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Early Modern Europe 1450–1789 2nd ed. (Cambridge: CUP, 2013)
Peter H. Wilson, A Companion to Eighteenth-Century Europe (Oxford: Blackwell, 2008)

Course Overview

This is fast moving course which will cover a large number of concepts, events, and facts and figures in a
short period of time. So it is important for students to attend all lectures, and to complete assigned
readings before the relevant lecture. Students must also take lecture notes during every lecture. All
readings are compulsory. The exams will be based both on the lectures and on the readings. Students
must study and read independently from the beginning of the course, otherwise they will fall behind and
risk failing the course.
The following Overview is tentative and is subject to change without prior notice:

1 Introduction
2 The Foundations of Modern Europe
The Medieval Legacy • Renaissance • Reformation • The Wars of Religion
(optional): Merriman, chapters 2,3,4.
Primary Sources: Martin Luther, Address To The Nobility of the German Nation (1520).

Part 2: State Formation in the 17th Century

3-4 The Rise of the Atlantic Economy: England and Spain

The Spanish Monarchy • The Age of King Philip • The House of Tudor • Elizabeth I • The
Decline of Spain
Merriman, chapter 5.
Geoffrey Treasure, The making of Modern Europe, 1648—1780 2nd ed. (London:
Routledge, 2003), pp. 285-292.

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John Warren, Elizabeth I: Meeting the Challenge, England 1541-1603 3rd ed. (London:
Hodder Education, 2008), chapter 2.

5 Elizabeth on Film
Clips from: Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England Episode 1 (BBC, 2013); Elizabeth
(1998); Elizabeth The Gold Age (2007); Armada 12 Days to Save England Episode 1 (BBC,
2015)

6-7 England and the Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth Century

Stuart England • The English Civil War • The Glorious Revolution • The Rise and Decline of
the Dutch Republic
Merriman, chapter 6.
Stephen Lee, Aspects of European History 1494-1789 (London: Methuen & Co, 1978),
chapter 20.

8-9 The Age of Absolutism, 1650 – 1720

Characterising Absolutism • Louis XIV • The Habsburg Monarchy • The Russian and Swedish
Empires
Merriman, chapter 7.
Stephen Lee, Aspects of European History 1494-1789 (London: Methuen & Co, 1978),
chapter 22.
Richard Wilkinson, Louis XIV, France and Europe 1661 – 1715 2nd ed. (Abingdon: Hodder &
Stoughton, 2002), pp. 53 – 94.
Primary Sources: Jean Domat, On Social Order and Absolute Monarchy (1697).

Part 3: Cultural and Political Transformations in the 17th and 18th Centuries

10 The New Sciences

Francis Bacon and the Scientific Method • Copernicus and the Heavens • Descartes and
Newton
Merriman, chapter 8.
Owen Gingerich and James MacLachlan, Nicolaus Copernicus: Making the Earth a Planet
(New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), pp. 111 – 115.
James MacLachan, Galileo Galilei: First Physicist (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996),
pp. 103 – 111.
Primary Sources: Galileo Galilei, Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (1615).

11 The Enlightenment
The Republic of Ideas • Diffusion and Expansion • Enlightened Absolutism • Legacy
Merriman, chapter 9.
Roy Porter, The Enlightenment (London: Macmillan, 1990), pp. 12-31.
Primary Sources: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourses on the Origin and Foundations of
Inequality among Men (1753).

12-13 The Birth of the Great Power System and the Decline of Ottoman Power
The 18th Century State System • The War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years’ War •
The Decline of Ottoman Power in Europe
Merriman, chapter 11.

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Molly Greene, “Islam in Europe”, in Peter H. Wilson, A Companion to Eighteenth-Century

Europe (Oxford: Blackwell, 2008), pp. 387 – 401.
Stephen Lee, Aspects of European History 1494-1789 (London: Methuen & Co, 1978),
chapters 10, 11.

Part 4: Revolutionary Europe, 1789 - 1850

14-15 Social and Economic Change in the 18th and 19th Centuries
The Social Order • Agriculture, Manufacturing, and the Economy • The Growth of Towns
and Cities • Social Control • The Birth of Modern Consumerism • The Origins and Course of
the Industrial Revolution • the Middle Classes • Industrial Work and Workers • The Origins
of European Socialism
Merriman, chapter 10, 14.
Maxine Berg, Luxury and Pleasure in Eighteenth-Century Britain (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2005), pp. 247 – 278.
Primary Sources: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848);
Friedrich Engels, The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844 (London: Swan
Sonnenschein & Co., 1892), pp. 45, 48-53.

16 Revision
17 Mid-Term Exam - Details TBA
18 State Formation in Europe: The Long Durée
Charles Tilly, Coercion, Capital and European States (Oxford: Blackwell, 1990), chapter 2.
19-21 The French Revolution, Napoleon, and the Age of the Nation-State
The Ancien Regime • The Course of the Revolution • Napoleon and his Legacy
Merriman, chapters 12 and 13.
Alexander Grab, “The Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy: State Administration”, in M. Broers, P.
Hicks, and A. Guimera (eds.), The Napoleonic Empire and the New European Political
Culture (London: Palgrave, 2012), pp. 204-209.
Michael Broers, Europe After Napoleon (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1996),
chapter 7.
W.R. Brubaker, Citizenship and Nationhood in France and Germany (Cambridge: Harvard
University Press, 1992), pp. 35-49
Primary Sources: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789); Abbé Sièyes,
What is the Third Estate? (1789).

22-23 Restoration Europe and the Era of National Unification

The Concert of Europe • Restoration Europe • Liberal Revolts and the 1848 Revolutions •
Italian Nationalism • Bismarck and Germany • Crisis and the Dual Monarchy
Merriman, chapters 15, 16, 17.
Primary Sources: Address by the Hungarian Parliament (1848); Demands of the Hungarian
People (1848).

24 Gender, Domesticity, and Housework

Transformations in Domesticity and Housework, from the 18th to the 19th century
Deborah Simonton, A History of European Women’s Work 1700 to the present (London:
Routledge, 1998), chapters 2, 5.
Primary Sources: Mary Astell, Reflections upon Marriage (1706).

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25 Secularization and the Decline of Religiosity

B. Delpal, “Secularization”, in John Merriman and Jay Winter (eds.), Europe 1789 to 1914:
Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire (Farmington Mills, MI: Thomson Gale,
2006), pp. 2132 – 2134.
Hugh McLeod, Religion and the People of Western Europe 1789-1989 2nd ed. (Oxford: OUP,
1997), pp. 75 – 116.

26 New Imperialism: Asia, Africa, and the Civilizing Mission

The Scramble for Africa • Europe in Asia • Ideologies of Domination• Social Darwinism
Merriman, chapter 21
Mike Hawkins, “Social Darwinism and Race”, in Stefan Berger (ed.), A Companion to
Nineteenth Century Europe 1789-1914 (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006), pp. 224 - 235.
Primary Sources: Jules Ferry, Speech before the French National Assembly (1883); Rudyard
Kipling, The White Man’s Burden (1899).

27-28 Presentations

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