Department of History
HY 212: EUROPE IN THE EARLY MODERN WORLD
Spaces in Early Modern Europe
First semester, 2016-17
Description of the course
This module introduces into a formative period of European history from the later 15th
century to the later 18th century. With a focus on spatial dimensions, we will be able to
perceive common developments, but also regional diversities of this extremely multifaceted era. Our topics include landscapes and territories, discoveries and cultural developments, religion and society, economy and science, politics and war. We will work on
primary sources and explore aspects of the international historiography concerning the
Early Modern period.
Assessment
50 % of marks will be based upon a one-hour examination (an answer to a question in
the form of an essay). The other 50 % of marks will generate from two tutorial essays of
approx. 1.500 words each (each worth 25% of marks). Essay one is due in week 6 (from
24 Oct); essay two is due in week 10 (from 28 Nov).
Core texts
Kümin, Beat (ed.), The European world 1500–1800: An introduction to early modern
history (2nd edn, London, 2014). (for purchase!)
Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E., Early modern Europe: 1450-1789 (2nd edn, Cambridge, 2013).
2
Lecture topics and essential reading
Week
Lecture
Chapter(s) in core textbook
(Kümin, The European world, see above)
Part 1
General
W 1 – 20 Sep
Introduction
Butters, Humfrey, ‘Europe in 1500’, in The European
world, pp. 13–23.
Gerritsen, Anne, McFarlane, Anthony, ‘Beyond Europe c.
1500’, in The European world , pp. 23–33.
W 2 – 27 Sep
Landscapes of Europe: territories, town and countryside
Butters, Humfrey, ‘The theory and practice of politics
and government’, in The European World, pp. 252–263.
Hindle, Steve, ‘Rural society’, in The European World, pp.
48–57.
Roberts, Penny, ‘Urban society’, in The European World,
pp. 58–68.
W 3 – 4 Oct
Europe and beyond: discovery and defence
Gerritsen, Anne, McFarlane, Anthony, ‘Beyond Europe c.
1500’, in The European World, pp. 23–33
Part 2
1450 to 1650: Scholars and
defenders of the faith
W 4 – 11 Oct
Spaces of communication:
Renaissance scholars and
their Europe of letters
Butters, Humfrey, ‘The Renaissance’, in The European
World, pp. 159–168.
Knights, Mark, McShane, Angela, ‘From pen to print – a
revolution in communications?’, in The European World,
pp. 192–203.
W 5 – 18 Oct
Spatializing the faith: constructing division in the Reformation era
Cohn, Henry J., ‘The Long Reformation: Lutheran’, in The
European World, pp. 101–111.
Gerritsen, Anne, Gould, Kevin, Marshall, Peter, ‘The Long
Reformation: Catholic’, in The European World, pp. 123–
133.
Roberts, Penny, ‘The Long Reformation: Reformed’, in
The European World, pp. 112–122.
W 6 – 25 Oct
Forbidden spaces: witches,
magicians and heretics
Roberts, Penny, ‘Witchcraft and magic’, in The European
World, pp. 214–225.
Roberts, Penny, ‘Marginals and deviants’, in The
European World, pp. 69–78.
W 7 – 8 Nov
Spaces of wealth: trade from
international to global
Hindle, Steve, ‘The early modern economy’, in The
European World, pp. 79–88.
3
W 8 – 15 Nov
Collapsing spaces: the Thirty
Years’ War
Part 3
1650 to 1800:
New roads to power
W 9 – 22 Nov
Power and space: new international politics
Jones, Colin, Knights, Mark, ‘European Politics from the
Peace of Westphalia to the French Revolution c. 16501800’, in The European World, pp. 276–286.
W 10– 29 Nov
Beacons in the night? The
spatial dimension of the
Enlightenment
Jones, Colin, ‘Enlightenment’, in The European World, pp.
236–247.
W 11 – 6 Dec
First pockets of modernity:
emerging science, rising
technology
Stein, Claudia, ‘The Scientific Revolution’, in The
European World, pp. 204–213.
W 12 – 13 Dec Epilogue: Changing spaces?
Aspects of mobility
Davies, Jonathan, ‘The impact of war’, in The European
World, pp. 308–316.
Butters, Humfrey, ‘Europe in 1800’, in The European
world, pp. 343–351.
Note: There will be additional readings, including original sources – check regularly on
moodle.
Further Readings
A selection of introductory books on different regions of Europe held by Maynooth University
Library (for the comprehensive works see the respective chapters on the early modern era)
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Western Europe
Arblaster, Paul, A history of the Low Countries (Basingstoke, 2006).
Barton, Simon, A history of Spain (2nd edn, Basingstoke, New York, 2009).
Birmingham, David, A concise history of Portugal (Cambridge, 1993).
Briggs, Robin, Early modern France, 1560–1715 (Oxford, 1977, 2nd edn, Oxford, 1998).
Collins, James B., The state in early modern France (Cambridge, 1995, 2nd edn Cambridge, 2009).
Disney, Anthony R., A history of Portugal and the Portuguese Empire: From Beginnings to 1807. 2
vols (Cambridge, 2009).
Holt, Mack P., Renaissance and Reformation France, 1500-1648 (Oxford, New York, 2002).
Maltby, William S., The rise and fall of the Spanish empire (Basingstoke, 2009).
4
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Northern and Central Europe
Brady, Thomas A., German histories in the age of Reformations, 1400–1650 (Cambridge, 2009).
Fulbrook, Mary, A concise history of Germany (Cambridge, 1992).
Kirby, David G., A concise history of Finland (Cambridge, 2006).
Lukowski, Jerzy, Zawadzki, Hubert, A concise history of Poland (2nd edn, Cambridge, 2008).
Magnusson, Lars, An economic history of Sweden (London, New York, 2000).
Whaley, Joachim, Germany and the Holy Roman Empire (Oxford, 2012).
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Southern and Eastern Europe
Black, Christopher F., Early modern Italy: A social history (London, New York, 2001).
Crampton, Richard J., A concise history of Bulgaria (Cambridge, 1997).
Magas, Branka, Croatia through history: The making of a European state (London, 2007).
Malcolm, Noel, Bosnia. A short history (London, 1994, 3rd edn London, 2002).
Molnár, Miklós, Magyar, Anna, A concise history of Hungary (Cambridge, 2005).
Najemy, John M. (ed.), Italy in the age of the Renaissance: 1300–1550 (Oxford, 2004).
Rossos, Andrew, Macedonia and the Macedonians: A history (Stanford, 2008).