HIST 41.01 Empires and Nations in Modern European History

The history of Europe has generally been told through the stories of its constituent nations. Yet most Europeans over the past three centuries lived in empires. This course will place empire at the center of the history of modern Europe, focusing both on land empires within Europe and the overseas empire, and view the nation as a challenger whose ultimate victory was – and is – far from certain. Beginning with the emergence of modern national ideas in the late 18th century, we will trace the complex relationship between European nation-states and empires until the present day. Topics covered will include the consolidation of European nation-states in the 19th century, overseas imperial expansion, multinational land empires, the two world wars, decolonization, and the question of American and Soviet empire in the 20th century.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SOC; WCult:W

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Class of 2023 and Before Major Dist: EUR; Class of 2024 and Beyond Major Dist: EUR, modern.