Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the History of Early Modern Europe, especially concerning the tremendous political, cultural, social and economic changes that took place in the periods of the Renaissance, the Age of Exploration and
Discovery, the Reformation and Counter Reformation, the Early Enlightenment in Europe.
Assess the fundamental importance of the force and influence of personalities on politics, culture and military and diplomatic strategies, and thereby gain greater insights into the qualities of leadership and the requisites for functional and vibrant societies.
Acquire a fully informed appreciation of European historical and cultural heritage and identity based upon empirical evidence, and to understand the relevance of this module for the times in which we live.
Present aspects of the historical debates concerning the political, cultural, religious, scientific and military changes, impacts and legacies that created the foundations of the modern age
Indicative Module Content:
Through studying the experiences of significant personalities and the examination of the interplay between conquest, integration, legitimization, identity-formation and coalescence in statecraft, state-formation and reformation in Early Modern Europe, this module examines that crucial period in world history in which the cultural, political, economic, social, intellectual, scientific and strategic foundations of our present world were established. It focuses upon the great events, personalities and movements of the period that shaped human development such as Renaissance Humanism, Religious, Cultural and Social Reformations, Exploration, Discovery, Scientific Development, Baroque Art & Neo-Classicism and the rise of Political Absolutism, Modern Military and Diplomatic Strategy and the emergence of the modern power-state, of the nation-state, of overseas dominions, and of supra- national institutions.