European History

Course Overview

This course is an introductory about the social and historical events that have shaped and created Europe. The course includes components of political, religious, social, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and intellectual history. The lessons coincide with regular world history classes, but this course remains an interest-oriented class.

Students will learn four significant historical events, developments, and processes in four historical periods starting from approximately 1500 to the present.

Course Schedule

4 weeks

4 lectures

7:00 — 8:00 PM EST

July 17th — August 7th

Course Outline

Lecture 1: A Subtle Change in the European Christian World

Lecture 2: A Collision of Ideas

Lecture 3: A World Where Power Thrives

Lecture 4: The Second Thirty Years War — A Hellish Period

Lecture 1:

Medieval Overview

Renaissance

Individualism, Secularism, Humanism, Virtue, and Historical Consciousness

Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael…

The Reformation

Catholic Church, Protestant Movements, Muslims’ threats

Martin Luther, Calvin…

The Religious Wars

France, England, Spain…

The Thirty Years War

Lecture 2:

The Scientific Revolution

The Scientific Methods

Newton, Galileo, Descartes…

The Enlightenment

Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire

The French Revolution

Napoleon

Lecture 3:

More Revolutions and Revolts

1830, 1848

Industrial Progress

The Pursuit of Better Living Conditions

Empires

France, England, Russia, Hapsburgs

Italian Unification

German Unification

Lecture 4:

WWI

Nationalism and Militarism

Interwar Period

The Great Depression

WWII

The Holocaust

Post-War Affairs

The Cold War