The aim of this survey module is to provide an overview of European History in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The period will be examined from two angles: (1.) chronologically, so that students will attain a grasp of the progression of events from the death of Louis XIV and the partition of the Spanish Monarchy, through the European revolutions of the late eighteenth century to the rise of the modern nation states in the nineteenth century; and (2.) thematically, where we will be examining different aspects that were characteristic of the period in question, such as the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment; liberalism and nationalism; industrialisation and the emerging role of mass movements.

The decline of belief in witchcraft and the scientific revolution; the emergence of Russia as the leading power in eastern Europe; Europe at peace, 1715-1740; the expansion of Britain as a world power; the Enlightenment and its impact on economy, society and politics; the Enlightened absolutists: Joseph II and Catherine the Great; the rise of Prussia and the diplomatic revolution of 1756; the role of women at the court of Louis XV; the collapse of the Old Regime in the 1780s; the French revolution; European radicalism in Britain, Poland and the Low Countries; Napoleonic Europe; the Congress of Vienna and the balance of power in the early nineteenth century; reaction, conservatism and romanticism.

On successful completion of this second-year module students should be able to: - identify the key events and themes of the period; - recognise how new intellectual developments changed the mentalities and outlooks of eighteenth-century Europeans; - interpret the role of Great-Power rivalry in the shaping of Europe during the eighteenth century; - assess the relative importance of the different factors leading to the revolutions of the 1780s and 1790s; - relate the programme of Napoleon Bonaparte to the ideals of both the Revolution and the Old Regime that preceded it; and - determine the different ways in which the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period impacted on Europe during the early nineteenth century.

On the completion of the module the student should have further developed an awareness of the value of systematic research and evaluation of diverse and competing interpretations of the subject matter.

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Understanding the complexity of societies in the past involves a number of skills that students master. Lectures and tutorials form a single part of the process of historical understanding alongside reading and research. Lectures are designed to introduce a student to a number of themes and events but will never provide all of the information necessary for achieving the objectives of the module. Through personal reading and research students will be better able to comprehend the people and politics of Europe between 1688 and 1815. The learner will become: - knowledgeable of the key themes of European history, through reading, writing and listening; - proactive by participating in lectures and tutorials; - creative through an active engagement with the assessment instruments; - responsible by exploring and understanding why decisions were made and their impact on people and places; - collaborative by working together both formally and informally on assessments; and - articulate by conveying ideas through written and verbal means throughout the module.