Locating the origins of the Reformation in the late Middle Ages, the course focuses on the theological, philosophical, and historical forces at work which culminated in the reform movements in Germany, Switzerland, and England. While Martin Luther is the central figure studied, attention is also given to Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin as well as several figures from the Radical Reformation. An examination of the religious turmoil in Europe centered around the Reformation and its consequences in the political and intellectual realm. Topics discussed include the rise of the early modern state, European exploration and discovery, the rise of skepticism, and military innovation. An investigation of the intellectual, political, and economic origins of modernity as developed in Europe at this time.
Attention is given to recent critiques of modernity.
A topical examination of central issues in Europe during the age of industrialization. HIS 35C Europe in the Age of Hitler An examination of European history, 1914-45, with special attention to the rise and consequences of fascism and Nazism. Traditional and psychohistorical analyses of Hitler are used. The difficulties of statebuilding in Eastern and Central Europe and the consequences of the Great Depression are also emphasized. Topics considered include the functions of the absolutist state, the civilizing of manners, and the nature of peasant rebellions.