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Absolutism and its Alternatives

| Discussion topics | Documents | Audio | Reading |


Discussion Topics and Essay Questions

a) Absolutism
  • Was absolutism really a 'myth'?
  • To what extent was Louis XIV the model for European absolutist monarchs?
  • 'Absolutism in the various countries of Europe shared few common features'. Discuss.
b) The Impact of War
  • Was the 'military revolution' cause or consequence of a more sophisticated state apparatus?
  • How deeply did warfare disrupt the lives of early modern Europeans?
c) The British Alternative
  • Did Britain 'escape' absolutism?
  • Which were more 'revolutionary' in their consequences, the events of the 1640s, or of the 1680s?

Documents

**NOTE: Some eresources are accessible only on-campus or via off-campus proxies or the athens service**

Texts

[Interpret]

Images

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Absolutism
The Impact of War
The British Alternative

Absolutism

The Impact of War

The British Alternative


Audio Links:

Search for suitable versions of the following pieces on http://uk.youtube.com

  • The Prince of Denmark's March, Jeremiah Clarke
  • Philidor La Marche Des Mousquetaires, Music for Louis XIV
  • Music at the court of Louis XIV, Allemande 'La Fountainbleau'

 Secondary Literature

Selected Key Texts

Further Reading

a) Absolutism
b) The Impact of War
c) The British Alternative (The Civil War and 'Glorious Revolution)

 

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