Diplomatic History of Europe 1500 - 2000 | The Great Powers (Lecture 8)

Lecture 8: In this lecture, spanning 1648 to 1740, we survey the development and diplomatic interaction of the other Great Powers of the day, having examined French superpower in the previous lecture. First we focus on the evolving profession of the diplomat. Next we consider in turn the Dutch Republic and its Golden Age of commerce; Great Britain and its rise to naval supremacy; Austria and the new power base the resilient Habsburgs constructed for themselves in Europe’s southeast (in battle against the Ottoman Empire); the spirited smaller German kingdom of Prussia, a military prodigy; and finally the decline of once-mighty Spain. In the process, we also trace the distinctive styles and approaches of each of these states to the dangerous international scene of the time.

Essential Reading:
Paul Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, pp. 73–139.

Supplementary Reading:
M. S. Anderson, The Rise of Modern Diplomacy 1450-1919, pp. 41–102 and 163–174.