HIST3920 - European Diplomatic History 1789-1914

This exciting course is of great value – especially to majors in international relations history, and political science – because it examines the rise and fall of a genuine world order: the Congress of Vienna system established by the governments of Europe’s Great Powers following the Napoleonic Wars. The "long 19th century"(1789-1914) was simply the most dynamic in history. Europe was transformed by technological, political, and ideological revolutions, and the rest of the world was transformed by Europe’s imperialism and trade. Yet, no general wars erupted over that century thanks to the sturdy pillars of peace raised by the statesmen at the Congress of Vienna. Over time, however, the pillars crumbled and human folly, combined with the impersonal forces of modernity, pushed Europe into the world wars and holocausts of the hideous 20th century. This is a history that compels us to ask: why did the world order break down and what are the implications for the disordered world of today?