The Rise of the Nation-State in Europe: Absolutism, Enlightenment and Revolution, 1603-1815
The rise of the Nation-State is one of the most interesting developments in European history, and one that had a long-reaching impact across both European and world history. While intriguing in prospect, I am not entirely sure that this is the book to cover this interesting topic. Most historians generally agree the rise of the modern Nation-State can be traced to the Thirty Years War and the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, which essentially ended the Wars of Religion across Europe. Jack Schwartzwald takes that story far beyond that defining moment into the era of the Enlightenment and its counter-part Revolution. And that is where I disagree with Mr. Schwartzwald; he does not need to take us that far through European history. The rise of the Nation-State does not need to go beyond the French Revolution. Ending it at the French Revolution would have been a much smarter decision; in a way, the French Revolution was the final stage of the pure Nation-State. It’s intriguing to take it that far, but ultimately it falls a bit flat.
Author | Jack L. Schwartzwald |
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Star Count | /5 |
Format | Trade |
Page Count | 275 pages |
Publisher | McFarland |
Publish Date | 2017-Nov-07 |
ISBN | 9781476665474 |
Bookshop.org | Buy this Book |
Issue | April 2018 |
Category | History |
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