Political History in the Early Modern Period

Code:

HISTO052

Acronym:

HPEMOD

Instance: 2016/2017 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of History, Political and International Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in History

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
HISTO	88	HISTO - Study Plan	2	-	6	52	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Students will acquire skills enabling them to monitor the changes in the political structure in the late fifteenth century and realize the construction of Absolutism as political system prevailing throughout the Modern era. The couple must hold information that will make them understand what the alternative to absolutist political systems, with emphasis on the case of Britain and the Netherlands (United Provinces); Know how to recognize the specificities of schemes called enlightened despotism that Europe experienced in the eighteenth century as an alternative to the absolutism of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; Knowing identities and differences in their general lines of revolts, rebellions and revolutions that marked the Modern Europe, alongside the lines of action of the political-military diplomacy, generating equilibria and ruptures between various European nations.

Learning outcomes and competences

 

Students should:

- Apprehend the notion of Early Modern Period, in order to understand the political aspects of this new historical period, which began in the late 15th century;

 - Understand the notion of Absolutism, and be capable of identifying this political system.

- Recognize the importance of alternative political models, as opposed to absolutism, such as the case of England and the United Provinces;

 - Study and correlate the differences between the 18th century Enlightened Despotism and the 16th and 17th century Absolutism;

 - Identify the differences between rebellions and revolutions, and the causes of rural and urban uprisings, as well as revolutionary wars in Modern Europe;

- Acquire a general overview, which can help them describe and correlate diplomatic and political-military games, as well as the balance between different European nations.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Modern times. The birth of the modern world at the end of the 15th century. 2. Absolutism and absolute monarchies. 3. Alternative models to Absolutism: England and United Provinces. 4. Enlightened Despotism. 5. Rebellions and Revolutions. Rural and urban uprisings. Revolutionary Wars. 

Mandatory literature

ISRAEL, Jonathan I.; The Dutch Republic. Its Rise, Greatness, and fall 1477-1806, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998. ISBN: 978-0-19-820734-4
Peter Robert Campbel; Luís XIV, Editorial Presença, 2009. ISBN: 978-972-2341-88-2
BURKe, Peter; A construção de Luís XIV, Caleidoscópio, 2007. ISBN: 978-989-8010-67-4
ZAGORIN, Perez; Revueltas y revoluciones en la Edad Moderna, Ediciones Cátedra, 1985-1986
PARKER, Geoffrey; Europe in crisis 1598-1648, Fontana Press, 1988. ISBN: 0-00-686143-1
PÉREZ, Joseph; Filipe II e o seu Império, Editorial Verbo, 2007. ISBN: 978-22-2771-1
LOADES, D.M.; Politics and the nation 1450-1660: obedience, resistance and public order, Fontana Paperbacks, 1979. ISBN: 978-0006333395

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical-practical classes: lectures as an introduction to the topics of the subject, in order to stimulate class debates on those same topics. Use of graphics, statistics, and cartographic material. Tutorials: critical analysis of the topics of the subject, which will stimulate class debates moderated by the teacher. The teacher will also promote the discussion of the main bibliography, and debates on the reports/papers on books (or parts of books) done during the students' independent work. The books can be chosen by the students, as long as the teacher doesn't object to them.

Software

Datashow

keywords

Social sciences > Political sciences > Policy studies
Humanities > History > Political history
Humanities > History > Modern history

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	80,00
Trabalho escrito	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	75,00
Frequência das aulas	52,00
Trabalho de investigação	35,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Accordance with Assessment Regulations in force.

Calculation formula of final grade

Written test: 80%+ Book report:20%

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

In accordance with the general regulations.

Classification improvement

The process for improving grades must comply with the types of assessment planned for the course unit. Students may only redo or repeat the written test and never the written work.

 

Observations

The students of mobility have the obligation to contact with the teacher during the first week of the semester or, if they can duly prove that they arrived after the beginning of the classes, they have a week to do it after their arrival.

Lectures will always be in Portuguese. However, tutorials may be instructed in English, French, Spanish or Italian for foreign students whose mother-tongue is not Portuguese, and have obvious poor comprehension skills.