The short Oxford history of Europe. The eighteenth century : Europe, 1688-1815

The eighteenth century was a time of expansion, forming the hinge between the old world and the new for, by its end, change was not only detectable, it was also seen to be irreversible. These specially commissioned chapters, written by experts in the field, address all the major issues in Europe's political, economic, religious, cultural, and international history for both the undergraduate student and the general reader. Contents 8 List of contributors 12 Introduction: the beneficiaries and casualties of expansion 14 1 Politics and the state in eighteenth-century Europe 24 European states: Monarchies, republics, and despotisms 25 High politics 30 Enlightened absolutism 36 Corporate politics 44 Representative politics 48 Politics and the people 54 Radicals and republicans 59 Conclusion 64 2 Orders and classes: eighteenth-century society under pressure 65 The stages of demographic expansion 65 The dissolution of the society of orders 68 estate-owners 71 tenants 73 peasants 74 rural labours 76 industrial workers 80 high finance 85 Jews 88 Poverty and poor relief 91 Social forces making for continuity 92 the nobility 93 townspeople 98 The image of society 101 3 The European economy in the eighteenth century 104 Agriculture 107 Industry 122 Trade 135 4 Religion and culture 144 Religion, to mid-century 146 Culture before the middle of the century 153 Religion, enlightenment, and culture from mid-century to 1789 163 Epilogue: the French Revolution 183 5 International rivalry and warfare 191 The old regime, 1700–1789 192 the international system 192 the military system 200 the practice of war 203 the war of the Spanish Succession 205 the war of the Austrian Succession 209 the Seven Years War 212 Revolution and Empire, 1789–1815 216 revolutionary change and international continuity, 1789–1802 216 war and partition, 1792–1795 218 Napoleon’s military revolution, 1802–1812 221 the apogee of Napoleon, 1805–1807 224 the formation of the Concert of Europe 227 6 Europe and the rest of the world 231 Europeans outside Europe 232 empires in the Americas 232 the crisis of the American empires 238 Asian trade 242 new empires in Asia 246 European perspectives 249 the benefits of expansion 249 envisaging new worlds 254 Conclusion: the French Revolution and beyond 260 Further Reading 268 Chronology 273 Maps 289 Europe in 1715 289 Europe in 1789 291 Europe in 1815 293 Europeans in Asia in the eighteenth century 295 Partitions of Poland 297 The Americas in the eighteenth century 298 Index 300 A 300 B 300 C 301 D 302 E 303 F 303 G 304 H 305 I 306 J 306 K 306 L 306 M 307 N 308 O 308 P 308 Q 310 R 310 S 310 T 312 U 313 V 313 W 313 Y 314 Z 314 Machine generated contents note: X Politics and the state in eighteenth-century Europe Julian Swann European states: Monarchies, republics, and despotisms High politics Enlightened absolutism Corporate politics Representative politics Politics and the people Radicals and republicans Conclusion 2 Orders and classes: eighteenth-century society under pressure Christof Dipper The stages of demographic expansion The dissolution of the society of orders estate-owners tenants peasants rural labours industrial workers high finance lews Poverty and poor relief Social forces making for continuity the nobility townspeople The image of society 3 The European economy in the eighteenth century Sheilagh Ogilvie Agriculture Industry Trade 4 Religion and culture Derek Beales Religion, to mid-century Culture before the middle of the century Religion, enlightenment, and culture from mid-century to 1789 Epilogue: the French Revolution 5 International rivalry and warfare John A. Lynn The old regime, 1700-1789 the international system the military system the practice of war the war of the Spanish Succession the war of the Austrian Succession the Seven Years War Revolution and Empire, 1789-1815 revolutionary change and international continuity, 1789-1802 war and partition, 1792-1795 Napoleon's military revolution, 1802-1812 the apogee of Napoleon, 1805-1807 the formation of the Concert of Europe 6 Europe and the rest of the world P. J. Marshall Europeans outside Europe empires in the Americas the crisis of the American empires Asian trade new empires in Asia European perspectives the benefits of expansion envisaging new worlds Conclusion: the French Revolution and beyond T C. W. Blanning Further Reading Chronology Maps Europe in 1715 Europe in 1789 Europe in 1815 Europeans in Asia in the eighteenth century Partitions of Poland The Americas in the eighteenth century Index. The complete Short Oxford History of Europe (series editor: Professor T.C.W. Blanning) will cover the history of Europe from Classical Greece to the present in eleven volumes. In each, experts write to their strengths tackling the key issues including society, economy, religion, politics, and culture head-on in chapters that will be at once wide-ranging surveys and searching analyses. Each book is specifically designed with the non-specialist reader in mind; but the authority of the contributors and the vigour of the interpretations will make them necessary and challenging reading for fellow academics across a range of disciplines. The word which best summarizes the wonderful variety of human experience in the eighteenth century is `expansion'. The size of armies, literacy rates, state intervention, the acreage of overseas empires, productivity or just the number of Europeans on the planet were all significantly higher in 1800 than in 1700. It is the century which forms the hinge between the old world and the new for, by its end, change was not only detectable, it was also seen to be irreversible. In this book, six experts analyse concisely and incisively the major developments in politics, society, the economy, religion and culture, warfare and international relations, and in Europe's relations with the world overseas. The complete "Short Oxford History of Europe" series covers the history of of Europe from Classical Greece to the present in ten volumes. In each, experts write to their strengths tackling the key issues including society, economy, religion, politics and culture head-on in chapters that offer wide-ranging surveys and searching analyses. Each book is specifically designed with the non-specialist reader in mind; but the authority of the contributors and the vigour of the interpretations makes them suitable reading for fellow academics across a range of disciplines.; The word which best summarises the variety of human experience in the 18th century is "expansion". The size of armies, literacy rates, state intervention, the acreage of overseas empires, productivity or just the number of Europeans on the planet all were appreciably higher in 1800 than in 1700. It is the century which forms the hinge between the old world and the new for, by its end, change was not only detectable, it was also seen to be irreversible The 18th century was a time of expansion, forming the hinge between the old world and the new. These chapters address all the major issues in Europe's political, economic, religious, cultural and international history