MVZb2064 From the Enlightenment to the Revolutionary Wars - on the threshold of a new era

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Bc. Tomáš Řepa, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites
Ability to understand Czech and English professional text. Knowledge of other languages, especially French, German and Russian is welcome.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course deals with the period of the rise of the Enlightenment and its revolutionary ideas through the period of competition between European powers in the struggle for colonial dominion or territorial expansion (the Seven Years' War) to the Great French Revolution and its aftermath in the form of the Revolutionary Wars. The main objective of the course is to understand the main trends in historical development in a pan-European context, its most important actors and the impact of the policies and achievements in the field of military of the powers of the time with regard to the division of spheres of influence and the origins of many social trends. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand developments during the 18th century on an international scale, outline the major milestones of political and military history, interpret the major historical events of the period, and use the knowledge gained to argue at an expert level.
Learning outcomes
Deepening knowledge of European history with an emphasis on the 18th century with its global overlap.
Syllabus
  • 1) Introduction to the subject, description of appropriate literature. Introduction to the study of the 18th century and its turbulences 2) The Enlightenment and its birth, leaders and efforts at social change 3) The Enlightenment and the Czech lands 4) On the threshold of the modern military of the late 17th and 18th centuries - Eugene of Savoy 5) Enlightenment absolutism and its differences in Europe - Joseph II and Catherine the Great 6) The Seven Years' War I 7) Seven Years' War II 8) Frederick the Great - Warrior King and Enlightenment 9) The American Revolution and the War of Independence 10) Causes of the Great French Revolution 11) The Great French Revolution and its course I 12) The Great French Revolution and its course II 13) The Revolutionary Wars and their lead up to the Napoleonic Wars
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussions, reading literature to broaden and deepen the knowledge acquired during lectures
Assessment methods
Written test to the extent of required literature to at least 60 % of all points
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/MVZb2064