Foundations of Western Civilization II: A History of the Modern Western World

Overview

Trace Europe’s transformation from Renaissance to Cold War in this 48-lecture masterclass, exploring how Western ideas reshaped global politics, science, and culture.

Course No. 8700

Professor Robert Bucholz reveals how Europe evolved from medieval backwater to world-dominant civilization through revolutions in thought, industry, and power.

Course Content

Renaissance & Reformation (1350-1648)

1. Humanism’s Revolution (31 min)
   • Rediscovery of classical texts and new worldviews

2. Protestant Fractures (31 min)
   • Luther’s challenge and Thirty Years’ War

3. Scientific Awakening (30 min)
   • Copernicus to Newton’s new cosmos

Age of Revolutions (1649-1815)

4. Absolute vs. Constitutional Rule (31 min)
   • Louis XIV’s grandeur vs. England’s Glorious Revolution

5. Enlightenment Thinkers (31 min)
   • Voltaire, Rousseau, and the critique of tradition

6. Napoleon’s Rise & Fall (30 min)
   • How revolutionary ideals conquered Europe

Industrial Transformation (1760-1914)

7. Factory System Emerges (30 min)
   • Britain’s technological leap and social costs

8. Ideological Responses (31 min)
   • Liberalism, Romanticism, and Marx’s socialism

9. Nationalism’s Power (30 min)
   • Unification of Germany and imperial rivalries

Modern Crisis & Recovery (1914-2001)

10. World War I’s Shattering Impact (31 min)
    • Trenches, revolutions, and failed peace

11. Totalitarian Nightmares (30 min)
    • Stalin’s purges, Hitler’s Holocaust

12. Cold War Europe (30 min)
    • Marshall Plan to European Union