The West on the Eve of a New World Order

• The Scientific Revolution-revolution in astronomy-geocentric theory-heliocentric theory

• Background to the Enlightenment-reason and scientific method-philosophes (Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot)

• Culture in an Enlightened Age-Rococo: decoration and architecture-high culture vs. popular culture

Economic Changes and the Social Order

• New Economic patterns-cottage industry-expansion of overseas trade-commercial capitalism

• Society in the Eighteenth Century-patterns of social organization-patrician oligarchies-rentiers: living off of investments

Colonial Empires and Revolution in the Americas

• The West Indies- “sugar factories”

• British North America-Jamestown & Massachusetts Bay

• French North America-Jacques Cartier-fur trade, different objective?

• The American Revolution-differing conceptions of how the empire should be

governed; role of Salutary Neglect?

Toward a New Political Order and Global Conflict

• Prussia: The Army and the Bureaucracy-Frederick the Great (1740-1786)-army= most important state institution

• The Austrian Empire of the Habsburgs-Empress Maria Theresa (1740-1780)-administrative reforms-Joseph II (1780-1790): role of philosophy?

• Russia under Catherine the Great-policy of favoring landed nobility-Pugachev Rebellion (1773)

• Changing Patterns of War-role of the Seven Years War and the Treaty of Paris (1763)

The French Revolution• Background to the French Revolution

-social structure of the Old Regime-national debt as a contributing factor

• From Estates-General to National Assembly-relationship between the First, Second, and Third Estates? -legal right to act as a national assembly?

• Destruction of the Old Regime-abolish rights of landlords and fiscal exemptions of nobles;

“Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen”• The Radical Revolution

-rise of French nationalism: military connection-Reign of Terror-revolution in Haiti

Age of Napoleon• Rise of Napoleon

-born in Corsica 1769-connections to Florentine nobility-strong military education

• Domestic Policies-established peace with the Catholic church, concordat recognized Catholicism-codification of the laws-a new Civil Code for the French people

• Napoleon’s Empire-The Grand Empire, three parts: French empire, dependent states, allied

states.-legal equality, religious toleration, economic freedom-Continental System-Fall of Napoleon

Coronation of Napoleon

Napoleon Crossing the French Alps