Few periods of history are so captivatingly complex as Europe's 19th century, the often-broadly defined period from the French Revolution to World War I that formed the foundation of the modern world. These lectures enable you to take an enormous stride toward understanding this turbulent and important era and its effect on peasants, workers, the middle class, aristocrats, women, and minorities.
The Long 19th Century: European History from 1789 to 1917
Take an unflinching look at some of history's major players during a complex and fascinating period of history.
Rated 3 out of
5
by
History 123 from
Broad political coverage, but not much detail
I watched this lecture series through lecture 29 before writing this review. I thought I would add a few notes for someone potentially interested in the series.
First of all, this is a political history course, not a cultural history course. It is all about statesmen, so only watch this if your goal is to learn about statesmen.
Secondly, this is not a series for beginners in 19th century history. The lectures are topic-based, and the lecturer assumes a basic knowledge of the subject matter and geography of the lecture before explicating it. He also frequently refers to the source book included with the lectures, so I would recommend at least glancing through it before each lecture.
Thirdly, there are a great variety of topics in this series, but very few of them receive more than two lectures. The two subjects that receive the most attention are great power diplomacy and the sense of nationalism and ethnic awareness that arose in Europe during this time. The lecturer is very interested in the varying and changing political rights of European Jews at the time. The experience of the Jewish minorities dominates the lectures on Tsarist Russia and the 3rd French republic, which is interesting, but potentially unfortunate if the viewer does not already have at least a basic preexisting knowledge of those states during this time period.
I would also add that "European" in "European History" is taken very narrowly. Very little information is included on the French conquest of Algeria, Russian activities in the far east, Opium Wars, etc. The New Imperialism lectures predominately talks about its effect on Europe. This series almost exclusively discusses European activities on the European continent.
Lastly, I should also add that the lecturer has a clear preference for the more democratic states among the 19th century powers, and for the agents of change rather than stability. He praises France and especially Britain at the expense of Austria and Russia. He admires Bismark, but not Metternich. The treatment of historical politics is not always neutral. The viewer should be aware of these inclinations before watching the series.
Date published: 2023-12-13
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Eastman from
An entertaining and informative perspective on history. Lecturer is excellent.
Date published: 2023-11-24
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Prof Bard from
A Traditional Approach
Professor Weiner offers a comprehensive overview of nineteenth century European history focused the on the states and personalities writ large on the canvas of history. This is a very traditional approach, and perhaps a dated approach, to teaching European history and history in general. A more contemporary approach might focus on the political, economic, and social processes that shaped the European states rather than on states as the arbiters of that process. Nonetheless, this is a solid course and it is a delight to share in Professor Weiner's enthusiasm and experience. The readings suggested are classics is this space although some have been updated by more recent work in the field. That said, through these suggested readings once shares in Professor Weiner's long intellectual engagement with European history and that is a gem unto itself.
Date published: 2023-07-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
brighttyger from
Complex subject taught with clarity and enthusiasm
My husband and I both loved this course. Weiner's focus is on the political movements and the philosophical underpinnings of those movements and on the economics. I was stunned by the negative reviews and did not share any of the criticisms. We both learned so much in each lecture as my personal previous knowledge was primarily in the arts and my husband's in military history. I found the professor entertaining after I got used to his style which took one lecture and enjoyed him more and more with each subsequent one. The subject matter is complex but totally fascinating. The only classes I had trouble with were the two on the events leading up to WWI - all the Balkan madness and multiple treaties, etc. But as Weiner said, It only gets worse. I was disappointed that he only taught one class. One of our favorites is Dorsey Armstrong and we've watched all of her medieval courses. I'd happily watch anything Weiner teaches. He puts his text on screen, which does help for clarity, but I'd have enjoyed more images - art and photography of the period, which would have made it more vivid for me.
Date published: 2023-07-25
Rated 5 out of
5
by
jlyons from
Excellent lectures - dynamically delivered
I bought this in audio form several years ago and was disappointed. I agree with a lot of the critical reviews that Prof. Weiner's delivery was irritating. But after seeing some of his videos on youtube I decided to get the video version and was very happy. I think there is something about seeing him deliver the lectures rather that just listening to them that makes a big difference.
He is very enthusiastic about this subject - one of my very favorites. So, I would advise getting it but in the video version.
Date published: 2023-05-13
Rated 5 out of
5
by
RoscoeMc from
A long, tedious, and VERY worthwhile read!
Very long, very detailed, quite tedious (I had to re-read a number of sections to fully grasp the meaning. This is a VERY GOOD description of the "growth" of European nations (including the United States here and there) in their transition from a Medieval, Imperial governmental organization to modern, citizen centered governments. I now fully understand the term "The Enlightenment". I also now understand, much more fully, the forces that created World War One. Unfortunately, as I'm reading the latter part of these lectures, I am seeing eerie parallels to what we are seeing right now in the Ukraine and I can see where these forces came from. I have become MUCH more concerned by these parallels. Five Stars!!! WELL worth the effort it will take to get through it. HIGHLY recommenced...
Date published: 2023-03-03
Rated 4 out of
5
by
ReliableDragon from
Fantastic Course, Difficult Material
This course was fantastic, and the professor did an excellent job of teaching it. The time period between the French Revolution and WW1 has always been a blank spot in my understanding of European history, and I feel that I now have some faint grasp on it. However, it is a very complicated time, and while this course does a great job of explaining it, I found myself needing to back up and repeat sections, sometimes multiple times, simply due to the complexity of the material. The professor does also tend to use some complex sentence structures at times, with long parentheticals separating linked ideas, which can make it more difficult to follow, and also using pauses in such a way as to regularly make me think sentences had ended before they actually had. Overall, I think this course is well worth your time, and even if it is not without flaw, it does a great job of explaining a fiendishly complicated period of history.
Date published: 2023-01-19
Rated 5 out of
5
by
MannyK from
Excellent Course
The professor was very clear, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. It is a complex subject, which the speaker was successful in presenting. His nuanced speech, body language, and slides enhanced his presentation. Highly recommended, and relevant to current affairs.
Date published: 2022-12-31
Overview
About
Dr. Robert I. Weiner is the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor of History at Lafayette College. He earned his B.A. from Temple University and a Hebrew teaching certificate from Gratz Hebrew College. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Since joining the faculty of Lafayette College in 1969, Professor Weiner has taught a wide range of courses in the fields of Modern European History and Modern Jewish History. He also serves as a Jewish chaplain and was Director of Contemporary Civilization at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College for eight years. Dr. Weiner is an award-winning teacher. He received six Student Government Awards for Superior Teaching and several institutional awards for teaching, service, and leadership, including the Lafayette College Marquis Distinguished Teaching Award and the James Lennertz Award for Teaching and Mentoring. Professor Weiner has published a number of articles and commentaries on both Modern European History and Modern Jewish History.
01: The Long 19th Century
This lecture discusses the reasons for extending the "century" to include the points in time when the masses and modern nationalism first presented themselves in Europe's most powerful country to the collapse of the 19th-century Eurocentric world order....
34 min
02: The Legacy of the Past-The Old Regime
What was Europe like on the eve of the French Revolution? We discuss how the structures of a changing medieval society were further challenged by economic, social, and cultural forces, even before the more profound agrarian and industrial revolutions to come....
30 min
03: The Age of Revolution, 1789-1848
This lecture focuses on the landmark analyses of mid-20th century Marxist historian Eric J. Hobsbawm to explain how the French and Industrial Revolutions served as midwives to modern European history and, via the umbilical cord of European imperialism, modern world history....
30 min
04: The French Revolution
Although scholars debate the causes of the French Revolution, all agree that it helped determine the political vocabulary, expectations, and myths of 19th-century Europe as it persisted for at least 10 years in Europe's most powerful state, spreading far and wide "in the knapsacks of French soldiers."...
30 min
05: The Napoleonic Era, 1799-1815
An adventurer of enormous talents and capacity for work and intrigue, Napoleon Bonaparte dominates Europe's historical imagination like no one until Adolf Hitler, representing much that was best in his era, even though his legacy is marred by his monumental ego and penchant for conquest....
30 min
06: The First Industrial Revolution, 1760-1850
The Industrial Revolution becomes the main force propelling Europe's modernization and urbanization, gradually transforming much of Britain's urban landscape over several generations until by 1850 it is the workshop of the world, with a greater productivity than the rest of Europe combined....
30 min
07: The Era of Metternich, 1815-1848
We examine an era characterized by tensions between the forces of order and the forces of change. Though the former-represented by Austrian Prince Clemens von Metternich-generally dominates, more liberal, constitutional worlds emerge in Britain and in France, though by far different means....
30 min
08: The Revolutions of 1848
Sparked by an "unintended" revolution in Paris, outbreaks involving middle class elements, workers, and artisans erupt in urban areas in the Germanic states, the Austrian Empire, and the Italian states, leading to a temporary collapse of established authority and hasty concessions....
31 min
09: Europe, 1850-1871-An Overview
Dashed expectations combine with expanding urban industrial civilization to usher in a new age of realpolitik and a new balance of power. Though an era of remarkable scientific, economic, and urban advancement, it is also marked by nationalist and class-based antagonism, Social Darwinism, and "modern" racist thought....
31 min
10: The Crimean War, 1853-1856
This lecture examines what is sometimes considered the most senseless of Europe's 19th-century wars-a conflict that makes possible the structural changes Europe will experience from the late 1850s through the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871....
30 min
11: From Napoleon to Napoleon-France, 1815-1852
More than the American Revolution, the French Revolution left a legacy of debris-disputed claims of legitimacy, disputed rights, and grievances. This lecture examines the tumultuous era between the defeat of Napoleon and the rise of his fascinating and enigmatic nephew, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte....
30 min
12: Napoleon III-An Evaluation
Napoleon III faced the daunting task of establishing legitimacy and creating a liberal, constitutional monarchy in a bitterly divided France and a Europe threatened by his name. Ruling longer than any 19th-century French monarch, Napoleon III's legacy is marred by France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War....
30 min
13: Italy on the Eve-An Overview
The final structure of the Italian nation, achieved when Italy occupied Rome in 1870, was far from what the major players had anticipated. This lecture paves the way for understanding the disappointing results of "unification" by analyzing the plight of Italy in 1848....
31 min
14: Cavour and Napoleon III-"Unifying" Italy
The developments that set "unification" into motion are instigated by Piedmontese minister Count Camillo di Cavour and Napoleon III. But Cavour's death leaves the final process of creating the new nation to lesser talents, with problematic results....
31 min
15: Germany on the Eve
This lecture examines the situation before the forging of the German Empire by the powerful Prussian statesman, Otto Von Bismarck-a situation even more complex than that faced by Italy....
30 min
16: Age of Bismarck-Creating the German Empire
A believer in absolutist power and aristocratic ascendancy, Bismarck masters the forces of the age, using military success, nationalist pride, economic/industrial expansion, and astute political manipulation to create a Prussian-dominated German Empire he would guide until his dismissal in 1890, a victim of the irresponsible structure he had created....
31 min
17: The British Way
This lecture examines how Great Britain's political, economic, and social structure allowed it to follow a unique path to political and economic modernization, weathering many of the storms afflicting other great powers-though not always without internal issues....
31 min
18: The Russian Experience, 1789-1881
Russia begins the "long 19th century" with little stimuli for modernization. It is oversized and still expanding, overwhelmingly agrarian with primitive transportation and communication systems, and dominated by a divine right absolutist monarchy that is allied with a privileged aristocracy. This lecture examines Russia's transition....
30 min
19: The Apogee of Europe, 1870-1914
During an age of massive change and material growth, there are crucial shifts in emphasis: nationalism, Social Darwinism, racism, industrialism, European imperialism, a decline in the "liberal" spirit. We also discuss the rise of modernist philosophies exemplified by such greats as Nietzsche, Freud, Bergson, and Sorel....
30 min
20: The Industrialization of Europe
The Second Industrial Revolution brings about greater change than any prior era. New forms of power, technology, and business organization, along with the possibilities brought by revolutions in transportation, communications, and education, make this transformation synonymous with urban civilization....
31 min
21: The Socialist Response
Although industrial, urban civilization brings growing democratization and middle-class opportunity, it is also an era of expanding Socialist visions and unionism. The modern urban proletariat is now real, recognized even by Bismarck. This lecture examines the impact of this new reality....
31 min
22: The Longest Hatred-European Anti-Semitism
This lecture examines what one historian has called "the longest hatred" a deeply embedded and changing element of Europe's culture, especially at the end of the 19th century, when it developed into new political and racial forms, notably in Central and Western Europe....
31 min
23: England, 1868-1914-Liberalism to Democracy
Although England's industrial dominance is eclipsed by Germany and the United States on the eve of World War I, and its extended empire has become a source of strain as well as pride, the English response to industrial society is still more successful than that of the other European powers....
30 min
24: The Third Republic-France, 1870-1914
Emerging from the Franco-Prussian War and the trauma of a civil war, the Third Republic struggles to consolidate itself and then cope with a progressively harsher series of crises that culminate in the Dreyfus Affair, an event so profound it is sometimes called simply "The Affair."...
31 min
25: Bismarckian and Wilhelminian Germany
Bismarck's domestic policies attempt every solution besides sharing real power. When he is fired by the brash new kaiser, the problematic forces Bismarck had been able to monitor-militarism, imperialism, and more extreme and racialist nationalism-begin to spiral out of control....
31 min
26: Flawed States-Austria-Hungary and Italy
Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire and flawed Italian state did not have much in common, both were examples of "failed" nation-states at the end of the century. This lecture examines the reasons why, and the conditions in both nations during the formative years of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini....
30 min
27: Russia, Turkey, and the Balkans
This lecture examines the circumstances that ultimately lead Russia to humiliating defeat and the near-overthrow of the regime during the Russo-Japanese War, and how this, in turn, leads nationalists to focus their attention on the Balkans, where the seeds of disaster are planted....
30 min
28: Bismarck Dominates Europe, 1870-1890
This lecture examines Bismarck's dominance of Europe's diplomatic agenda as he constructs a complex system of defensive alliances that prove a dangerous legacy for later German leaders lacking in his genius, sense of proportion, and respect for the balance of power....
31 min
29: The "New" Imperialism
European imperialism from the 1880s until about 1905 is remarkable for its intensity, tone, scope, and impact. It is spurred on, sometimes haphazardly, by national pride, Social Darwinian and racial assumptions, the search for economic growth and strategic security, Christian conscience, human adventure, and greed....
30 min
30: The Diplomacy of Imperialism, 1890-1907
This lecture examines the eventual unraveling of the Bismarckian system of alliances after his dismissal by Kaiser Wilhelm, culminating in the realization of Bismarck's worst nightmare: Germany surrounded by a number of powerful countries and tightly tied to an unstable Austria-Hungary....
31 min
31: Europe in Crisis, 1908-1914-Outbreak of War
A complex web of events, alliances, and crises move Europe closer to the brink of war. Eventually all of the powers focus on diplomatic and military preparedness, and patience is in short supply....
30 min
32: The Origins of World War I
One of the most meticulously studied topics in all of modern history: the causes of World War I. This lecture examines how a seemingly local conflict could degenerate into the greatest tragedy in modern European history....
31 min
33: The Great War-A Military Overview
This lecture looks at the immediate and long-term impact of the war-the prism through which most of the 20th century passed-with emphasis on the critical battles and military decisions that determined its outcome and best represent its nature and impact....
31 min
34: The Home Front During Total War
Once the First Battle of the Marne determined that Germany would not win World War I quickly, and combatants realized the war would consume greater quantities of resources than imaginable, the "war behind the war" became as decisive as the one on battlefield, leaving an indelible imprint on the postwar generation....
31 min
35: The Impact of World War I-New World Disorder
Gauging the impact of World War I is difficult: It accelerated profound and global changes, many of which are still "in process" today. World War I was to the 20th century what the French and Industrial Revolutions were to the 19th....
31 min
36: Looking Back, Thinking Ahead
This lecture summarizes the impact of the "long 19th century." It was, despite its tragedies, a time of progress and change, and brought to fruition many of the promises and hopes of both the French and Industrial Revolutions....
31 min
