The 1648 Treaty of Westphalia marked the emergence of the nation-state as the dominant political entity in Europe. This book traces the development of the nation-state from its infancy as a virtual dynastic possession, through its incarnation as the embodiment of the sovereign popular will. Three sections chronicle the critical epochs of this transformation, beginning with the belief in the “divine right” of monarchical rule and ending with the concept that the people, not their leaders, are the heart of a nation—an enduring political ideal that remains the basis of the modern nation-state.

Jack L. Schwartzwald is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine.

Jack L. Schwartzwald
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 275
Bibliographic Info: 51 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6547-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2929-2
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Preface  1

Section I

Monarchy Absolute

Europe in the Age of Louis XIV 5

Section II

Monarchy Enlightened

Europe in the Age of the Enlightenment 64

Section III

Monarchy Overthrown

Europe in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Eras 129

Chapter Notes  231

Bibliography  250

Index  255

• “Written in a delightful and ever-entertaining style that anyone can enjoy. It is chock-full of colorful, amusing, and interesting anecdotes, many of which add new angles to understanding significant historical events.”—H-Net Reviews

• “An outstanding study of the rise of the European nation-state from feudal, monarchical roots following the Roman Empire’s collapse to the end of the Napoleonic Era at Waterloo in 1815. The work is a tour de force addressing the fundamental dynamics inherent in the evolution of modern Western civilization and nation-states.”—Stanley D.M. Carpenter, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island