History

In this course, Professor Mike Braddick (University of Sheffield) explores the English Civil War (1642-51) through the lens of radical and revolution. We begin by thinking about the causes of the war in England, focusing in particular on why the...

In this course, Professor John Morrill (University of Cambridge) examines one of the most extraordinary events in British political history: the execution of the king, Charles I, in January 1649. We begin in the first module by thinking about who...

In this course, Professor John Morrill (University of Cambridge) examines the life of Oliver Cromwell from obscure beginnings in Cambridgeshire to his election as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1653. In the ...

In this course, Dr David Smith (University of Cambridge) explores the life of Oliver Cromwell during the period when he was Lord Protector, from 1653-1658. We begin by thinking about the creation of the Protectorate in 1653, focusing in particular...

In this course, Professor Glenn Richardson (St Mary’s University) explores the life of Cardinal Wolsey (1472-1530), one of Henry VIII’s most trusted advisors in the first part of his reign. We begin by thinking about Wolsey’s rise from relatively...

In this course, Professor Simon Ditchfield (University of York) explores the Catholic Reformation. We begin by thinking about approaches to the period, focusing in particular on the various terms that historians have used to describe the reforms...

In this course, Dr Jonathan Willis (University of Birmingham) explores the Henrician Reformation. We begin by thinking about the 'health' of the church in late Medieval England, focusing in particular on the concept of lay piety. After that, we...

In this course, Dr John Edwards (University of Oxford) explores the reigns of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, jointly known as the Catholic Monarchs, or simply 'Ferdinand and Isabella'. We begin by providing a broad overview...

In this course, Dr Colin Imber (University of Manchester) explores the Battle of Mohács (1526), fought between the Ottoman forces led by Ibrahim Pasha and the Hungarian forces of Louis II. We begin by tracing the arduous journey of the...

In this course, Dr Colin Imber (University of Manchester) explores the rise of the Ottoman Empire from the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 to the Peace of Zsitvatorok in 1606. We begin with the careers of Mehmed II (1451-81) and...

In this course, Professor Alec Ryrie (University of Durham) explores the Reformation in Europe from the rise of Zwingli in the 1520s to the death of Calvin in 1564. In the first module, we think about the expansion of Lutheranism...

In this course, Professor Michael Hicks (University of Winchester) explores the Wars of the Roses, c. 1450 – c. 1525. In the first module, we explore the English system of government in the late Medieval period, focusing in particular on...