History

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, 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, Dr Natalie Mears (Durham University) explores political culture and religion in Tudor England through six key questions: (1) How significant was the gender of the monarch during the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth?; (2) How far do you...

In this course, Professor Susan Doran (University of Oxford) explores the idea of the reign of Elizabeth I as a ‘golden age’ through six key questions: (1) Why has Elizabeth's reign been seen as a Golden Age?; (2) Did Elizabeth's reign ‘settle’...

In this course, Professor John Morrill (University of Cambridge) thinks about the treatment of Catholics during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). The course begins by thinking about Elizabeth's own religious beliefs, focusing in particular at...

In this course, Dr Jonathan Willis (University of Birmingham) explores religion and the church in Tudor England through six key questions: (1) To what extent was criticism of the Late Medieval Catholic Church the main reason for the growth of...

In this course, Professor John Morrill (University of Cambridge) explores the reign of Elizabeth I (1533-1603) through the lens of the succession crisis that she faced throughout her life – both at the beginning of her reign in 1558, and...

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, 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, 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, Professor John Morrill (University of Cambridge) thinks about the British Civil Wars, the intertwined series of conflicts that ravaged England, Ireland and Scotland in the mid-17th century. In the first two modules, we think about...

In this course, Professor Beat Kümin (University of Warwick) explores the German Reformation. He begins by looking at the causes of the Reformation, before thinking about the role of Martin Luther himself, wider socio-cultural consequences, the...

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, 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...