Early Modern

Traditionally, the Early Modern period covers the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries and we have kept to this tradition. The podcasts collected here introduce the origins and impact of the Reformation, its successor the Renaissance and the conflicting and complex events occurring in Spain. Read more

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  • An Introduction to the Renaissance

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Gabriele Neher of the University of Nottingham provides an introduction to the Renaissance.

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  • Charles V of Spain

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Glyn Redworth looks at the reign of Charles V of Spain.

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  • Early Modern German Witchcraft

    Podcast

    In this podcast Professor Alison Rowlands of the University of Essex looks at the role and significance of magic in early modern German popular culture, the impact of the Reformation on this culture, the witch persecutions that took place across Germany and how these varied regionally and, finally, how interpretations...

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  • Early Modern Witchcraft

    Podcast

    In this podcast Professor Alison Rowlands of the University of Essex delves into the witch trials and witchcraft of the early modern period. She examines the sources historians use for this time period, and how they differ between regions, from the continent to England and the colonies. Rowlands distinguishes the stereotypes of witches...

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  • Ferdinand and Isabella: the Unification of Spain

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Glyn Redworth examines the cultural differences and differences of ambition of Ferdinand and Isabella, their marriage as a personal union as opposed to political union, what happened after the death of Queen Isabella in 1504 and motives for unification.

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  • Film: Attic Inscriptions

    Article

    Public Museums, National Trust Properties and private homes across the UK contain thousands of antiquities deriving from the ancient Greek world. Many of these were obtained by those who ventured upon the Grand Tour, a cultural expedition to Europe undertaken by wealthy young men in the eighteenth and ninteteenth centuries. In...

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  • Interpretations of the Spanish Golden Age

    Podcast

    What was the long term impact of the Spanish Golden Age? How have interpretations of this period changed over time?

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  • Martin Luther and John Calvin

    Podcast

    In this podcast Professor Peter Marshall of Warwick University takes you through the importance of Martin Luther to the Protestant Reformation, the implications of Luther's teachings, how Luther's teachings were interpreted and mis-interpreted, the need for support from the political authorities, internal protestant disputes, the rise of Calvin and a...

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  • Origins of the European Financial Markets

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Anne Murphy of the University of Hertfordshire looks at the early origins of the European financial markets from the Italian Renaissance to the present day. Dr Murphy also provides a useful introduction to finance, the stock market and the bond market.

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  • Phillip II of Spain

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Francois Soyer looks at Phillip II's reign, how his government worked, the emergence of a new social class in Spain, the problems with personal rule: inefficiency, corruption and unrealistic expectations and Hapsburg rule under Phillip, bureaucracy and the growth of modern government.

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  • Romani History

    Podcast

    In this podcast Professor Eve Rosenhaft of the University of Liverpool looks at the history, diversity and development of the Romani community across Europe. She examines the role and influence of the Romani as part of European culture and history, the historic challenges they have faced and the rise of...

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  • Spain and Europe during the Spanish Golden Age

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Glyn Redworth looks at the impact of Spain relations with its neighbours, foreign perspectives of Spain; the black legend of Spain, ideological differences and ideological prejudice.

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  • The Franco-British Rivalry

    Podcast

    In this podcast Professor Roey Sweet of the University of Leicester looks at the relationship between Britain and France in the 18th century.

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  • The French Wars of Religion

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Stuart Carroll looks back at Europe’s wars of religion - the most prolonged of these being the French Wars of Religion. He examines their outbreak, why they lasted so long, why they were so violent and their long-term impact.

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  • The Origins of the Reformation

    Podcast

    In this podcast Professor Peter Marshall of Warwick University takes you through the causes of the Reformation, explanations of why this Reformation was successful, the importance of technological developments to the Reformation and why a de-centralised Germany proved fertile grounds for the development of the Reformation.

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  • The Reformation: Key Figures and Groups

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Penny Roberts of Warwick University takes you through the other key contributors to the international appeal of the reform movement aside from Calvin or Luther: Zwingli , Bullinger, Theodore Bezer, Martin Bucer and also radicals, rebels and resistance: the Huguenots, the Dutch rebellion, the Anabaptists and...

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  • The Reformation: Social and Cultural Implications

    Podcast

    In this podcast Professor Beat Kumin of Warwick University gives you an overview of the impact of the Reformation, discusses the social and cultural implications of the Reformation, talks about some of the debates among historians about the reformation and looks at the impact the Reformation had on European foreign...

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  • The Reformation: The Response of the Holy Roman Empire

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Henry Cohn of Warwick University takes you through the importance of relations with the state for the survival and growth of Protestantism, division and the Peasants War, the rise of state control over the Church, the response of the Emperor and the limitations of imperial power,...

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  • The Spanish Inquisition

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Francois Soyer looks at the origins, organisation and impact of the Spanish Inquisition.

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  • The Thirty Years War

    Podcast

    In this podcast Dr Frank Tallett of the University of Reading looks at the Thirty Years War.

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