War, Peace, and Power: Diplomatic History of Europe, 1500-2000

by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

For much of the past five centuries, the history of the European continent has been a history of chaos, its civilization thrown into turmoil by ferocious wars or bitter religious conflicts - sometimes in combination - that have made and remade borders, created and eliminated entire nations, and left a legacy that is still influencing our world.

This 36-lecture series from an award-winning teacher and honored scholar pursues an explanation for this chaos that goes beyond the obvious ones of political ambition, religious intolerance, the pursuit of state power, or the fear of another state's aspirations. In pursuing that explanation, Professor Liulevicius offers everyone interested in the "why" of history a remarkable look into the evolution of the European continent and the modern state system. His provocative lectures allow us to peer through the revealing lens of statecraft to show us its impact on war, peace, and power and how that impact may well be felt in the future.

As you learn to examine key points on history's diplomatic timeline in the context of attempting to establish - successfully and not - a lasting idea of order in the European world, you'll begin to grasp the key Professor Liulevicius offers to understanding the dynamics of international politics. And you'll see how such key concepts as the balance of power, power itself, sovereignty, and "reason of state" - the raison d'état first enunciated by France's powerful Cardinal Richelieu - fit into those dynamics.

Genres: History, Audiobook, Nonfiction, War, Politics, European History, Military History

19 pages, Audible Audio

First published July 8, 2013

About the author

Distinguished Professor in the Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences
Biography
Professor Liulevicius specializes in modern German history, with a particular focus on German relations with Eastern Europe. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1994 and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Peace, and Revolution from 1994-95. He has taught at the University of Tennessee since 1995. From 2008 to 2021, he served as the director of the Center for the Study of War and Society.

Reviews

[William Adam Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down. This is a 36 lecture course on the diplomatic history of Europe since the 1500's, but it leans heavily on the period from 1870-1950. I liked it overall, especially the lectures that made up the first section of the course, with the sections of the Napoleonic Wars being especially strong. This is the 6th Great Course that I've listened to from Professor Liulevicius, so that section that covered World War I and II is pretty familiar to me, as it is his time period of expertise. Not that I have anything against learning about World War I or II, and maybe for you that might be a selling point. Just that even when viewing this period through a diplomatic lens, there is quite a bit I have heard him speak about before, the lectures did not stand out in any unique way.

The Course Guidebook that goes with the lectures is kind of a hit and miss. The Recommended Readings that go with the lectures and the Timeline are each a plus. The maps in the back are less than ideal, since they are in hard to read black and white. This course was published in 2007, and so much of the events surrounding Putin's rise to power are left out (he is mentioned briefly in the final lecture, where the professor states that he would be stepping down). Which is correct technically, because he did cede power briefly and rule as a puppet master for a while before resuming full power. Anyway, I enjoyed this course, but not as much as other courses that I've taken by this professor, who can be counted on to be well spoken, informative, and comprehensive. Just a personal preference, I guess.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what I was looking for. It gives an explanation of the politics of Europe from right after the conquest of italy by France until 2000 it is by its nature perfunctory since the timeframe is so broad but I got the understanding that I needed since I have studied medieval, ancient history but never had a broad overview of what, how and why the modern world happened. This does an outstanding job of at least giving me an outline and also pointing me towards things that I would be interested in later. The lecturer was also top notch so I enjoyed listening. My only complaint is that after 1945 the history becomes considerably more US, albeit understandably, focused even though this a course on Europe.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although very brief overviews, it was very good.

[David Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very well done Course, though a fly-over of 500 years of European diplomatic history can be a dizzying experience! It's incredible how many wars and conflicts occurred during that period, and how many, many times borders of countries were redrawn, or portions of countries -- or entire nations -- simply annexed.

Professor Liulevicius' enthusiasm was contagious, and his love of history is very evident, making the learning experience all the better. I will definitely balance this broad overview with some study of more focused and smaller time periods, but I still learned a lot and thought the course was very worthwhile!

[Ted Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This course is essentially a gloss of 500 years of European history with some discussion of the models we ascribe to interactions between states. Liulevicius is obviously extremely knowledgeable, and he presents a very competent narrative with some fun anecdotes sprinkled in that illustrate how individual diplomats’ gaffes can affect the course of history. However, the breadth of time doesn’t allow for the really deep analysis of any individual period or diplomatic interaction I think I was looking for. If you want a high-level view of early modern to near-contemporary European history, give this a shot. I’ll personally be checking out Liulevicius’s other courses for more information on specific periods.

[Yona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and certainly in-depth on statecraft/diplomacy aspects. However the focus was still too much on the Westphalian state-centric model of European politics, perhaps would have been better if more normative/ideational factors were considered in greater depth too.

[Lindsey Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this course but I felt like it missed some key things of the late 20th century. Bretton Woods was mentioned once in a single sentence and none of its goals or implications were elaborated on. He didn't talk about the meddling of the CIA in european elections or domestic politics after world war 2. and there was one throwaway sentence about how "some EU members dont want to use the euro" with no discussion of the ways that the european economy is organized and the implications that has for the sovereignty of smaller european nations.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liulevicius gives a fairly straight-forward recounting of European history from the 1500s to the early 2000s. He focuses on the diplomatic efforts of great powers to prevent the emergence of any one superpower, allying in surprising combinations that dispel the myths of religious solidarity or historical friendship/enmity. Liulevicius keeps the focus on the key decision makers and on the rising and decaying political powers, shuttling between one end of Europe to another as well as following the impact of historical events elsewhere in the world. A good overview of modern European history that is both informative and easy to grasp.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of 500 years of international relations. The best part is that this was created and published in 2008. I say this is the best part because at the end he sort of looks at the trends of the world and makes some predictions. He says that the realist school of thought argues that the world does not tolerate a soul superpower for long. That, The real school of thought says that other nations will gather together to counter the power of this one Hima, but as of the creation of this course, that had not happened. Had they waited two years, I think he could have made more definitive assertions.

[Walter Cavinaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to hear about this period in terms of state interactions and the history of international relations: wars, alliances, conferences and treaties. There was an emphasis on key politicians and diplomats and the roles they played. I would have also liked to see the role popular opinion played in diplomacy, historically. There are many great examples of how history shaped the decisions of policy makers, how they drew analogies to the past and sought to either replicate or avoid history repeating itself.

[Nic Cokis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lecture series is on the whole really good. I must say though once it gets into the 20th century, I think the coverage starts to feel very glossy, and to me it made it far less engaging. I think it would have been much better if it ended at WW1, and then there was an equally long series that covered WW1 to the present.

[Duester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid even though this is my wheelhouse. Recommend even though I take issue with coverage of the 20th century, e.g. underemphasizing decolonization in Africa. It hits all the major diplomatic themes and is engaging throughout.

[Loren Shultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good history and presentation I have enjoyed all the "Great Courses" books so far.

[Brian G Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's history of Europe during 1500 - 2000. The title says it all.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as his detailed ww1 course, but professionally done and covers all the expected ground. As commute companion pieces go, this one is totally fine, especially at 2x speed.

[Regan Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of 500 years of diplomatic history in Europe.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly gripping.

[R. August · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and good for getting a feel for the overarching themes and development of diplomacy, but there was no way to deal with any depth anything within the scope of this endeavor. Too short, covering too much. Still, worth it if you have the time and nothing else on your list.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating diplomatic perspective of the history of Europe. Hard to follow without a map at times though, but that's the nature of listening to 500 years of history in a car.

Vejas is an incredible lecturer and I would have loved to have him as a professor.

[Mario Russo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good course focusing on Europe Diplomatic relationship between countries, empires etc. While it is centered around Europe, it also includes some Russia and USA as it progresses towards World Wars and forward.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually a Teaching Company lecture. Very well done overview of 500 years of European/Western history. Lecturer did have a habit of repeating certain cliches or sayings that got on my nerves a bit.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

6

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, 100 stars on this course. Excellent.

[Vance Bryce]

Very interesting history of Diplomacy, with a focus on diplomats.

[Lenny Isf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall quite well-written. I felt, however, there was something missing to give it the full 5/5.