The Emergence of the Eastern Powers, 1756–1775
The Emergence of the Eastern Powers, 1756–1775
Throughout the nineteenth century, international relations in Europe were dominated by five great powers - Britain, France, Russia, Austria and Prussia. The creation of this system has been located traditionally in the long struggle with revolutionary and Napoleonic France. By contrast, this study demonstrates that its origins lie half a century earlier. During the third quarter of the eighteenth century, the European states-system was transformed by the military rise of Russia and Prussia in the Seven Years War of 1756–63. Eastern Europe became pre-eminent, and during the 1770s Poland was partitioned for the first time, while Russia and Austria also seized territory from the Ottoman empire. Europe's centre of gravity moved sharply eastwards, and by the later 1770s Russia was emerging as the leading continental power. This study, based upon manuscript and printed sources from six countries, provides a comprehensive analysis of these crucial events.
- A study of the creation of the European 'great power' system which would continue until the outbreak of World War I
- Offers a comparative approach, examining Russia, Prussia, Austria and France in the era immediately before the French Revolution and Napoleon
- Links military events with international political developments
Reviews & endorsements
'It is an elegant and learned book, and its significance is apparent from the outset. … The quantity and quality of the research underpinning this book are impressive. … The Rise of the Eastern Powers is a notable contribution to our understanding of the history of modern Europe, and a model work of international history.' Institute of Historical Research
'… scholars can buy this outstanding work confident that it delivers even more than it claims.' German History
Product details
July 2007Paperback
9780521038249
308 pages
227 × 151 × 17 mm
0.463kg
4 maps
Available
.jpg)
.jpg)
Table of Contents
- List of maps and genealogical table
- Acknowledgements
- A note on dates and place names
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction: the eighteenth-century European states system and its transformations
- 1. The rise of the eastern powers
- 2. The Seven Years War and the European states system
- 3. The domestic legacies of the Seven Years War
- 4. The stabilisation of Europe, 1763–6
- 5. Diplomacy and the eastern powers
- 6. From peace to war, 1766–8
- 7. The partition of Europe, 1768–72
- 8. The advance of Russia, 1772–5
- Conclusion: Russia and the emergence of the eastern powers
- Bibliography
- Index.
