Global transformation: the Western Maritime Empires from emergence to collapse, 1415-1956

Starting in the 15th century a group of unlikely candidates, firstly from the remote Iberian peninsular and then northwest Europe, set in train the forging of new, far-reaching and dominant empires that left almost no part of the world untouched. The outcomes continue to pose key issues for us all. But what motivated them, how did they achieve such control, and how can we assess the consequences for the peoples and lands they encountered? Why did they collapse so quickly in just a few decades of the 20th century, and how should we judge their legacy? This course charts the emergence of Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Britain as overseas hegemons. It will focus on the catalysts, ambitions and technology that enabled an extraordinary historical transformation, the nature of imperialism itself, the impacts on all the peoples involved, and the key underlying themes of ideology, religion, competition, power and identity.