Lecture 1: The Boundaries of the West: Endings and Beginnings 

History 5 - Spring 2008: The Making of Modern Europe, 1453 to the Present

Introduces requirements, TAs who will lead sections, the "uses" of history. Then the broadest background of the region we today called Europe, beginning with the division of the Roman empire between East & West under Constantine (c. 272-337); the second split, between North and South, and the shrinking of Christendom under the Arab-Moslem conquests (c. 633 f); the fall of Constantinople to the Turks (1453) and the ensuing cultural divide between Latin & Greek Christendom. Three paradoxes are the course's themes: Political Power: it grows as it becomes concentrated in states, but so do the controls over it; Public and Private spheres: become increasingly distinct, but also stronger; the breakup of Latin Christendom and then rising secularization – while Christianity becomes a global religion.