Shennan examines the changing criteria upon which European relations were based between 1689 and 1789, a complex period which saw: * the decline of dynasticism * the emergence of economic power as a concomitant of military might * the growth of British influence * the dawn of nationalism For easy reference, this book also contains extensive chronologies of the important battles, treaties and alliances of the period, along with a list of further reading.

Shennan examines the changing criteria upon which European relations were based between 1689 and 1789, a complex period which saw: * the decline of dynasticism * the emergence of economic power as a concomitant of military might * the growth of British influence * the dawn of nationalism For easy reference, this book also contains extensive chronologies of the important battles, treaties and alliances of the period, along with a list of further reading.

Providing a complete historical background to Pitt's career, Eric Evans re-examines his policies and achievements in the light of recent research, and offers fresh insight on established stereotypes.

Chartism is an essential introduction to the movement, and examines the controversial debates surrounding the topic. As well as providing a concise period background, the author includes discussion of: * the Chartists' economic, legislative and political goals * patterns of regional and local support * reasons for the Chartist decline * the success of Chartism in the light of its goals and its influence over the Poor Law, Corn Laws, trade unions and factory reform * the languages of Chartism - songs, gesture and propaganda.

In Mussolini and Fascist Italy Martin Blinkhorn explains the significance of the man, the movement and the regime which dominated Italian life between 1922 and the closing stages of the Second World War. He examines: those aspects of post-Risorgimento Italy which provided the longterm context vital to an understanding of Fascism the social and political convulsions wrought by economic change after 1890 and by Italy’s intervention in the First World War the Fascist movement's rapid rise from obscurity to power and the subsequent establishment of Mussolini’s dictatorship the history of the Fascist regime until its demise during the Second World War the ways in which Italian Fascism has been understood by contemporary analysts and by historians. The third edition of this best-selling Lancaster Pamphlet provides an expanded and fully updated analysis. New features include additional material on Fascist totalitarianism and a completely revised consideration of the ways in which Fascism has been interpreted.

Sir Robert Peel provides an accessible and concise introduction to the life and career of one of the most political leaders of the nineteenth century. Perhaps best known for seeing through the Repeal of the Corn Laws, Peel had an enormous impact on political life of his age and beyond. Eric J. Evans reassesses Peel's career, arguing that although Peel's executive and administrative strengths were great, his arrogance, lack of empathy with the development of political parties and his inflexible commitment to economic liberalism presented political problems which he was incapable of solving. This expanded and fully revised second edition: fully engages with the extensive new historical work on Sir Robert Peel published since the first edition appeared fifteen years ago includes a glossary of key terms plus an updated and expanded bibliography, including listing useful websites. Sir Robert Peel is the perfect introduction for all students of nineteenth-century history.

This book represents a much-needed reappraisal of Germany between the wars, examining the political, social and economic aims of the new republic, their failure and how they led to Nazism and eventually the Second World War. The author includes: * an examination of the legacy of the First World War and the Treaty of Versailles * discussion of the early years of crisis culminating in the Ruhr Invasion and the Dawes Settlement * assessment of the leadership of Stresemann and Bruning * exploration of the circumstances leading to the rise of Hitler * an outline of the historiography of the Weimar Republic.

Ireland in Conflict, 1922-1998 sets out the main political, economic and social developments in Ireland, north and south of the border, since the 1922 treaty. This book explains the troubles in their context and examines the underlying tensions which led to prolonged violence after a period of relative civil peace and rising prosperity. Ireland in Conflict discusses: * the Civil War, its legacy for Irish politics and the Boundary Commission * the IRA, Orange Order and the Unionist party * the role of the Catholic Church and the Protestant minority * escalation of violence in the 1970s including Bloody Sunday and the hunger strikes * the Anglo-Irish agreement, the cease-fire and the hope for a peaceful solution.

This compact study assesses the personality, political and economic policies in war and peace, of America's longest-serving president and one of the most important political figures of the twentieth century, Franklin. D. Roosevelt. Also providing an overview of the America over which Roosevelt presided, the book offers a concise survey of both domestic and foreign affairs.

The Age of Discovery explores one of the most dramatic features of the late medieval and early modern period: when voyagers from Western Europe led by Spain and Portugal set out across the world and established links with Africa, Asia and the Americas. This book examines the main motivations behind the voyages and discusses the developments in navigation expertise and technology that made them possible. This second edition brings the scholarship up to date and includes two new chapters on the important topics of the idea of "discovery" and on biological and environmental factors which favoured or limited European expansion.