for 15 classes

European History: A History of Modern Europe, 1815 - 2023

Completed by 34 learners

Ages 12-17

Live Group Class

This course will give you an overview of European history from 1815 to the present day.

Professor Zbysek Brezina, PhD

Average rating:

5.0

Number of reviews:

(141 reviews)

Live video meetings

1x per week, 15 weeks

2-10 learners per class

50 min

About Learning Overview Teacher Reviews

What's included

15 live meetings

12 hrs 30 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 8 - 11

An examination of Europe from 1815-2019.  This course will emphasize continent-wide developments and ideas, including the revolutionary period, the Industrial Revolution, imperialism, the success and failure of European efforts to regulate the international system, the rise of nationalism, the role of ideologies like liberalism, socialism and conservatism, and the increasing diplomatic and internal tensions that led to the First World War. The course will also explore the Russian Revolution and the peace treaties, the rise of dictatorships leading to World War II, decolonization, the Cold War through the collapse of Communism, the growth of socialism, the welfare state, and the European Economic Community.

HISTORY OF MODERN EUROPE, 1815-2019 
I - V 	1815-1848 
-	introduction to History of Modern Europe
-	the Congress of Vienna and the Concert of Europe
-	the agricultural and industrial revolutions
-      the Revolutions of 1848
-	national Unification in Italy and Germany

VI - VIII    1871-1918
-	nineteenth-Century European Civilization 
-	the Age of Imperialism
-	the First World War

IX - XII   1919-1945
-	between the Two World Wars
-	the Second World War

XIII - XV	1945-2019
-	the Cold War
-	the end of the Cold War
-	new beginnings 

Questions for consideration: 

What is nationalism?
How did nationalism affect the Habsburg Empire? 
Why did Marxism become so influential among European socialists?
How did industrialization in Europe differ from industrialization in the United States?  
What was the New Imperialism? 
What were the two alliance systems that faced each other in Europe before 1914?
What caused the outbreak of World War I in 1914?
Why did the Versailles settlement leave Germany bitter?
What were the main events between 1918 and 1939 that led to World War II?
What were the causes of the Cold War?
Why did communist regimes collapse so easily in Eastern Europe in 1989?
What problems has Europe faced since the fall of Communism?

Learning Goals

This class has two specific goals.  One is to provide you with basic factual knowledge of the history of Europe and its people. Just as important, however, is the ability to use this information productively.  Thus, this class will also stress the ability to integrate the factual data into a basic understanding of Europe’s past and present. Rote memorization is not as important as the ability to produce and evaluate arguments based on historical evidence.

Other Details

External Resources

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:

Meet the teacher

Professor Zbysek Brezina, PhD

Joined March, 2020

5.0

141reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

Non-US Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History

Doctoral Degree in History from Boston University

I have taught history, social studies, and international relations for over twenty-five years at all levels, including elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. I have a Ph.D. in history from Boston University, and spent ten years as a tenure-track assistant professor teaching world and European history at two liberal arts colleges. I have spent the past few summers teaching history, international relations, Model United Nations, and political science to talented and gifted students in the U.S. and abroad. Recently I was teaching eighth-grade history and social studies at an independent school.

My life long passion is to spark an interest for history and international relations in my students, and to help them learn 21st Century skills such as effective writing, research, and critical thinking skills. I love to work with students in a small group, and enjoy tailoring my tutoring to every student's unique needs and abilities. I strive to develop my students' confidence in themselves, and to make each session challenging, fun, and not overwhelming.

I am looking forward to hearing from you and helping you achieve success in your studies!