Power, War, and Kings — Technology & Absolutism (1648–1815)

In this episode of AP Euro in 15, Mr. Bruns breaks down one of the most important connections in early modern European history: how military innovation reshaped governments.

Starting after the Treaty of Westphalia, Mr. Bruns explores how advances in firearms, artillery, and fortifications transformed warfare—making it more expensive, more organized, and more dependent on strong central states. These changes helped shift the balance of power across Europe and set the stage for powerful monarchs to rise.

Then, Mr. Bruns discusses absolutism—what it is, how it works, and why rulers embraced it. Mr. Bruns unpacks the characteristics and goals of absolute monarchs, and explains how leaders like Louis XIV, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great built systems of control to manage growing armies, taxation, and bureaucracy. You’ll also see how rulers such as James I of England and the Spanish Habsburgs attempted to limit noble power—while still preserving elite privilege.

From intendants and mercantilism under Jean-Baptiste Colbert to Russian westernization and military expansion, this episode connects the dots between technology, warfare, and state-building.

Mr. Bruns then wraps up by tying everything together: how the demands of war didn’t just change battlefields—they transformed governments and shaped the modern European state system leading into the Congress of Vienna.

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Avsnitt(26)

Age of Enlightenment: Cultural and Intellectual Developments (Part II)

In this second episode on the Enlightenment, Mr. Bruns explores how new ideas transformed European intellectual and cultural life between 1648–1815. Discover how salons, coffeehouses, lending librarie...

21 Maj 15min

The Enlightenment – Reason, Rights, and Revolution (Part I)

What happens when Europeans begin questioning kings, The Church, and society itself? In this energetic episode of AP Euro in 15, Mr. Bruns breaks down the origins and impact of the Enlightenment from ...

20 Maj 19min

The Scientific Revolution — Rewriting the Cosmos and the Human Body

How did Europeans go from believing Earth sat at the center of the universe to discovering universal laws of motion and circulation of blood? In this energetic episode of AP Euro in 15, Mr. Bruns brea...

13 Maj 15min

Contextualizing the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment: From Stars to Salon

Travel from the Scientific Revolution to the Age of Enlightenment in this episode of AP Euro in 15 with Mr. Bruns! This episode explores how Europeans between 1648 and 1815 began challenging tradition...

12 Maj 14min

Comparison & Argumentation: Power, Politics, and the Rise of a Global Economy (1648–1815)

In this final conversation of Unit 3, Mr. Bruns brings it all together by sharpening one of the most important AP Euro skills: comparison with argumentation.From the absolutist dominance of Louis XIV ...

3 Maj 9min

The Dutch Golden Age & The Balance of Power

In this episode, Mr. Bruns discusses two essential AP European History themes: the rise of the Dutch Republic during the Dutch Golden Age and the development of the Balance of Power in Europe from 164...

30 Apr 10min

Economic Development & Mercantilism (1648–1815)

In this episode, Mr. Bruns breaks down the rise of mercantilism and the expansion of capitalism, showing how global trade networks reshaped Europe between 1648 and 1815. From the Agricultural and Cons...

29 Apr 12min