Disasters: Environment, Disease, and War in Early Modern Europe

Famines, epidemics, natural disasters, and wars - all these impacted the lives of early modern Europeans. How did they react to these events? This course examines disasters in Europe, with a focus on the time period 1500-1800. We will discuss famines, outbreaks of diseases like plague, wars such as the 30 Years' War, severe weather events during the "Little Ice Age," and natural disasters such as earthquakes. By engaging with historical sources and scholarship, we will explore the impacts of these events, as well as how people interpreted and responded to them.