HSTEU 381 A: History of Scandinavia Since 1720

History of Scandinavia since 1720
Instructor: Guntis Šmidchens, guntiss@uw.edu

How did political power pass out of the hands of absolutist monarchs, into the hands of a country's "people"? How did the "the people" who rule the country then expand to include all adult men and women?  

This course will zip through three centuries of North European history, sketching out a history of democracy from kings to parliaments, and from nation-states to active participants in politics of the European Union and the United Nations.

Textbooks:

• David G. Kirby. (2013). The Baltic world, 1772-1993 : Europe’s northern periphery in an age of change. Routledge. [e-book at UW Libraries] [paper copies may be available at UW Bookstore]
• Henrik Berggren, L. T. (2022). The Swedish Theory of Love: Individualism and Social Trust in Modern Sweden (1st ed.). University of Washington Press. [e-book at UW Libraries] [paper copies are on sale at UW Bookstore]
• ...and other readings, available in this Canvas website. 

Assignments will include:

• Independent research essay, submitted in several drafts through the quarter.