The three-quarters of a century between 1715 and 1789 are often seen as the last years of Europe's old order. But a dramatic rise in Europe's population, the agricultural and industrial revolutions in Britain and the unprecedented challenges of the Enlightenment began to shake the foundations of the[...]
In its fifth year (1793-1794), the French Revolution faced a multifaceted crisis that threatened to overwhelm the Republic. In response the government instituted a revolutionary dictatorship and a "reign of terror," with a Committee of Public Safety at its head. R. R. Palmer's fascinating narrative [...]