In the late Middle Ages, the so-called ""Christian West"" saw a considerable change. Europe is constructing itself and starting to conquer the world. Technical, artistic and religious revolutions participate in this extraordinary expansion. For four centuries, a European model of “civilization” has been taking place. But this creative power does not exist without tensions, without challenges. The purpose of this course is to bring out the highlights of this adventure in order to understand the main mechanisms. The course is divided into four parts:

- The Renaissance: between civilization and violence

- The invention of Europe (seventeenth and eighteenth century)

- Europe, a universal power (eighteenth and early twentieth century)

- Europe between destruction and reinvention.