Introduction

The nation-state in Europe developed steadily during the period 1300-1650 as European monarchies consolidated their control and political institutions matured out of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Reformation. They were shaped by a dramatic combination of forces which included wars, famines, plagues, intellectual and religious change, and economic revolution. In particular, the states of Europe demonstrated remarkable development in the period 1500-1650.

By the mid-seventeenth century, leading nation-states in Europe already demonstrated many of the characteristics we have come to associate with the modern nation: well-defined boundaries, diverse populations, standing armies, bureaucracies, and developing economies driven by strong national interests. In the process, the leaders of these developing states were caught up in often dramatic rivalries and confrontations which would affect not only Europe but the world as well.