Duration
45h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course presents a synthesis of Early Modern History (15th-18th Century), mainly in Europe, taking into account its political, cultural, social, religious and economic dimensions. It will give the opportunity to understand the main stakes of the modernity from the Italian Renaissance to the European Enlightenment.
The goal of the first year of Bachelor in History is to gain useful basic knowledge for your future training. Therefore, this course is foremost a structuring course, intended to fix and to capitalize the knowledge. Its other goal is to introduce you to the understanding of historical phenomena (explanation, links, classification...). For these two reasons, the course is also open to the other students of the Faculty: everybody will find here the opportunity to organize and complete his/her knowledge about the early modern period and to improve his/her approach of history.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Define the main concepts, movements and institutions of modern Europe, placing them in their context.
- Situate the main states, cities, events and developments of the 15th-18th centuries in time and space.
- Describe and compare the political, religious, social, economic and cultural structures of modern Europe.
- Explain the causes, mechanisms and consequences of major events or transformations.
- Analyse a simple historical source by identifying its nature, context, point of view and the information it does - or does not - provide.
- Construct a well-argued, organised and precise historical response, drawing on relevant factual evidence.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No prerequisites are required. However, a good command of the French language is essential. It is therefore strongly advised that students who are unsure of their language skills contact the teaching assistant of the programme who will help them to overcome any weaknesses. E-mail and telephone number below.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The lecture provides the factual and conceptual foundations essential for studying modern history. However, mastering this material requires active and consistent effort: taking structured notes, checking your understanding, establishing chronological and geographical frameworks, comparing the phenomena studied, and practicing document analysis.
That is why several learning activities designed to engage students more deeply are planned. They are all intended to help you gradually acquire the knowledge and skills assessed in the exam:
- The multiple-choice quizzes offered online and in class allow you to regularly check your mastery of the course's chronological and geographical reference points, concepts, key figures, and important distinctions. They also provide direct practice for the first part of the exam.
- The exercise of constructing a timeline, followed by a class review, helps you organize events chronologically, understand historical periods, and identify connections between historical phenomena. These reference points are useful for both the multiple-choice questions and the open-ended essay question.
- The historical source analysis activities introduce you to contextualizing documents, identifying their nature and perspective, and critically interpreting the information they contain. They contribute to the development of the historical reasoning expected of you.
- The practice exam, administered under conditions similar to those of the certification exam, allows you to become familiar with the instructions, time management, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions. It helps you identify areas of your preparation that still need improvement.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
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Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
eCampus
The lecture course is also accompanied by an online course (eCampus). This online course is an integral part of my teaching. It is essential that you consult it regularly.
Any questions or comments during class or on the online course forum are welcome. In addition, I encourage you to remain active in your learning outside of class: for example, you can listen to podcasts of lectures given by leading contemporary historians included in the online course or read various historical works suggested throughout the year.
Useful reading
You can help yourself to a better understanding of the subject thanks to Jérôme Hélie, Petit Atlas historique des Temps modernes, Armand Colin (latest edition available). Despite its title, this book is not strictly speaking a historical atlas but a manual, enriched with maps and tables. It offers a clear and precise synthesis of modern history. Its structure, its accessible vocabulary and its many visual elements should enable you to organise your notes and check your understanding of the course.
For all those who wish to acquire a classic historical atlas, I recommend (without imposing it) the Atlas d'Histoire of Hayt, Brussels, De Boeck, latest edition available.
These textbooks and atlases are available in bookshops in the city centre. You can also borrow them from the Historical Sciences Library.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Continuous Assessment
Online MCQ are offered throughout the year, with no access conditions. You can practice whenever you want, independently. Furthermore, during the semester, I will organize two assessments consisting of MQC :
- The first one - formative - will focus on Chapter I: the grade obtained will not be included in the final grade.
- The second one - certifying - will cover Chapters I and II: the grade obtained will count for 5% of the final grade (January). This assessment is also not exempting. In case of failure in the January session, these points will not be included in the June and September grades.
A mock exam will be organized at the end of the semester, under the same conditions as the certifying exam: no notes or textbooks, individually, in silence, etc. This mock exam will help you familiarize yourself with the exam format (use of forms, presence of supervisors, etc.) and the type of questions asked.Attendance at the mock exam is strongly encouraged.
January Session
Written exam* covering the course material. Knowledge (chronology, geography, events, etc.) and understanding (causes, consequences, issues, etc.) will be evaluated equally.
The exam will be divided into two parts: the first will assess, through a series of multiple-choice questions, your ability to memorize, understand, and analyze the material covered in class; the second will consist of an open-ended question. The latter will evaluate your ability to construct a precise, structured, and well-reasoned historical response (the expectations will be specified, and the approach will be developed gradually over the course of the semester).
The multiple-choice questions will be graded using the "for guessing" scoring scale. This scale awards one point for each correct answer but also deducts a fraction of a point for incorrect answers, in order to encourage you to be cautious and not to guess when you do not know the answer.
The overall grade will be based on the certification exam (5%), the multiple-choice questions (70%), and the open-ended question (25%).
First-year students who fail the exam are eligible to retake it during the May-June session. All others will have to wait until the August-September session.
May-June Session
Written exam* covering the same subject matter as in January and administered under the same conditions (multiple-choice questions + open-ended question).
This session is open only to first-year Bachelor's students (Block 1). The final grade will no longer include the formative assessment but will be based solely on the exam scores, weighted as follows: multiple-choice questions (75%) and open-ended questions (25%).
August-September Session
A written exam* covering the same material as the January exam and administered under the same conditions (multiple-choice questions + open-ended question) for all students who failed in January or May/June.
The final grade will no longer include the formative assessment but will be based solely on the exam scores, weighted as follows: multiple-choice questions (75%) and open-ended question (25%).
* For non-French-speaking Erasmus students, the written exam could be, at their request and by mutual agreement, converted into an oral exam.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Courses
The course is only organised in the first quarter. It will be held every Thursday from 9 to 12 a.m. in the salle Godefroid Kurth (A2/1/25).
ATTENTION: the first course will take place on Thursday 17 September 2026.
Mail
I would like all questions about the course to be asked via the online course forum. I will answer them not on a daily basis, but at least once a week. For any other question, I would like students to write to me via their "ULiège" address and not another one. I also expect students to comply with the basic rules of politeness. Any mail that does not meet these criteria will be left without further action.
General remark
This course is given and assessed in the very short space (1 quadrimester). However, the subject matter is massive. In addition, for most of you, the exam will be one of your first university exams. It will therefore be necessary to start studying early! Don't wait until the Christmas holidays to get started: fixing such a large amount of new knowledge takes time! The sooner you start, the more likely you are to master this material in the long term.
Contacts
Tenured lecturer :
Annick Delfosse,
Département des Sciences historiques
Quai Roosevelt, 1b - Bât. A4, 1/06.
Tél : 04/3665455
adelfosse@uliege.be
.
Teaching assistant
Cécile Gorré
cgorre@uliege.be
Secretary :
Corinne Bolsée,
Département des Sciences historiques,
secrétariat
Quai Roosevelt, 1b - Bât. A4, niveau 0
Tél : +32 4 366 5875
Association of one or more MOOCs
Items online
eCampus (online course)
This online course is an important complement to my lecture course. You will find all the slideshows shown in the course, the weekly recordings of the lectures (podcasts) and a detailed table of contents. A toolbox will give you access to a glossary, a collection of maps and timelines. You will also be able to practice your knowledge with practice tests. A forum will allow you to discuss the material with each other and with me. Any question or remark on the forum is welcome. Finally, to go further, you will find a series of podcasts or videos of lectures or interviews given by contemporary historians as well as some articles that might interest you.