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ME3314   Times of trouble: civil conflicts in the later fifteenth century

Academic year(s): 2017-2018

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 30

ECTS credits : 15

Level : SCQF level 9

Semester: 1

Planned timetable: See http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/infoug/ugtimetable

Between the 1450s and 1480s many European realms were beset by periods of internal conflict which developed into open civil war. The best-known of these are the so-called Wars of the Roses in the lands of the English crown, but similar periods of domestic unrest occurred in Scotland, France, the Low Countries and the Spanish realms. This module examines the causes of political dissent and conflict: dynastic, social, political and economic and their effects on the developing authority of royal governments. The roles and rights of great noble houses in relation to the crown and to their own regional hegemonies are also examined as is the use of political language, of royal sovereignty and of resistance to misrule, in an era of contested legitimacy. This is a study of political crises and civil warfare which focuses primarily on the lands of the English and Scottish crowns but also examines common and distinct themes from other fifteenth-century realms.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): Before taking this module you must pass at least 60 credits from {ME1003, ME1006, ME2003, HI2001, MH2002}

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 1 x 2-hour seminar, plus 1 office hour.

Scheduled learning hours: 22

Guided independent study hours: 278

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: 3-hour Written Examination = 60%, Coursework = 40%

As defined by QAA
Written examinations : 60%
Practical examinations : 0%
Coursework: 40%

Re-assessment: 4,000- to 5,000-word essay = 100%

Personnel

Module teaching staff: Prof M Brown