The Peace of Utrecht (1713) was perhaps the first political treaty that had a global impact. It not only ended a European-wide conflict, but also led to a cessation of hostilities on the American continent and Indian subcontinent, as well as naval warfare worldwide. More than this, however - as the chapters in this volume clearly demonstrate - the treaty marked an important step in the development of an integrated world-wide political system. By reconsidering the preconditions, negotiations and consequences of the Peace of Utrecht - rather than focusing on previous concerns with international relations and diplomacy - the contributions to this collection help embed events in a richer context of diverging networks, globalizing empires, expanding media and changing identities. Several chapters consider the preconditions and challenges to political entities such as the British and Spanish empires and French monarchy, demonstrating that far from being nation-states these were conglomerates with diverging forms of affiliation, which developed different modes and interests to face the needs and consequences of the Utrecht negotiations. This "macrostructural" perspective is complemented by chapters that focus on "microstructural" aspects, considering the personal networks and relationships that informed day-to-day actions in Utrecht. Both perspectives are then drawn together by further contributions that examine the formation of images and discourses which were intended to identify key individuals with larger political entities and their assumed interests. This approach, combining both broad and more narrowly focused case studies, reveals much about how the diplomatic discussions were framed with political and social contexts. In so doing the volume offers new perspectives concerning the formation of modern Europe at the beginning of the eighteenth century, beyond and yet connected with diplomatic developments and global entanglements.

The Peace of Utrecht (1713) was perhaps the first political treaty that had a global impact. It not only ended a European-wide conflict, but also led to a cessation of hostilities on the American continent and Indian subcontinent, as well as naval warfare worldwide. More than this, however - as the chapters in this volume clearly demonstrate - the treaty marked an important step in the development of an integrated world-wide political system. By reconsidering the preconditions, negotiations and consequences of the Peace of Utrecht - rather than focusing on previous concerns with international relations and diplomacy - the contributions to this collection help embed events in a richer context of diverging networks, globalizing empires, expanding media and changing identities. Several chapters consider the preconditions and challenges to political entities such as the British and Spanish empires and French monarchy, demonstrating that far from being nation-states these were conglomerates with diverging forms of affiliation, which developed different modes and interests to face the needs and consequences of the Utrecht negotiations. This "macrostructural" perspective is complemented by chapters that focus on "microstructural" aspects, considering the personal networks and relationships that informed day-to-day actions in Utrecht. Both perspectives are then drawn together by further contributions that examine the formation of images and discourses which were intended to identify key individuals with larger political entities and their assumed interests. This approach, combining both broad and more narrowly focused case studies, reveals much about how the diplomatic discussions were framed with political and social contexts. In so doing the volume offers new perspectives concerning the formation of modern Europe at the beginning of the eighteenth century, beyond and yet connected with diplomatic developments and global entanglements.

Das Ehepaar Venus und Vulcanus dient als Sinnbild dieser Geschichte ehelicher Konflikte in der Fruhen Neuzeit, nicht das viel bekanntere Liebespaar Venus und Mars. Das Sozialgefuge "Ehe" veranderte sich in den Jahren von 1500 bis 1800 massgeblich. Soziookonomische Notwendigkeiten wurden von emotionalen Bedurfnissen der Ehepartner uberlagert; gleichzeitig blieb die theologische Uberhohung der Beziehungsform Ehe bestehen. Diese Gemengelage fuhrte unweigerlich zu einer latenten Krisenanfalligkeit. Die Autorinnen verknupfen aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse mit vielen Prozessbeispielen aus dem Alten Reich und machen Art, Verlauf und Bewaltigung der Konflikte in den drei Phasen Anbahnung, Bestand und Auflosung einer Ehe anschaulich."

Haben die grossen Feierlichkeiten anlasslich des 350. Jubilaums des Westfalischen Friedens in Osnabruck und Munster (1998) einen Impuls auf die Erforschung des Friedens in der Fruhen Neuzeit gegeben? Mit dieser Frage setzen sich rund zehn Jahre nach dem Grossereignis eine Reihe von Historikerinnen und Historikern auseinander, die auf diese Weise den aktuellen Stand der historischen Friedensforschung dokumentieren. Der Band macht deutlich, dass die Erforschung des Friedens weit uber die wichtigen Fragen der internationalen Beziehungen und des Volkerrechts hinausgeht. Friedensvorstellungen und Friedenspraktiken in der Fruhen Neuzeit waren immer eingebettet in umfassende, ubergeordnete Friedensordnungen; damit stellen sie auch eine wichtige Folie fur die zeitgeschichtlich orientierte historische Friedensforschung dar. Beitrage von Volker Arnke, Tobias Bartke, Renger de Bruin, Johannes Burkhardt, Horst Carl, Regina Dauser, Heinz Duchhardt, Ralf-Peter Fuchs, Christoph Kampmann, Frank Kleinehagenbrock, Maximilian Lanzinner, David Onnekink, Martin Peters, Michael Rohrschneider, Inken Schmidt-Voges, Therese Schwager, Kerstin Weiand, Andrea Weindl, Siegrid Westphal"