Hello everyone and welcome to the history of England.

Episode 323 Europe 12 Absolutely Nations

Before I start I have a podcast recommendation for you from the Agora Network.

Now I do love a good map, I have even in my very small way.

Creative the odd animated map for Edward III's campaigns.

So I am delighted to recommend the Map Corner podcast, which is a celebration of maps, travel

and cartography, hosted by map aficionados, Ryefield Brown and Claire Astbury.

They have a range of guests which I think the word would be eclectic, but all with a connection

to maps and understanding the world around us or the places in our imaginations.

Each episode features an interview, a quiz, and an audio postcard from a listener.

So find the podcast on any podcast near you and also join the Map Corner Facebook group

where you can share and discuss maps.

Give it a go and I hope you enjoy it.

Okay, another general theme in the 17th century history of Europe is the continuing growth

of the nation state.

As the unity of the Middle Ages was cast, headlong, flaming from the ethereal sky down

to the bottomless perdition.

That is the pizza of the framework of nation states.

It is a pizza which lets us throw on it ladies and gentlemen the ham of the military

revolution and the pineapple chunks of absolutism.

We have probably spoken of this enough, but expenditure or military technology grew increasingly

and ruinously expensive.

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