Online European History Courses
Discover the people, ideas and events that have shaped Europe through the centuries with City Lit’s online European history courses. From the rise and fall of empires to revolutions, wars and social change, our expert-led courses explore the complexity and richness of Europe’s past — all from the comfort of your own home.
Study a wide range of topics including ancient Greece and Rome, the medieval period, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, revolutions, nationalism, and the impact of the World Wars. With flexible online learning, live interactive sessions and supportive tutor guidance, you’ll engage critically with European history and deepen your understanding of its lasting influence on the world today.
Our courses are open to adults of all ages, whether you're new to the subject or looking to expand your historical knowledge. Learn in a friendly, collaborative environment where discussion and curiosity are encouraged.
Explore our online European history courses today and connect with the events and ideas that continue to shape Europe and beyond.
- Plague, Famine and War: Fourteenth Century Europe
Course start date: Fri 24 Apr 2026Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingNo sooner had the Great Famine of 1315-22 taken its toll then along came the Black Death to wipe out half the remaining population but there was also a flourishing of art and literature.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Portraying the Medieval MonarchCourse start date: Fri 24 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingStep into the world of murderous, usurping kings and those who were fortunate only to endure captivity. In considering royal deaths we ask: who had an argument with a poker; who was killed by a pig, and who died on the toilet?
Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - USSR after StalinCourse start date: Tue 5 May 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nick MorganExplore the political and social history of the Soviet Union from the death of Stalin in March 1953 to the fall of Khrushchev in October 1964
Note: if you already took the course “Communism in the USSR” in a previous year, then this course is not recommended.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - Post-war German history: 1961 to reunification and beyondCourse start date: Wed 6 May 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Rudolf MuhsThis course offers a broad survey of German history from the sealing of the country’s division by the Berlin Wall to its unforeseen reunification in 1989-90 and its aftermath.
Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £129.00 - The Soviet Union: a history in film, 1922-1991Course start date: Thu 7 May 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nick MorganThis is an advanced course intended to use film as a primary source in exploring the history and culture of the Soviet Union in greater detail.
Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - From the Habsburgs to the EU: The History of Italy’s North-East Course start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Francesco BucciolThe cities of Trieste and Gorizia, on today's Italian North-Eastern border, had a very complicated history in the 19th and 20th century. In this session you will discover the key historical events that marked these lands. From the divisions caused by the two world wars to the choice of Gorizia/Nova Gorica as EU's Capital of Culture 2025.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Remodelling Europe after the Great War: the fate of the vanquishedCourse start date: Thu 17 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sebastien ArdouinThe defeat of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria in 1918 had profound territorial, political and economic consequences on the future of these countries, some of which are still felt today.
Full fee £329.00 Senior fee £329.00 Concession £214.00 - Europe in the Age of Discovery 1400-1500 Course start date: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingExplore the growth and expansion of post-plague Europe thatwitnessednot onlythe splendour of Burgundy,the rise of printing,unification of Spainandthe Renaissance,butalsothe Age of Explorationthat led tocolonialism and slavery
Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - German History from Charlemagne to Napoleon (c.800 to 1815) Course start date: Wed 30 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Rudolf MuhsThe course offers a broad survey of the history of the German lands under the Holy Roman Empire
(800 to c. 1800).Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £142.00
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