Urban Politics in Early Modern Europe takes a fascinating comparative approach to the nature of conflict and conflict resolution in early modern communities throughout Europe. In an era when the national state was far less developed than today, crucial decisions about economic, religious and social policy were often settled at municipal level. Cities were frequently the scenes of sudden tensions or bitter conflicts between ordinary citizens and the urban elites, and the threat of civic unrest was a key to the political dynamics of early modern cities. With vivid descriptions of events in cities in Central Europe, England, France, Italy and Spain, this book outlines the forms of political interaction in the early modern city.