British Historian Examines Survival of Europe's Microstates at University of Andorra

The University of Andorra (UdA) hosted a research spotlight session today on the survival of Europe's microstates—Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino—as independent entities amid larger powers, presented by British historian Jean-Michel Johnston.

Johnston, a Royal Historical Society member and associate professor at Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam College, is in Andorra via the Faber programme. His talk, part of the UdA's *Píndoles de recerca* series, argued that these states challenge standard views of contemporary European history. He pointed out that Enlightenment thinkers before the French Revolution feared small states they admired would disappear under expanding commercial empires. Nationalism and imperialism in the 19th and 20th centuries then drove territorial consolidation, erasing many minor political units.

The endurance of these four microstates, however, reveals a more intricate European political path than often described. Rather than odd outliers, they show not every trajectory ended in merger with bigger nations, urging a fresh look at historical models.

During his stay, Johnston is developing a book on European history through the perspective of these states. His Catalan skills grant access to vital resources at the National Library and National Archive, plus key sites and museums around the country.