MikeandRaph87 |
12-02-2019 07:48 PM |
European History
I read a lot of history related books and teach history so I thought I would make a thread about European History. The most ambitious and contentious area of the world even if the endless struggle of Middle East religions are factored together.
Europe was settled later than Africa, Asia, and the Middle East when tribes settled through out Greece coming from Turkey. From there Athens and Sparta stood out and Greece was consolidated by Alexander The Great whose territories would become apart of the Roman Empire, the most ambitious empire in history starting out as a city-state ruled by Etruscans.
After Rome fell to Getmanic tribes pushed by Atilla into the empire came the middle ages and Byzantine Empire with nation states evolving slowly from tribal kingdoms. Close kinsmenship of William The Conqueror set off an 800 year rivalry between Britain and France. Meanwhile the Muslims emerged and tried to claim land beyond successes in Spain. The Roman Catholic Church and Greek Orthodox Church ruled the kings who played politics with one another. Following the Bubonic Plague and the invention of the printing press educated beyond church officials and royals. The interest of ancient art along Scientific Revolution allowed to topple Absolutism. Also, with Constaniople fallen at the same time the 100 Years War ended competition for trade heated up looking to avoid the Ottoman Empire leading to the discovery of three other continents.
Spain forms vanquishing Islam and leads the Age of Exploration. Britain and France continue to compete while Britain becomes the U.K. and protestantism is born. Political interest always seemed to trump religious reasons such as the result of the Thirty Years War. The Spanish will have the most land thanks to early investments and Line of Demarcation in its favor. The Seven Years War, American Revolution, and Napoleonic Wars served as a second 100 years war this time ending in British favor despite losing the North American interests it turned to Australia and India and helped theindustral. The French Revolution was the first echo of the American Revolution and the attempt to hold onto monarchies lasted only a generation with the Revolutions of 1848. This inspired the formation of Germany under Prussia with Austria holding out and allying with Hungary for sixty years. Learning its mistakes in the Revolution and seeing France ignore it's people Britian experienced an era of common man interest avoided difficulties and France and Britain team up for the first time in the underrated Crimean War. Meanwhile Italy forms after a millennium of shifting city-states. European rivalry tears up Africa after the U.S. is able to stand up for itself and the resources for industrial growth are forced with tensions boiling up to create the main causes of the First World War.
The First World War forced the attention of nation-states world-wide despite the Europeans taking center stage. France wanting revenge for forming Germany in its front yard leads to a follow up with Treaty of Versailles sparking the even worse Second World War. The oddity of Europe The Ottoman Empire was dismantled leading to Turkey and the Middle East with empires a thing of the past. World War Two is the biggest war in history but this time Germany has different allies, Japan and Italy, the latter taken over by a dictator switched sides. Democracy made a marriage of convince with Communist Russia after Hitler became the immediate threat breaking its sometimes alliance like when it took Poland off the map for 125 years with Austria and Prussia. After strategy and reinforcements proved the difference in Europe and atomic bombs in the Pacific the Cold War began with Europe and Asia the playing fields of democracy vs communism. Democratic west freed the remainder of its territories and NATO and Warsaw took sides. The Berlin Wall stood for 27 long years and with its fall so was the Cold War decided. The European Union formed as an economic alliance and the U.N. succeeds where the League of Nations failed. Europe has had attacks by al-Qaeda and ISIS centered in London and Paris while helping the U.S. in its antiterrorist stance. This just the cliffsnotes version and plenty left out. What events in European History interest you? It has been an increasingly interesting topic for me to read about since teaching it. I also use some of these and watch it for fun linked below.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMsMTfmRomkVQG8AqrAmJFX
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