European History: A Look at the Past
European history is a long and complex one, full of wars, revolutions, and changes in power. From ancient times to modern days, Europe is home to many different cultures that have shaped its development over time. Here we take a look at some of the major events that have impacted this region throughout its history.
The first recorded civilizations in Europe were those of Ancient Greece and Rome, which began around 800 BC and ended with the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. During this period, there was much progress made in terms of culture, art, science, philosophy, literature, and military might. The legacy left by these two great empires can still be seen today, from their language, Latin, to the architecture found across Europe's cities, such as Athens or Rome.
In between Ancient Greece and Rome came several other important civilizations, including those founded by Celts who migrated into central Europe during 500 BC–200 AD; Germanic tribes who settled all over Northern Europe after 400 AD; Vikings who invaded most parts of western Europe from the 8th century onwards; the Byzantine Empire, which lasted for 1000 years until 1453 when it fell to the Ottoman Turks; the Franks under Charlemagne, who established an empire stretching from France through the Middle Ages. Germany up until Denmark from the 9th century onwards; and finally the Habsburg Monarchy (1526–1806), ruling Austria-Hungary. All these civilizations played an integral part in developing what would become known as modern. European society today, bringing about developments like feudalism (medieval social system), the Renaissance (15th century intellectual movement), and the Reformation (16th century religious upheaval).
Throughout the Middle Ages, further expansion occurred with kings conquering new territories, expanding beyond Western, Central, Northern, and Southern Europe into Africa and Asia, creating colonial powers while also forming alliances amongst each other due to marriage politics, business interests, etc., leading up to the formation of powerful nation states, eventually resulting in the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), where the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte attempted to conquer the entire continent only to be defeated by his opponents, the Prussians. Britain, Russia, and Austria. This marked the beginning of the era of dynastic warfare, heralding the industrialization age, revolutionized the way Europeans lived forever, changing the landscape, political economic dynamics, and the world order. The 19th and 20th centuries saw more than a hundred years of relative peace, growth, prosperity, and increased technological advancements thanks to advances in industry, communication, transportation, healthcare, education, entertainment, and leisure activities. In addition to the emergence of various ideologies, nationalism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism contributed greatly to shaping the course of destiny of nations within the continent, ultimately culminating in World War I (1914, 1918), followed by II (1939, 1945), which both had devastating effects on human lives, property, and wealth, leaving behind trails of destruction, sorrow, and heartache. However, they did bring an end to oppressive regimes, ushering in democratic governments, allowing people to voice their opinions, speak freely against authorities without fear of persecution reprisals, something unheard of before the advent of these wars, and lastly collapse. The Soviet Union in 1991 brought down the Iron Curtain, signifying reunification. Eastern and Central European countries end Cold War tensions. The global stage is paving the way towards a brighter future post-1990s, so far proven fruitful regarding EU integration efforts. mutual understanding cooperation at regional international level among member states. Although current challenges, Refugee crises and terrorism remain daunting tasks to address, together we can hopefully resolve them soon too.