Summary Of Chapter 16 Patterns Of World History

There were various topics covered throughout Chapter 16 of Patterns of World History: Volume One: to 1600, which focused on the European expansion as well as the Ottoman Habsburg conflicts. First, apocalyptic beliefs were spreading across Europe and began to inspire Europeans to explore and conquer the non Christian world. Second, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella enacted various political and religious reforms during their reign in Spain. Lastly, conflicts between Christians and Muslims in Eastern Europe was beginning to boil over into armed conflicts and conquest. All in all, each of these components greatly shaped the world through the reconquest of the Iberian peninsula, the European voyages to the Americas and Africa, and the Ottoman incursions

Christopher Columbus was deeply inspired by the prophecies of the apocalypse and envisioned that he would be the “forerunner” of the Iberian ruler who reconquers Jerusalem before the apocalypse (von Sivers, Desnoyers, and Stow 468). Columbus contented he could reach Jerusalem from India by travelling east to the Portuguese court (von Sivers, Desnoyers, and Stow 468). In spite of sharing the same apocalyptic beliefs, the Portuguese monarchy did not felt Columbus’ ocean calculations were accurate (von Sivers, Desnoyers, and Stow 468). Ultimately, Columbus was able to complete his expeditions once Ferdinand of Isabella of Spain accepted allowed Columbus to conduct his voyage to what they believed would Asia (von Sivers, Desnoyers, and Stow 468). In spite of not being able to fulfil his prophecy of reconquering Jerusalem through India, the apocalyptic fervor sweeping Europe deeply influenced his

There were various reasons that led to the fall of Constantinople at the hand of the Ottomans. For instance, the Byzantines were not only undermanned but also lacked adequate gunpowder and were ultimately unable to defend the land walls that protected the city (von Sivers, Desnoyers, and Stow 471). Mehmet repopulated Constantinople and appointed a new patriarch as head of the Eastern Christians, continued the expansion into the Balkans, and forced the hand of many rulers to submit to a vassal status (von Sivers, Desnoyers, and Stow 472). In the Balkans, the Ottomans were completing their conquest of Serbia and Hungary, and by the half of the 16th century the Ottoman empire became a huge multiethnic and multireligious state (von Sivers, Desnoyers, and Stow 473). All in all the conflicts between Christians and Ottoman Muslims in Eastern Europe stems from vast cultural differences, coupled with the Muslims invading and conquering a significant portion of Eastern