Transcript A Brief History of Europe

A Brief History of Europe
Way, way back when (500 – 300 BC)…
Ancient Greece
• Advanced civilization
– First ‘modern’ governments
– Citizenship, politics, education, democracy
• Centered around Sparta, Athens
• Mt. Olympus = center of religion
• Started the idea of the Olympics – 776 BC
Romans
• Centered in Rome, Italy
– Very strong
– Leader: Caesar/Emperor
• Julius Caesar: father of first emperor, Caesar Augustus
• Roman Empire eventually stretched across the
continent
• Persecuted Christians and others, very powerful
• 500 AD: Fall of Rome
– Huns (from Central Asia) invaded and other internal
problems
– Roman Empire ended
Middle Ages
• From 500 – ~1500 AD
– Also known as Medieval times
– Began with fall of Roman Empire
• First half = Dark Ages
• Second half = High Middle Ages
– 1348 = Black Death (Bubonic Plague), 25 – 50 million deaths
– No dominant national power
• Sweden, Norway and Denmark: Vikings
• Feudalism takes over
– Lords, serfs/peasants, castles, knights
• Lots of fighting between small groups
– Barbarians, Huns, Goths, Franks, Saxons, etc.
• Germanic groups grow in central Europe
• Christianity grows as well
• Holy Roman Empire:
– A Catholic attempt to revive the old Roman Empire
idea; controlled central Europe (Germany/Austria)
from 800s – 1400s
• Followed by the Renaissance and Age of
Enlightenment
Neuschwanstein Castle
Castle Torija
Spain
Tower of London
Colonialism
• Spain and Portugal were early strong powers
– Explore and colonize the western hemisphere
• By 1500s: France, Netherlands and England join
in colonization efforts
Why?
• Want to overtake other groups, gain new land,
expand trade and resources
France
•
•
•
•
Grows into a strong nation after 1500
Biggest power in Europe
Monarchy
July 14, 1789: French Revolution, “Bastille Day”
– People behead King Louis XVI a few years later
• Napoleon Bonaparte = self proclaimed emperor
–
–
–
–
Sells Louisiana Territory to US in 1803, $25 million
Russians beat him in 1812 (he was trying to take Moscow)
British beat him in 1815 at Waterloo
Exiled from France; democracy eventually takes over
Napoleon
Bonaparte
1812 Overture
England
• After Napoleon is defeated, United Kingdom
grows into a big European power
• Becomes a HUGE colonial power
– Covered 1/5 of the world’s land area
– “Sun never sets on the British Empire”
• Becomes a major military strength
– Lots of fights with France throughout years
British Empire
Germany
• Became a unified nation in 1871 from smaller
independent states (Prussia, Saxony, etc.)
– Kaiser = Emperor
• Strong militarily and politically
• Wanted to take over Europe a few times...
WWI
• 1914 – 1918
• Germany & Austria/Hungary vs. United
Kingdom, France and Russia (with late U.S.
help)
• Germany defeated
WWII
• 1939 – 1945
• Hitler takes over control of Germany
– Wants a united Europe
– Wants a purified race
• Targets Jews, Roma (Gypsies), others
• US brought in Dec. 7, 1941
– Pearl Harbor
• Allies: US, UK, USSR
• Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan
• D-Day: June 6, 1944 - Allied invasion of northern
France
• Holocaust: Killed 6 million Jews (2 out of 3 in Europe)
Post-WWII
• Germany cut into two pieces
• Berlin (inside E. Germany) was divided as well
– Both divided between USSR and Allies (US, UK, France)
• USSR takes East Germany/East Berlin = Communist
• Allies help West Germany/West Berlin = free/democracy
• Europe divided between the two sides as well
– Western Europe = free, supported by US, UK
– Eastern Europe = Communist, controlled by USSR
– “Iron Curtain” = border between E and W Europe
Cold War
• Military/political stand-off between US & USSR
– Began right after WWII
• NATO formed to guard US & Western Europe
against USSR
• Warsaw Pact formed to counter NATO
– Eastern European Communist countries (except
Yugoslavia)
– Also called the “Eastern Bloc”
• Ended in 1991 when
USSR fell apart
East Germany
Czechoslovakia
Yugoslavia
These no longer exist
Communist Governments in
Eastern Europe
• Technically, Eastern Bloc countries were
independent from USSR
• Reality...
– Everything was controlled by USSR
• Especially the economy, military and government
– All governments were made to be communist
– Most took orders from Moscow
– Got various levels of support from USSR
• Travel was limited to within Eastern Bloc or
USSR; outside travel was nearly impossible
• Communist governments had to be overthrown
by the people for them to gain independence
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Formed in 1949 to defend W. Europe from USSR
and Eastern Bloc countries
• 28 countries
– US/Canada and several European
• Military alliance and cooperation
– “An attack against one is an attack against all”
– Peace keeping/humanitarian missions
– Today, some former Bloc countries are members
The European Union
 Formal alliance of 27 European nations
 Creating
a united Europe
 Focuses on economic, environmental, social issues,
and European citizenship
 Easier travel, free trade between countries

Criteria:
 Stable
democracy that respects human rights and
rule of law
 Market economy that can compete within EU
 Accept EU law
Euro
€
Jan 2002, created the euro, the common
currency for 16 of the 27 EU nations
€
Not all EU countries are participating
€
€
UK, Sweden, Denmark and 9 new countries are not
using it now
Some non-EU countries also use it
€1 = $1.12
£1 = $1.52
Nor
Est
Swe
Rus
Lat
Den
Lit
Rus
Bel
E.
Ger
W.
Ger
Pol
Ukr
Aus
Pol
Rom
Yugo
Bul
Itl
Alb
Gre
Turk
Austria
Estonia
Hungary
Luxembourg
Slovakia
Slovenia
Belgium
Finland
Ireland
Malta
Cyprus
France
Italy
The
Netherlands
Czech
Republic
Germany
Latvia
Poland
Sweden
Denmark
Greece
Lithuania
Portugal
United
Kingdom
Spain
EUROPE TRAVEL VIDEOS
• https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-readlisten/video/tv-show/season-8/berlin
• https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-readlisten/video/tv-show/season-8/westernturkey
• https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-readlisten/video/tv-show/norways-west-fjordsmountains-and-bergen