6 important events in Europe that changed history
Tags: Europe, Enlightened Age, World War II, French Revolution, Germany

Europe. The second smallest continent in the world in terms of size. This continent consists of only 2 parts of the earth’s surface. The continent of Eurasia extends around Europe. Europe is the third-most populous continent with 9.75% percent of the world’s population. The history of this continent consisting of 50 countries is ancient. Even Greek mythology tells the story of the creation of this Europe. And so there are many myths and legends that have developed around Europe. Is that just so? Is there less in the history of the world about Europe? It is impossible to say how many incidents this Europe has witnessed.

Europe has long carried the seeds of political, cultural, and economic influence. There are many countries on this continent whose power extends to every corner of the globe. Europe is not only known for war; Europe is also famous for renaissance and revolution. Even these events in Europe changed the history of the world. Today’s discussion is about eight such important histories of the eventful continent of Europe. These events are considered to be a very important chapter in the history of not only Europe but the whole of mankind. Even these eight events changed the course of world history.

1. Renaissance

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The Renaissance was an important renaissance not only in Europe but also in world history. This renaissance brought about a change in the whole field including cultural, social, and political. The Renaissance was a way of rediscovering the antiquity of classical literature and art. Constantinople was overthrown by Turkish forces in 1453, and a new Italy was born. Because at that time there was a subtle change in the way people think. From the state system to social, political, economic, education, art, and literature, a groundbreaking change took place in all fields. This change is what scholars call the New Age or Renaissance.

Although the winds of change began to blow in the fifteenth century, their effects continued for the next nineteenth century, about four hundred years. The Renaissance began in the Middle Ages with the breakdown of Europe’s classification and political structure. Although it started in Italy, it soon took over the whole of Europe as a novelty. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael — these are the successful artists of the early Renaissance. The Renaissance revolutionized thought, science, and art, as well as world exploration. The Renaissance was a cultural renaissance that touched all of Europe.

It was mainly through art that the Renaissance touched the whole of Europe and even the whole world, except Italy. In ancient times art was religious and God-centered. This remnant remained in the field of art even in the Middle Ages. So, the content of the art was Jesus Christ, church, and the teenage Mary or Mother Mary. During the Renaissance, artists, freed from religious and heavenly influences, approached to express the fertility of their own thinking. The Renaissance fireman, who was simultaneously an artist, scientist, and engineer — began a new trend when the physiology of Leonardo da Vinci was revealed.

This physiology is considered to be a text not only in science but also in all fields including art and literature. Dev characters gradually begin to attain perfection in human expression. And the industry gets a new direction. Vinci’s The Last Supper, Rafael’s The Madonna, or Michelangelo’s David are proof of that. The triumph of humanism in literature began soon after this trend of art. Literature begins to be written with new values.

02. Colonialism and imperialism

Colonialism is a system by which a rich or powerful country dominates a weak country. The Europeans also ruled over most of the world’s landmass by establishing their own colonies and establishing empires. Through colonization, a nation puts pressure on another nation, rules and exploits its people, and imposes its own language and cultural values ​​on the people of that nation. In this way, the values ​​of the exploited nation were removed and the values ​​of the colonized nation were established.

Ancient history shows that the practice of establishing empires was prevalent among ancient Greece, ancient Rome, ancient Egypt, and the Phoenicians. These civilizations spread their empires around themselves and even in non-adjacent areas. This has been the case since 1550, with the aim of expanding their power and ruling the world. The era of discovery marked the beginning of modern colonialism.

From the beginning of the 1500s, Portugal set out on a worldwide journey outside Europe in search of new trade routes and new civilizations. Earlier, the Portuguese discovered the North American coastal city of Siena in 1415 and ruled it unilaterally until 1999. Initially, the Portuguese, as well as the Spaniards, were on the path to empire, but later the Netherlands, France, Germany, and England followed suit. Although colonialism began to break down in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was re-established through the First World War.

Imperialism is the system by which one nation is forced to establish its own rule. It resorted to all forms of violence, from genocide to dictatorship. But not so much in imperialism as in colonialism they themselves think of settling there. Rather than settling here, the main point is to permanently cripple that nation and keep it under its control. Imperialism is also mentioned in ancient civilizations. However, the establishment of modern imperialism is close to the establishment of modern colonies. The occupation of the Hawaiian Islands by the United States was one of the great proofs of this.

03. Reform

Reformation; Or the Protestant Reform movement began in the sixteenth century. One of the divisive movements of the Christian community in the Western world is called the Reformation. Conflicts between multiple popes and them, the monopoly power and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church; With these the new knowledge gained through the Renaissance and the rejection of ancient thought; With the rise of nationalism and humanism — all these are considered to be the driving forces of this reform movement.

This reform movement began in Germany in 1517. The movement was started by the German clergyman Martin Luther. With the publication of his book Ninety Five Thesis, the issues of reform were brought to the notice of the people. Even before Martin Luther, many initiated this movement, that is, reform.

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However, most historians and scholars believe that Luther’s book was the beginning of the Reformation. Annoyed by the Catholic Church’s religious inconsistencies and dissatisfaction with the church’s preaching, his appealing statements quickly spread throughout Europe with a touch of reformism. Protestants exerted great influence, both spiritually and politically. He also assisted in the formation of modern government and religious institutions.

04. Enlightened age

The Enlightenment or The Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Enlightenment and the Age of Enlightenment is an intellectual and cultural movement in Europe. The period of this movement was throughout the whole of the 17th and 18th centuries. The establishment of individual freedom, individuality, human freedom, human tradition, and rationalism was the predominant theme of this movement. Emphasis was placed on judging blind faith and superstition.

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This movement was influenced by educated writers and contemporary thinkers for many years. They were the ones who led this movement. The philosophy of people like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Voltaire led to new thinking about society, government, and education. Which introduced the whole world to new thinking. Many thinkers and philosophers had to endure unspeakable persecution for such new thinking and philosophy. Yet their influence was truly undeniable.

05. The French Revolution

The French Revolution, which began in 1789 and greatly influenced and reformed the whole of Europe, was essentially the French Revolution. This revolution was so influential that the French Revolution is widely regarded as the beginning of the modern age. The revolution started because of an economic crisis. And later it also directly points to the imposition of additional taxes on the people by the monarchy and the imposition of the monarchy. The initial uprising began with the chaos that spread throughout France. And that challenged every tradition and custom of the government.

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Just as the French Revolution educated the people to be aware and vocal, so did a great hero who ruled the world through dictatorships through this revolution. Napoleon Benoport rose to prominence in 1802 with the French Revolution. This great war pushed not only France but the whole of Europe to the brink of war and forced a new history of the continent and the world.

06. Nazi forces and World War II

With the end of the First World War, Imperial Germany collapsed from all sides. Germany then went through a tumultuous and tumultuous period. Which led to the rise of Nazi forces and World War II. After World War I, the Weimar Republic took the helm of Germany and renewed the system of government. This unique government structure lasted for 15 years. Then, with the rise of the Nazi Party, this structure collapsed again.

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Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, Germany rose to prominence on the map of the world. Hitler of Germany, Mussolini of Italy and Japan formed a military alliance and called for world war. As a result, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union declared war on them as allies. The world witnessed the destruction of Hitler and his forces. In the battle, the Axis powers are defeated and the Allies are victorious. And the Germans collapsed politically, socially, economically, and even diplomatically.

References: 6 important events in Europe that changed history