jeudi 20 mars 2014

HISTORY OF EUROPE



history of Europe

The countries which make Europe know a relatively similar history. Great European civilizations of today, heiresses of the ancient empires (Greek and Roman), emerged with the Middle Ages. They took a lead in the world between  the xvi E  and  the xix E century (colonization) and lost of their power to  the xx E century (world wars and decolonization). The last common event of the countries of Europe is the installation of the European Union, in second half of  the xx E century.
EUROPE With PREHISTORY
Some found cut stones with Chilhac (in France) let think that the man was already present in Europe there are 1,8 million years. However, it settles there truly only a little later, and it controls fire there is a little more than 400 000 years.
First European "civilization" is that of the man of Neandertal, there is between 200 000 and 30 000 years.Its successor, the man of Cro-Magnon  (first representative of our species, Homo sapiens) arrives to Europe 40 000 years ago. Neandertal and Cro-Magnon are especially present in the south of Europe, where the climate is softer (the continent knows four glaciations during the prehistoric period). The men take refuge in caves, where Cro-Magnon leaves many  cave paintings.
Towards 10 000 before J-C, a reheating occurs and the human establishments multiply. The man  learns the agriculture, appeared in the Middle East. At the Neolithic period, several civilizations flower in Europe, like that of  the megaliths  to the imposing stones raised and posed (dolmens) or drawn up (menhirs).
In fact, the development of the men depends on their capacity to discover and use new metals. That which has the most solid metal can hope to increase its territory at the expense of its neighbors. After the age of copper  develops, towards 2000 before J-C, the age of bronze  (a mixture of copper and tin).
EUROPE IN ANTIQUITY
People of Northern Europe
Towards 1000 before J-C, the age of iron  replaces the age of bronze. The people of Central Europe, which control the metallurgy of iron, conquer new territories:  the Celts  settle in the west of Europe,  the Slavic ones  in the east. At north the principal Germanic and  Scandinavian tribes arrive.
Greek civilization
With the Greeks, the first powerful European civilization develops. It makes Mediterranean the economic and cultural center of the world. Towards 800 before J-C, the inhabitants of the Greek cities are aware to belong to the same civilization, opposed to that their neighbors, whom they call the "Barbarians".  A cultural and political model  is worked out: tyranny (to be able of a man), then oligarchy (to be able several families) and finally  the democracy  (to be able of the people). Gradually, the Greeks are established on banks of the Mediterranean and melt of  the colonies.
O C century before J-C is the "century of Périclès ", of the name of that which directs Athens.The city knows its political and cultural apogee: appearance of the theatre, philosophy, sciences, the history, etc. However, at the next century, Greece is conquered by the sovereigns of Macedonia, in particular Alexandre the Large one.
Roman civilization
Starting from the II E century before J-C, a new power gathers Europe under its domination: the city of Rome. After having subjected the people of the Italian peninsula, the Romans launch out to the conquest of the Mediterranean basin. In Europe, they seize Greece, Gaule (France, Belgium and Switzerland of today), Spain and England. The areas colonized by Rome share the same culture (Greek and Latin), institutions, an economy, a road system, a currency and soon also a religion (with the appearance of Christianity). The Roman domination lasts to  the iv E - O C centuries after J-C.
EUROPE WITH The Middle Ages
Great Invasions
The Rhine marks the border between the Roman Empire and the populated Germanic areas of "Barbarians ". In 406, 150 000 Alains, Suèves and Vandales cross the cold Rhine and invade Gaule.  The waves of invaders  follow one another, ending up giving to each country its settlement and its kingdom: Angles and the Saxon ones in Great Britain, Francs in Gaule, Visigoths in Spain, etc. The Roman Empire disappears into 476. These "cruel" people mix with the local populations. They adopt their laws and their manners, and  convert with the Christian religion.
Last the invasions take place to  the viii E - ix E centuries, when  the Vikings  come from north and Magyars (Hungarian) come from the east break on Western Europe.
European empire of Charlemagne
With the imperial crowning of Charlemagne (in 800), the Francs restore the Christian empire of Western Europe and reign on Gaule, Italy and part of Germany. But the Empire carolingien  lasts little, each sovereign dividing his kingdom between his sons. It is found divided between a Western part (the future kingdom of France) and an Eastern part (which gathers Germany and Italy, the future Saint Worsens Roman Germanic).
The feudal time
With X E century, the Christian religion triumphs in Europe: organization of pilgrimages, multiplication of the monastic orders, appearance of a specific religious architecture (Romanesque art  then Gothic art), etc Everywhere also, the sovereigns are constrained to give grounds (strongholds) to their vassal to secure their fidelity. These vassal makes the law on their grounds, not hesitating to carry out wars between them. It is  the time of the knights, these sufficiently rich lords to have a horse and an armour.
The Christian Church brings back peace by engaging the knights in the reconquest of Spain, where the Moslems are installed since  the viii E century. It is in the same objective as in 1095, the pope preaches the crusade to release the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem. With  the eight crusades  against the Moslems of the Middle East (1095-1270), Europe launches out for the first time to the attack of another continent.
The assertion of the States
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, certain cities become true small States, like the quote-States of Italy or Flanders. They are hearths of art and culture, in particular with the creation of the universities. For their part, the large kingdoms (like France, Germany or England) seek to impose their capacity and enter in conflict: France and England clash at the time of  the One hundred Year old war  (1337-1453); the emperor of the Saint Worsens and the pope assert both the privilege to name the bishops. The end of the Middle Ages is also marked by a violent  epidemic of Black Death, which kills more of the third of the population of the continent.
EUROPE OF The REBIRTH
A cultural and artistic radiation
To the xv E century, after the fear and the obsession of the dead one which characterize the previous century (One hundred Year old war, Black Death, etc), of new values emergent in Europe. The man passes in the center concerns, the place of God and safety of the heart. This intellectual movement, called  humanism, appears in Italy before being spread in Europe. Art  is renewed with Michel-Angel, Raphaël, Léonard de Vinci, etc, just as  science  with Nicolas Copernic or Galileo.
Europe in discovered world
The European explorers discover new maritime ways (the course of Good-Hope in the south of Africa, in 1488) and new grounds (the American continent, in 1492). As from this period and during more than three centuries, Europe is essential in the world, by creating colonies on the other continents and by benefitting from the traffic from slaves.
Religious division between Christians
At the beginning of the xvi E century, Martin Luther launches  the Reform  of the Christian Church, which is at the origin of Protestantism. Christendom from now on is divided between  catholics and Protestants. The catholic Church of Rome tries to take again in hand the populations while launching  the Counter-Reformation  (xvi E - xvii E centuries). However, France, Northern Europe and Germany rock in true  wars of religion.
EUROPE OF MODERN TIMES
Great European powers
To the xvi E century, the dynasty of  Habsbourg  dominates Europe: a branch directs Austria and  the Saint Worsens Roman Germanic, the other Spain. The kingdom of Spain then knows its apogee thanks to the gold of Americas: it is  the Century of Spanish gold.
To the xvii E century, the power of Habsbourg is disputed by the kings of France, in particular by  Louis XIV. This one, being based on  an absolute monarchy, launches out in wars of conquest to Europe, which exhaust the kingdom.
To the xviii E century, England  dominates Europe, thanks to its colonies in North America and to the starting of its industrial revolution. Since the end of the previous century, the country is a parliamentary monarchy, i.e. the sovereign has capacities limited by a Constitution and a Parliament. This  moderate monarchy  makes of England a model for the European intellectuals.
Ideas of the Lights
A new state of mind appears to  the xviii E century, marked by a larger dispute of the religion and monarchy.  The century of the Lights  is one time of  handing-over in question  and claims in favour of  more than tolerance, of  more than freedom.
With the French revolution  (1789-1799) diffuses for the first time in Europe the idea that the man has rights, and that it is one of the links of a nation (and either a subject pertaining to a king).
The APOGEE OF EUROPE TO  The XIX E CENTURY
European empire of Napoleon I er
In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte is made crown emperor and takes the name of Napoleon I er. He launches out in wars of conquest, which enable him to reign on all Europe, except for England. The empire of Napoleon breaks down in 1815.
Nationalist claims
In 1815, the victorious sovereigns of Europe of Napoleon meet in  the congress of Vienna. They restore their capacity by dividing the continent. But the revolutionary idea of the membership of a nation made its way, and each people start to assert the right to constitute his own State.  Revolutions  burst since 1830, in France and Belgium (which obtains its independence then). In 1848, it is with the turn of the Central European country, Eastern and even of the South to know a great movement of risings, the "Spring of the people ". Revolutions take place in Germany, in Hungary, in Italy and in France and are accompanied by  the creation of new nations  (unification of Italy in 1861, then of Germany in 1870).
The industrial revolution
In same time,  the industrial revolution  appeared in England to  the xviii E century extends to the rest of Europe: technical progress (machine with vapor, etc), use of new sources of energy (coal, then electricity and oil), creation of a grid system   (railroad), etc. The peasants leave the campaigns to settle with the accesses of the cities and to work as  workmen  in the large  companies.  The banks  appear.
THE SHOCK OF THE WORLD WARS (1914-1945)
The First World War
At the dawn of the xx E century, the countries of Europe are in economic competition (with industrialization related to the industrial revolution) and territorial (with the unrestrained colonization of the rest of the world, in particular of Africa). The situation does not cease being degraded, until bursts  the First World War  (1914-1918).
Europe then becomes the battle field of a war which opposes mainly Great Britain and France, in Germany and Austria. The First World War makes nearly 6 million died in Europe and weakens the continent durably. The peace signed in Versailles imposes to the Germans heavy war reparations.
Inter-war period
The shortly after the war, the borders of Europe are redrawn and of new States see the day, like Finland, Czechoslovakia, Poland or Yugoslavia.  The Russian Revolution  of 1917 raises hopes of equality in Europe, where Communist Parties are created.
Economic prosperity returns and years 1920 seem "Mad years". But in 1929, a serious  world economic crisis  involves the bankruptcy of many companies, the ruin of businessmen, unemployment, etc. This situation supports the installation of totalitarian modes. Already, Benito Mussolini seized the power in 1922, and founded a fascistic mode in Italy. In 1933,  Adolf Hitler  (with the head of the party Nazi) arrives at the capacity to Germany and creates the III E Reich. In 1939, the Francisco nationalist Free triumph in Spain.
The Second World war
The aggressive policy of the German chancellor Adolf Hitler with respect to the rest of Europe involves the release of  the Second World war  (1939-1945). After the French defeat of 1940, Germany occupies the majority of the countries of Europe; only Great Britain resists to him.
After five years of war, the III E Reich Nazi is overcome in May 1945. Europe is completely ruined by  plunderings Nazis  and the air raids of the release campaigns. It also discovers with horror  the extermination and concentration camps  (where died more than 6 million Jews).
EUROPE DIVIDED INTO TWO BLOCKS (1947-1989)
With leaving the Second World war, Europe finds itself  divided between the winners: a block, gathered around the USSR, includes/understands the Eastern European countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, etc.) who adopted  the communist system; another block, in the orbit of the United States, includes/understands the countries of Western Europe which practise  the capitalist system. Germany, at the border of the two camps, is cut into two: the West is under Western domination (FRG), Is under Soviet direction (GDR). Until 1989, the two blocks are organized in a spirit of opposition on all the plans (soldier, policy and economic): it is  the cold war.
? In the west, many citizens believe in the need for a European union to avoid the danger of new wars. Created in 1957, the European Economic Community (the EEC) allows  a first economic union between the countries of Europe  which leads later to a political union (European Union).
? In the east, a wall is built in the town of Berlin in 1961 to prevent the citizens of East Berlin from fleeing in West Berlin (under allied control). However, the communist governments must face  the popular discontent  which claims more democracy: risings take place in East Germany (1953), in Hungary (1956), in Czechoslovakia (1968), in Poland (1981) which are each time repressed hard by the Soviet Red Army. In 1989, the communist modes break down under the impulse of immense peaceful demonstrations. Germany is reunified the following year, and the other Eastern European countries reach the democracy.
EUROPE Today
The end of the division of Europe in two blocks makes burst some of the old Eastern European countries: in  Yugoslavia, a violent  civil war  opposes the various communities (Serb, Croatian, bosniaque, etc.) : the country explodes and is divided into Croatia, Slovénie, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzégovine and Serbia-and-Montenegro (Serbia-and-Montenegro later is also divided into two distinct countries, Serbia and Montenegro). But in spite of this situation, the end of the cold war especially makes it possible to alleviate the relations between the "countries of the West" and the "Eastern European countries". Thus, after having chosen a single currency in 2002 (for twelve countries), the European Union  widens with the arrival of several countries of the old Eastern bloc (passage from 15 to 25 members in 2004, then to 27 in 2007).






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