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).
TO GO FURTHER
? Europe
On the old history:
? ancient Greece
? ancient Rome
? Celts
? Gaule and the Gallic ones
On the medieval history:
? the Middle Ages
? Great Invasions
? Vikings
? the Empire carolingien
? crusades
? the One hundred Year old war
? the feudal company
? the Christian Church with the Middle Ages
On the modern history:
? Rebirth
? the Reform and Counter-Reformation
? wars of religion
? European monarchies to the xvii E and xviii E centuries
? the Thirty Year old war
? absolutism of Louis XIV
? the century of the Lights
On the contemporary history:
? the French revolution
? Empire of Napoleon I er
? colonizing Europe to the xix E century
? Europe of the nations to the xix E century
? the First World War
? the Russian Revolution and the USSR
? Nazism and the III E Reich
? the Second World war
? the cold war
? decolonization
? European construction
? some characters: Périclès –Alexandre the Large one –Jules César –Auguste –Charlemagne –Othon I er the Large one –Martin Luther –Louis XIV –Napoleon I er –Victoria of England –Benito Mussolini –Adolf Hitler –Francisco Free –Joseph Stalin
