Western Civilization Cultural Diffusion Timeline
400BC-300BC
Ancient Greece - because of their physical geography individual
communities developed. The city-state of Athens introduced democracy which laid to
the foundation for Europe’s government and culture.
27BC – 180AD
The Romans founded a republic which eventually encompassed Europe,
_SW_Asia, & _NW_Africa. Throughout the empire the Romans
built a network of ___roads, bridges, & aqueducts (water carriers) that
connected outlying areas to Rome.
300AD
Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Eventually
the Roman Empire was divided and ruled by 2 emperors – One in the West and one in
the East. Each region developed its own politics, religions, and cultural traditions.
400AD
Germanic groups from the north overthrew the Roman rule in the western half
of the empire, they began separate kingdoms, and accepted the western form of
Christianity ( Roman Catholic). The eastern half eventually became the
Byzantine Empire with its capital in Constantinople (today called Istanbul). The eastern
form of Christianity became known as Eastern Orthodox.
500AD
Slavic people migrated from Ukraine into eastern and central Europe.
500-1500AD
1. After the fall of Rome, western Europe enters the Middle Ages - the
period between ancient times and modern times. Feudalism - A system
where monarchs or lords gave land to nobles in return for pledges of loyalty.
it replaced centralized government.
2. The Roman Catholic Church spread Roman culture and principles to the Germanic_
peoples while the Orthodox Church spread Greek and Roman cultures to the
Slavic peoples.
3. Islamic (Muslim) and Jewish religions also influenced European
culture. Discrimination and persecution by Christians in western Europe forced
many Jews to settle in eastern Europe.
600AD
Beginning of Islam. Started by the prophet Mohammed in Southwestern
Asia. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Arab achievements included
math,science and medicine These advances took years to spread into European culture.
1000’s AD
The Crusades were a series of brutal religious wars to win Palestine. Christians wanted
to “free” the birthplace of Christ from Muslim rule. Europeans did not win permanent
control of Palestine, but did develop new trade route in the eastern Mediterranean.
1300’s AD
The 300 year period of discovery and learning known as the Renaissance renewed
interest in ancient Greece and Roman culture led to scientific advances. One of the
major advances was movable type This helped spread new ideas more quickly and
easily.
1400’sAD
Seafaring explorers from Portugal developed new trade routes to Africa and Asia.
Spain, France & the UK also sent out explorers. These voyages of exploration brought
great power and wealth to Western Europe, but often destroyed the culture of the
conquered lands.
1400’s AD
The Ottoman Empire gained control of nearly all the lands on the Balkan peninsula.
1492
Christopher Columbus reached the Americas (New World). This era known as the Age
of Exploration brought great power and wealth to Western European nations.
By mid 1500’sAD
Availability of printed material spread the ideas of the Reformation. These new ideas
weakened the power of the Roman Catholic Church and led to the rise of Protestantism.
This movement is known as the Protestant Reformation. Religious wars engulfed
Europe and enabled monarchs to strengthen their power over nobles and church
leaders.
Late 1600AD
to early 1700sAD
The Age of Reason was also called the Enlightenment. Europeans
began to question long standing values and traditions. This movement led to political
and economic revolutions.
Late 1600’sAD
English Parliament passes the English Bill of Rights. which limited the power of the
monarch.
1700’sAD
Industrial Revolution (Capitalism) begins in England. Power driven machines and
new methods of production transformed life in Europe. New social groups emerged:
the middle class of merchants and factory owners and the working class of factory
laborers.
Late 1700’s AD
The French Revolution overthrew the monarch and spread the ideas of democracy.
1800’s -1900s
The rule of monarchs was challenged across Europe. By 1900, most European
countries had Constitutions that limited the monarch’s power and guaranteed rights to
citizens
1805 – 1815
The Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte led France in its quest for territorial gain in
Europe. Napoleon’s allies were Holland, Italy, Naples, Warsaw, Bavaria, Saxony, and
Denmark. The Allies of the United Kingdom were Austria, Portugal, Prussia, Russia,
Spain and Sweden. Early victories led Napoleon to believe he could invade Russia.
Napoleon was eventually defeated at Waterloo
Mid 1800’s AD
Inequality in the industrial work place led to the birth of communism – a philosophy that
called for a society based on economic equality in which the workers controlled the
factories and all industrial production.
1912 – 1913 AD
The Balkan Wars ended the Ottoman Empire
1914-1918
Rivalries among European powers for colonies and for economic power (Imperialism)
led to World War I. In Russia, the people were not prepared to fight. The high cost of
the war in human life and money forced the czar to abdicate - step down from the
throne.
Outcomes of WWI
1917
Bolshevik overthrow - Communist Revolution led by V.I. Lenin. He wanted to base the
government on the teachings of Karl Marx - a 19th Century German philosopher. Marx
believed in the government owning and managing everything. No capitalism (free
enterprise)
1918
The Slavic people united to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. In 1929
this Kingdom was renamed Yugoslavia
1919
The peace treaty that ended WWI (known as the Treaty of Versailles) found
Germany guilty of starting WWI. As punishment they had to pay reparations
(payment for damages) to the victorious countries.
1919-1939
Monarchies collapsed in Germany, Austria – Hungary, and Russia. Several Central and
Eastern European nations gained independence. Unresolved political problems and
widespread economic depression enabled dictators such as Benito Mussolini (Italy) and
Adolph Hitler (Germany) to gain power.
1921
Bolsheviks (Communists) win the civil war in Russia. The country is renamed the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) or Soviet Union.
WWII
1939
Germany invaded Poland (Sudetenland) that was an ally of the UK. The United
Kingdom declares war on Germany which caused the start of World War II
1939-1945
The Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan. The Allied Powers were the US, the
UK, France, and Soviet Union. During WWII - 6 million European Jews and others were
killed by Germany’s Nazi leaders. This horror is known as the Holocaust.
1941
Japan attacked the US at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and brought the US into WWII.
1945
Aftermath of WWII
1945 – 1950
US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan to end WWII.
Cold WAR
1949
Europe is ruined and divided. Eastern Europe came under communist control led by
USSR. Western Europe’s democracies received millions of dollars and military aid to
rebuild under the Marshall Plan.
The victorious Allied Powers divided Germany into 4 zones. The 3 western zones (US,
UK, and France) became West Germany and the eastern zone (USSR) became East
Germany. Many people in Eastern Europe fled communism to Western Europe. The
Cold War begins.
1949 – 1989
Eastern European countries led by communist USSR were ideologically opposed to
Western European countries that were led by the US. This ideological conflict is known
as the Cold War
1950 – 1980
Eastern European nations tried to revolt against communist power, but were not
successful because the USSR had a strong military.
1951
Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany formed the
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
1957
The ECSC added the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European
Atomic Energy Community (EAEC) for its members.
1960’s
East Germany built the Berlin Wall and other barriers. Western European democracies
became more productive and economically secure, but communist Eastern Europe had
a low standard of living and little economic growth. The Berlin Wall was constructed by
the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding
East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls,
which was erected served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the
communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period. Both borders came to symbolize the "Iron
Curtain" that separated Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.
1973
Denmark, The UK, and Ireland joined the EEC
1979
First direct elections of members to the European Parliament
1980
Polish workers formed Solidarity - the first free labor union in the Communist World.
Solidarity worked toward reform and economic change.
1981
Greece joins the EEC
1986
Spain and Portugal join the EEC
1989
Public demonstrations and the Soviet leader’s refusals to reform led to the fall of
communist power in Eastern Europe and the USSR. The Berlin Wall came down.
1990
Germany reunited and the USSR broke up into 15 independent republics.
1990’s
Free elections brought democratic leaders and the rise of market economies in much of
Eastern Europe and Russia.
1991-1992
Several Yugoslav republics declared independence; civil war broke out and ravages
areas of the Balkan Peninsula
1992
The Maastricht Treaty was signed and formed the European Union. The member
countries voted to have a central bank and common currency (known as the Euro).
Goods, workers, and services move across borders of member nations without
passports or tariffs.
1993
Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in a revolution known as the
Velvet Revolution.
1995
Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU
2004
Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia,
and Hungary joined the EU. These members are different from prior members because
most are former communist countries of Eastern Europe
2007
Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU bringing the number of members to 27. The EU is
the largest trading entity in the world and a major competitor of the US on world markets.