Changes and
Continuities Over
Time in Europe
By: Frank Shlafer, Nicole Sheynin, James Chen, Daniel Tjondro,
Daphne Rong, Ellen Shulina, Bryan Kay, and Jessica Zeng (Period 3)
100CE - 600CE
Rome founded on Italian Peninsula in 753 B.C.E.
Started as a monarchy and for a time controlled by foreigners [Etruscans].509 B.C.
E. peasants revolted and created Roman Republic which lasted until 31 B.C.E.
During this time democracy and negotiation prevailed.
91 B.C.E. to 31 B.C.E. riots occurred in Roman Republic and it fell
along with Julius Caesar.
After 31 C.E. is the Roman Empire which was ruled by Octavian. He expanded
borders and restored Roman administration. Set expansionist ideals and this went
on for the next 250 years.
The Roman Empire broke up into two parts, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine
Empire due to the overwhelming size of the Roman Empire as well as the sheer
number of ethnic groups.
100CE - 600CE
100CE - 600CE
The Roman Empire fell in 476 B.C.E. due to
infighting as well as the divide.
Roman culture lived on and was used in the
Renaissance, which also began around the
Italian Peninsula at the end of the 1400s.
Its legacy was the influence it had towards the later
generations of nations that were created during after
the Middle Ages.
600 - 1450
600 - 1450
With the fall of the Roman Empire, the systems of
manorialism and feudalism were introduced.
Feudalism involved nobles offering benefices
(privileges) to vassals in exchange for military
service or agricultural labor. The privilege was
usually a grant of land, called a fief.
Knights were vassals who had peasants beneath
them in the social order. They had to follow a
code of chivalry.
On the very bottom of the feudal system
were the serfs who did all the agricultural
labor to make the manors self-sufficient.
600 - 1450
In Western Europe, a rivalry between the
church and state emerged.
The main conflict was lay investiture, a
process by which monarchs could
appoint church officials. When Pope
Gregory VII excommunicated Holy
Roman Emperor Henry IV, it was
apparent that the church had the upper
hand.
Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV
600 - 1450
The 1100s-1400s were the High Middle Ages, a period of Gothic architecture,
increased urbanization, rise of universities, decline in serfdom, emergence of
centralized monarchies, straightening of nation-states, increased Eurasian trade,
growth of banking, and new warfare technology.
The High Middle Ages then transitioned into the Renaissance, a period of rebirth of
learning in Italy, which was much different from the previous period.
With the Renaissance came a change in the human mindset. Beginning in Italy,
people still worshiped God but also embraced worldliness—church officials
became patrons for the arts, those who could afford it hosted large banquets—they
began to enjoy living in the present instead of being pious in hopes of a better
afterlife.
600 - 1450
The Holy Roman Empire lasted from 962 – 1806.
It encompassed a large portion of Europe and included the Kingdoms of Italy,
Bohemia, and Burgundy with The Kingdom of Germany as its largest territory.
The Holy Roman Emperor was the sole sovereign monarch but was kept in
check by the Imperial Diet, a general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the
Holy Roman Empire.
The Holy Roman Empire only served to delay the unification of Germany and
Italy into separate states until the nineteenth century.
Meanwhile, in England, the first parliament convened in 1265 with the House
of Lords and the House of Commons forming the representative body.
Parliaments also arose in Spain, France, Scandinavia, and some parts of
Germany.
600 - 1450
The Mongol Empire arose in 1211, and the leader Genghis Khan instantly
began conquering as much of Eurasia as he could.
The Mongol Golden Horde ruled over a big part of Eastern Europe.
Rise of Mongol Rule facilitated trade between Europe and the East, but
there was an imbalance because the East were less interested in Europe’s
products than vice versa.
The Pax Mongolica (Mongol peace) was a period of peace and stability in
the empire, during which the Silk Road was reopened.
However, the Mongol Empire also unintentionally caused the spread of
the deadly Black Death, or bubonic plague, which caused significant
population drops in Europe, Asia, and Africa in the 1200s.
1450 - 1750
1450 - 1750
The end of the Hundred Years War led to the rise of strong centralized
governments headed by a strong Monarch(mainly because of increased
taxation).
The rising strength of monarchs led to the fostering of national identity
which unified the areas under each country. E.G: Spain was unified in
1469 by the marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon in
1469. This led to the retaking of Granada from the Muslims in 1492. The
unification of Spain allowed the new Spanish nation to finance the
voyages of Christopher Columbus and other explorers.
In Eastern Europe Russia managed to achieve independence from the
declining Golden Horde ruled by the Mongols.
1450 - 1750
Although the Byzantine Empire fell in 1453, they had established
Christianity as the official religion.
When the Ottomans took over, they practiced religious tolerance.
They implemented the millet system, which allowed for the organization
of non-muslim communities.
1450 - 1750
The Crusades reexposed Europe to the East and allowed for trade to rekindle.
Due to its geographical location Italy was able to monopolize trade between
the East and the West inside the Mediterranean Sea.
New technologies such as the European Caravel, and the compass and
astrolabe (brought to Europe through trade with the middle East) allowed
Europe to make contact with China.
Prince Henry of Portugal explored the West coast of Africa during the mid
1400s, Bartolomeu Dias rounded Africa’s Cape of Good Hope by 1488, and
Vasco De Gama reached India in 1498.
In an attempt to reach Asia through the Atlantic Spain financed Christopher
Columbus’ Voyage which led to the rediscovery of America.
1450 - 1750
American colonization started with Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the
Americas.
Spain sent missionaries and generals in order to find “gold, god and glory”.
Through a combination of diplomacy and force Spain eventually conquered the
Aztec and Incan Empires.
The Gold and Silver taken from the Americas financed European trade with the East.
Europeans discovered that the tropical climates of America were suitable for
growing plantation crops such as sugar. The need for manual labor led to the
growing of the slave trade and a massive importation of Slaves to the Americas. This
flow of crops ,resources, and manpower is known as the Columbian exchange.
Europe benefited economically and agriculturally with the import of new crops, but
America was exploited and decimated.
1450-1750
Exposure to the East caused a revival of interest in ancient Greece and
Rome. The invention of the printing press help spread these ideas and by
the 16th century Italy , Germany and the Netherlands had artistic and
literary breakthroughs. Most important was the change in people’s
mindsets which led the way to the scientific revolution and enlightenment
The revival of interest in Greek and Roman literature also simulated
development in the math and sciences.
During the 17th century many philosophers and thinkers started applying
renaissance thought into social and political life leading to an influx of
radical social and political thinkers.
1750 - Present
1750 - Present
The Industrial Revolution started in England in the Mid 1700s, examples of trade
and inventiveness were introduced, such as the steam engine, etc.
The cotton industry led to need for mechanization; iron facilitated better weapons,
tools, steel used later; railroads and telegraphs connected Europe.
New industrial cities emerged in Europe. Rapid urbanization provided employment
opportunities, creating new industrial working class
The Second Industrial Revolution saw the production of steel, automobiles, and
chemicals.
The increased production of products for global trade foreshadowed the rise
capitalism, Industrialized empires, developed transoceanic trade
Europe wanted a “slice” of Africa so the lines were drawn at the Berlin Conference.
1750 - Present
Before the 1848 Revolutions, most parts of Europe were ruled by monarchs, or
empires(ex. Austria-Hungary), this was total absolutism
After WWI, many European countries denied democracy and capitalism,
claimed that it had failed them, so they turned to radical left wing governments,
such as socialism (especially in Eastern Europe, particularly Russia)
Italy and Germany became dictatorships(Italy became fascist, while Germany
was totalitarian), a very big difference from when most of Europe used to be
under absolutism
After WWII, most of Eastern Europe became enveloped under the Warsaw Pact,
making it Communist, which most of Western Europe joined NATO, and
became primarily democratic nations
1750 - Present
In Egypt, Britain took over their financial situation of the
Suez canal and in turn, took over Egypt through control of its economy.
Britain’s imperialism over China after the Opium Wars and the
Treaty of Nanjing allowed them to trade under British law
instead of that of the Chinese.
The British practiced indirect rule in India, organizing the military such
that British leaders controlled Indian Sepoys, eventually leading to events
like the Sepoy Mutiny.
Countries like the Dutch, French, and Spanish
expanded their influences to South East Asia.
Thailand, Liberia, and Ethiopia never fell under imperialism.
1750 - Present
The 1848 Revolutions were caused by the rise of nationalism.
This new nationalism caused the urban workers to work together.
People felt oppressed by absolutism, or royal absolutism, causing revolts,
violence, etc. all across Europe.
WWI(1914-1918) is a very good example of nationalism, as many European
countries (esp. Germany, Russia, etc.) were very ecstatic about showing of
their own pride, which ended in devastation(ex. Russian troops at first did not
tell its troops to retreat, because retreating would make them look weak.)
WWII(1939-1945) was another example of nationalism(particularly in Russia,
as Stalin believed that losing again would be a nightmare, and in Germany,
where Hitler believed the Aryan race lived, which were “superior”) which led
to violence, yet again.
1750 - Present
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks felt that religion was
used as a way to socially control people.
The Orthodox Church was seen to be a representation of support of Tsar
Nicholas II. The Bolsheviks felt that it was necessary to reduce the
church’s power.They promoted Atheism.
When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the church slowly regained its
power.
Today the church is separated from the state. Christianity remains the
dominant religion of Eastern Europe.
NATO V.S. Warsaw
Present Day Europe
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