Chronology Review

  • The Congress of Vienna

    The Congress of Vienna

    Diplomatic negotiations after the Napoleonic Wars that attempted to bring about long-lasting peace in Europe.
  • The Peterloo Massacre

    The Peterloo Massacre

    A crowd of protestors demanded parliamentary reform, ended in a cavalry charge that killed 18 people and injured hundreds.
  • The Congress of Troppau

    The Congress of Troppau

    A plot to assassinate Prime Minister Lord Liverpool and his cabinet. Resulted in the death of George III and the passing of the Six Acts.
  • The Greek War of Independence

    The Greek War of Independence

    A successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire.
  • The Decembrist Revolt

    The Decembrist Revolt

    A revolt that protested the coronation of Nicholas I as Tsar of Russia. Led to the Decembrists being exiled or executed.
  • Trois Glorieuses

    Trois Glorieuses

    The July Revolution led to the overthrowing of Charles X from the throne and the establishment of the July Monarchy under the constitutional monarch Louis-Phillipe, duke of Orléans.
  • The Reform Act of 1832

    The Reform Act of 1832

    Abolished tiny electoral districts, gave representation on cities, gave the vote to men who paid yearly rent of £10 or more, and put an explicit bar on women voting.
  • The 1848 Revolutions

    The 1848 Revolutions

    A series of political upheavals throughout Europe which, while mostly failing, challenged the absolutist monarchies of Europe and presented nationalism and republicanism as clear alternatives.
  • The Crimean War

    The Crimean War

    A war between the Russians and a collation consisting of the Ottomans, the French, the British and the Sardinians which was fought over territorial disputes and rights over protection of the Christian minorities within the Ottoman Empire.
  • The Edict of Emancipation

    The Edict of Emancipation

    The first and most significant liberal reforms of Emperor Alexander II which abolished serfdom throughout the Russian Empire.
  • Victor Emmanuel II

    Victor Emmanuel II

    He became king of Piedmont-Sardinia, marking the beginning of Italian Unification.
  • The Austro-Prussian War

    The Austro-Prussian War

    A war between Prussia and Austria that resulted in the unification of Northern Italy under the Piedmontese crown and the beginning of a Prussian-led unification of Germany.
  • The Franco-Prussian War

    The Franco-Prussian War

    A war between France and Germany that marked the end of the peace of the Congress of Vienna and the end of German Unification.
  • The Proclamation of the German Empire

    The Proclamation of the German Empire

    The German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versaillise with the crowning of Kaiser Wilhelm I as King of Germany.
  • The Berlin Conference

    The Berlin Conference

    A conference during which the great powers of Europe agreed on the borders of Africa and the exploration of the interior of the continent. This event formalised the Scramble for Africa.
  • 5 October 1910 Revolution

    5 October 1910 Revolution

    Removed the Portuguese monarch from the throne, established a republican government in the country.
  • The First World War

    The First World War

    The conflict that ended the relative global peace after the Napoleonic Wars. Resulted in the deaths of twenty million people and the use of trench warfare. Victory for the allies over the central powers.
  • The Treaty of Versailles

    The Treaty of Versailles

    Treaty ending the First World War, resulted in territorial exchanges, the creation of new states under the model of self-determination, and the end of the multi-ethnic empires of Central and Eastern Europe.
  • The Equal Franchise Act

    The Equal Franchise Act

    Granted British women over the age of 21 the right to vote.
  • The Wall Street Crash of 1929

    The Wall Street Crash of 1929

    Also known as Black Tuesday, it was a major stock market crash which became the primary cause of the Great Depression.
  • Hitler is elected Chancellor of Germany

    Hitler is elected Chancellor of Germany

    In January 1933, a new cabinet was sworn in under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. In this cabinet, the NSDAP won three positions, the minister of the interior, the minister without portfolio, and the chancellor.
  • Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

    Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

    In March 1936, the German military forcibly entered the Rhineland in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. This market the first step in Hitler's plan for German rearmorment.
  • The Second World War

    The Second World War

    The most destructive war in human history, caused the deaths of tens of millions. The war was fought between the axis powers and the allies. It resulted in the fall of fascism as a major ideological force, the establishment of the UN, and the beginning of the Cold War.
  • The Berlin Airlift

    The Berlin Airlift

    The East German government attempted to seize the entire city of Berlin by starving out the population of West Berlin through a blockade on the roads leading to the city. This ultimately failed as the allies organised airlifts to shift supplies into the city.
  • The Warsaw Pact

    The Warsaw Pact

    With West Germany joining the NATO alliance and establishing the Deutsche Mark, the Soviet Union organised the Warsaw Pact. This was a mutual defense pact which ensured the military cooperation of Eastern Bloc states.
  • The Hungarian Revolution

    The Hungarian Revolution

    A revolt against communism in which the Hungarian people along with Imre Nagy's moderate government attempted to secede from the Warsaw Pact and become a non-aligned nation. Resulted in the execution of Nagy, the occupation of Budapest by the Soviet army, and the election of Ernő Gerő as the leader of Hungary.
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis

    The Cuban Missile Crisis

    Escalation of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during which the two powers argued over the retention of nukes in their proxy states (Turkey and Cuba respectively). Ended with the withdrawal of nukes from both states.
  • The Prague Spring

    The Prague Spring

    Mass protests in Prague after the election of Alexander Dubček as the leader of Czechoslovakia. Ended with the removal of Dubček from power and a Soviet takeover of the country.
  • The Fall of Communism Across Europe

    The Fall of Communism Across Europe

    In 1991, a series of revolutions occurred in Europe which removed the one-party communist government from power and established democracies. Most were peaceful like the Solidarity movement in Poland, while others were violent like the execution of Nicolae Ceaușescu or the Yugoslav Wars.
  • The Euro

    The Euro

    In 1998, after a decade of preparations, the Euro was first created as the unified currency of the European Union.