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800
Feudalism
What some would consider to be the birth of modern Europe. Feudalism consisted of layers of governing bodies with a king at the top. This would lead to the development of kingdoms. -
1163
Creation of the Notre Dame Cathedral
Louis VII wanted to create an astounding place of worship. He ordered the construction of Notre Dame, a cathedral the length of a football field. This church included gothic architecture as well as a great rose glass window. -
1271
Exploration of Marco Polo
Marco Polo explored Asia to gather intel for Spain. He discovered much new land, including what would become the silk road. The silk road would be a very important trade route. -
1348
Bubonic plague
This event was a time in Europe where many people got sick and died. There was a deadly plague going around which caused much chaos and turmoil as well as around half of the population dying. -
1378
Great Schism
This was the division of the church. It became the Catholic church and the orthodox church. This was a big deal because it formed the commonly known and ultra powerful Catholic church, as well as its adversary, the Orthodox church. The Catholic church went on to basically own Europe for centuries. -
1432
House of Medici (patronage of art)
Although the Medici family had been around for a while, they began to use their wealth for good in 1432. They patronized artists, adding to the flame that was the renaissance. -
1440
Printing press
The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. This was one of the most life changing inventions Europe had ever seen. It allowed for the mass production of books, news, and most importantly, the bible. This allowed for the spread of ideas as well as different interpretations of the bible, which was printed in vernacular, which led to many changes in the church. -
1453
Battle of Castillon
The hundred years war had been raging for what seemed like forever, when the battle came that would end it. In the Battle of Castillon, the French gained the upper hand. They took down England and ended the eternal war. -
1492
Columbus finds the new world
In 1492 Columbus set out to find an alternate trade route to India. What he found, was much more profitable. He found the Americas which led to huge economic advances as well as the formation of the United states. -
1500
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture was inspired, like many things during the time, by trends from Greek and Roman architecture (columns). This led to the creation of many glorious buildings. Even aspects of the great Versailles followed this trend. This trend was most prominent in the early 1500s. -
1501
David
The statue of David was created in 1501 by Michelangelo. This was an example of humanism in art. During this time not only was David built, but also many other pieces of art that were inspired. The statue of David helped lay the foundation of the humanist movement in art. -
1517
95 theses
Martin Luther, a radical at the time, nailed his complaints about indulgences on the door of the church. This was known as the 95 theses. This was game changing because no one had ever spoken out against the church in this way. Obviously the church wasn't happy and tried to quiet it, however, the impact was lasting. Luther had a religious sect named after him after many people broke away from the strict Catholic church. -
1521
Diet of worms
The pope had to respond to the 95 theses. This meeting was held to help decide what to do about Luther. The effect of this meeting was the excommunication of Martin Luther. This also inspired the formation of Lutheranism. -
1524
German Peasant wars
Peasants were sick of oppression so they revolted. They didn't really change much but it put the idea in the government's mind that they were being unfair. The people were heavily taxed and were economically struggling. -
1525
12 articles of the Swabian league
During the German peasants' wars, the peasants made a list of demands. These demands would intend to greaten the common man's life. -
1532
The Prince
This famous book, by Nicolo Machiavelli, describing strategies for rulers, was published in 1532. It spoke of lies and deception, which the church didn't approve of, so it was banned. -
1534
Act of Supremacy
King Henry VIII made himself the head of the Catholic church. This gave him extreme power and he was able to control England's religion. -
1541
Formation of the Genevan Consistory
This was the Catholic council. They made rules that the breaking of would be considered sin. This caused the people to be on edge and to conform to the rules set. -
1542
Roman inquisition
This was a countermeasure to the reformation. The inquisition killed heretics and tried to find them. This made it hard for protestants, and they had to meet in secret. -
1553
Bloody Mary's religious policy
Mary Tudor began her reign in 1553. She tried to convert England to Catholicism and is known for killing many protestants. This caused lots of fear among protestants and nearly wiped them out. -
1555
Peace of Augsburg
This was the agreement that allowed Lutheran churches to exist. It was made between the Holy Roman Emporer and the Schmalkaldic League. It led to Lutheranism expanding and eventually religious freedom. -
1567
Abolition of indulgences
Indulgences were a promised ticket to heaven or out of purgatory sold by the church. Martin Luther saw a problem with this so he wrote the 95 theses which led to the abolition of the selling of indulgences. This changed the church because they weren't receiving as much funding and it also led to the creation of other religions. -
The golden age of the Dutch Republic
During this time from 1588-1672, the Netherlands was very prosperous. The population rose, the economy was great, as was trade. Shipbuilding advanced which led to the creation of canals and overseas trade. -
Edict of Nantes
In France, Protestantism was very popular. This led to the Edict of Nantes, which allowed Protestantism in France. -
Invention of the telescope
Galileo invented a primitive form of the telescope, feeding the fire that was the scientific revolution. This led to many discoveries in the sky. -
Space discovery
With the invention of the telescope, scientists could examine the sky. Galileo found the moons of Jupiter and he discovered the milky way. -
English Civil War
This war was fought between Parliament and King Charles. It was also a war over religious freedom. -
Louis XIV becomes king
Crowned as a young boy, he eventually would become the last king before the revolution. He changed France with his building of Versailles. He was so influential that French became the common language in Europe. -
Absolutism (Louis XIV)
Louis XIV was an absolute monarch. He ran France exactly how he wanted to. This led to some good things, such as the creation of Versailles, however it caused lots of trouble for the common people. Since nearly all of France's money was in Louis' pocket, most of the population was poor. This let to anger and eventually the French revolution. -
Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes wrote a book called Leviathan, describing problems with absolute monarchy. It was very influential and helped bring the downfall of absolutism. -
Establishment of the royal academy of science
Louis XIV saw the potential of the scientific revolution ad patronized the creation of the royal academy of science. This would lead to many scientific discoveries and advancement. -
The decline of the dutch republic
Eventually, the greatness of the dutch republic began to settle down. Trade was not as great, France began to tariff Dutch goods, which slowed them down. -
Edict of fontainebleau
When Louis XIV became king the edict of Nantes was in place. This allowed Protestantism in France. Louis revoked this privilege, since he was Catholic. This would be part of the long list of causes of the revolution. -
Publishing of the Principia Mathematica
Isaac Newton compiled all of the mathematical and physical theories into one book. This would inspire textbooks and help other scientists and mathematicians easily add to the preexisting theories. -
Glorious Revolution
Known as the bloodless revolution, this was the time when the people overthrew King James II. He had been Catholic and due to his overthrowing, England was able to change the religion. -
Potato revolution
Many peasants didn't have much money. Potatoes were cheap and nutritious which made them blow up as a primary source of food for many peasants. -
Population boom
Due to better access to food (potatoes) the population spiked in Europe during the early 1700s. This would be important come the scientific revolution, because the abundance of minds would lead to many new ideas. The population nearly doubled during this time. -
Versailles
Versailles was built to show off France's power and wealth. It was enormous and extravagant. It cost the people of France because they were heavily taxed to provide the palace. It also served as a symbol to other countries, however. Although it was mainly built by Louis XIV, it was finished after he died. -
Tennis court Oath
The people of France were fed up with the monarchy. They had prepared a list of demands, but the king refused to even hear them. This caused them to meet in a Versailles tennis court and disband from the monarchy. This was the beginning of the French Revolution. -
Creation of the National Assembly
During the Tennis Court Oath, the people of France decided to separate from the monarch and create a new government. This was known as the National assembly. It was a temporary governing body run by the people that relieved France of the monarchy. This led to the Jacobins taking over, thus the reign of terror. -
Reign of terror
The extremist Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, took over France. They opposed the monarchy so extremely that any talk of supporting the monarchy would result in one's beheading. This led not only to nobles and monarchy supporters being executed, but also many moderates. Things got quite extreme during this time. -
Execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Louis and Marie were the monarchs of France. The people had a strong distaste for Marie specifically, due to her lavish lifestyle and foreign status. The execution of the monarchs meant that they would have to be replaced. -
Execution of Robespierre
Robespierre finally got a taste of his own medicine when he faced the guillotine. The people of France realized that he was crazy and put him to death, ending the reign of terror. This also created a power vacuum. -
Napoleon seizes power
During a vacuum for power, Napoleon became the leader of the coup d'etat. This coup turned into the directory which was the governing body at the time. This made Napoleon popular and gave him political influence. -
Napoleon becomes Emperor
With the support of France, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor. This fulfilled his dream of living up to the status of the great Caesar. -
Creation of Arc de Triomphe
Napoleon led France to win the battle of Austerlitz. This arc was built in celebration, as well as to flaunt Napoleon's legacy. It has left an everlasting imprint upon the busiest street in Paris, the Champs Élysées. -
The battle of Waterloo
Napoleon had one of the strongest armies Europe had ever seen. He seemed unstoppable. Shortly prior to the battle, Napoleon had taken his men through a harsh Russian winter and many of them perished. This caused him to lose the battle of Waterloo. This loss led to his downfall and exile. -
The hundred days
Napoleon was exiled after his loss at the battle of Waterloo. He escaped his exile and came back to France to rule again for 100 days before being captured and exiled again, this time for good. -
Peterloo Massacre
There was a protest for the reform of parliament. The cavalry rode into the crowd. Many people were injured and some were killed. -
Napoleon's death
After being exiled a second time, Napoleon didn't return. He perished and although he had already been exiled, France lost who arguably could have been their greatest ruler. -
The Communist Manifesto
Originally dubbed the manifesto of the communist party, the communist manifesto was a writing by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It was about communism and described what the philosophy entailed. It was influential and sparked the rise of Marxism. -
Industrial revolution
The industrial revolution came with the establishment of many factories. These factories held mass production via assembly line and new machinery. Although this was efficient, it was dangerous and only the high up people truly benefitted from the system. -
Imperialism
European countries started trying to expand their empires. Many countries established colonies around the world where a greater access to resources was available. There was a saying that you could spin the globe and see Britain every time. -
Emergence of realism
The emergence of realism was an artistic movement towards real life and accurate details. Many figures in paintings looked like real people. More secular than some prior art styles. -
Crystal Palace
A great glass palace was built to hold a great exhibition. It was like a fair for all things new in Europe and was a common attraction. The creation of the palace itself was a great architectural feat. -
Britain Colonizes India
Britain was a great power in this time. This meant that they had the means to take advantage of less powerful people. They saw the surplus of valuable of resources in India and decided it would be in their best interest to take the trove for themselves. -
Origin of species published
Charles Darwin observed natural selection and created a theory of evolution. This was a great discovery, however some people took "survival of the fittest" in a different way than Darwin intended. -
Self Help was written
This was a book written by a Scottish philosopher. He explained the importance of education and that knowledge was the greatest human enjoyment. -
Emancipation of the serfs
The Russian serfs were emancipated in 1861. Tsar Alexander II was the leader of Russia in this time. -
New art styles surface
Cubism and impressionism were some new art styles that became popular. Art shifted away from realism towards a more creative style. Monet was a popular artist from the time. -
Education act
Before this act, education wasn't very accessible. Not many people were educated. This act increased schooling among the youth and led to a smarter society. -
Berlin conference
The Berlin conference was a meeting between European countries to decide how Africa would be divided between them. They wanted the resources from the continent but wanted to make sure they shared them fairly. This of course did not include the opinion of any African countries. -
Creation of the Eiffel tower
France was holding the world's fair and had to come up with a brilliant trophy to be remembered indistinguishably in the visitors' minds. The Eiffel tower wasn't overly loved originally, however it soon became a symbol of not only Paris, but all of France. -
Theory of Relativity
This theory said that mass and energy are the same entity and can be manipulated into each other through action. This was made by Albert Einstein. -
World war 1
Tensions in Europe were high. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand set off this great war. -
Bolshevik Revolution
Vladimir Lenin led the leftist Bolsheviks to overthrow the Russian government after they refused to pull out of WW1 to spend their resources on the people. Lenin came to power and enacted the changes people wanted. -
Treaty of Versailles
WW1 became somewhat of a stalemate after a while. Countries were dumping tons of unnecessary resources into the war only to be stuck in trenches. The countries decided to end the pointless war with the treaty of Versailles. -
Totalitarian government
Some governments wanted more power over their people. These governments became totalitarian and controlled information going to the people and had complete control over the people. -
Fascism comes to Italy along with Mussolini.
Mussolini became the ruler of Italy. He brought with him a form of totalitarian government known as fascism. He stripped the people of many rights and ruled them oppressively. -
Vladimir Lenin dies
Lenin had been the leader of Russia throughout WW1. He led the Bolshevik Revolution. After his death, he was replaced by Stalin. -
Great depression
In the United States, the stock market crashed. Many people lost their jobs and the country was in an economic crisis. This affected Europe because of imports and the overall global economy. -
Hitler rises to power
Germany was suffering after the great amount of reparations they had to pay was decided. Hitler took advantage of the vulnerable country and promised them he would make it better. He used propaganda to gain everyone's support and used this support to rise to power. -
World war 2
Germany attacked Poland, setting off world war two. Hitler had problems with many people, mainly those who weren't pure Germans, and decided the best way to deal with them was to invade their countries. -
Nazi blitzkrieg
The Nazis kept pushing through Europe after Poland, trying to take over more countries. The form of attack was known as a blitzkrieg. This is when tanks and infantry and planes all push forward together powerfully. -
Evacuation of Dunkirk
Germany had invaded France and there were still many valuable troops at Dunkirk. To escape Germany, these soldiers were evacuated. After soldiers began to feel hopeless, this evacuation's success led to a boost in attitude. -
Winston Churchill becomes prime minister
Churchill was a great military leader. He was elected to be Prime minister during WW2. This turned out to be a great choice for the leader, because the accomplished military leader would prove very useful in the war. -
Germany invades Belgium
Germany's blitzkrieg crept further into Europe. They invaded Belgium and took over without much trouble. Germany was starting to look like quite a threat. Belgium was under German control for 4 years until it was liberated by the Allies. -
Pearl Harbor
Up until the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US had remained out of the war. The Japanese bombed the American Naval base in between their home country and the US which led to the US declaring war. -
Holocaust
The holocaust was the mass extermination of Hitler's scapegoats, most of which were Jews. Those who opposed Hitler, or even those who he deemed not worthy of being part of the master race, were sent to concentration camps to work and die. 1941-1945 -
Manhattan Project
The United States began to tamper with nuclear weaponry. Eventually they figured out how to harness the power and created Nuclear bombs. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Germany tried to push into the Soviet Union. The battle of Stalingrad halted their advance. This was a big loss for Germany. -
Invasion of Italy
The allies tried to invade Sicily in Italy. They had a stronger Navy, Air force, and Army. This enabled them to take over Sicily and push back Italy. -
D-Day
D-Day was the storming of the Normandy beach by Britain, France, and US. It was a turning point in the war and forced Germany back. -
Attempt to assassinate Hitler
A bomb was planted in Hitler's briefcase in an attempt to take his life. The bomb was detonated but Hitler was lucky and was not killed. -
Harry Truman becomes president
Truman was elected to be the president of the US. He helped finish WW2 and he decided to use the atomic bombs. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
The US decided they had to do something about their war with Japan. They dropped an atomic bomb known as the Little Boy. This bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
The US developed two nuclear bombs. To end their war with Japan for once and for all, they dropped these bombs on the island. The Fat Man was the name of the bomb that hit Nagasaki. -
Japan surrenders
After the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan decided to surrender, withdrawing from WW2. They also withdrew from the axis. The US and Japan eventually became allies. -
Cold war begins
After the US discovered Atomic bombs, the Soviet Union quickly followed suit. The tensions between the Soviet Union and the US were high, along with the rest of the world. Paranoia was common among Americans. -
Truman doctrine
This was a promise from the US to help any countries that remained democratic. This was to prevent anyone from falling under the influence of the Soviet Union and communism. -
Publishing of Anne Frank's diary
Anne Frank was a Jew who had to hide during the Holocaust. She diaried her experience of living in secret in the annex of a house. The diary was published after the holocaust. -
NATO is established
To ensure peace in Europe, NATO was formed. It stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This organization held peace and tried to prevent wars. It is still active today. -
Marshall Plan
Berlin had been divided into four parts, each owned by different countries. The Soviet Union's side turned off power for the others and stopped providing them resources. The US made the Marshall plan to send their divisions of Berlin the resources they were lacking. -
Stalin's death
Joseph Stalin had a heart attack and died. He had led the Soviet Union through WW2 and into the cold war. His death left the opportunity for a new leader. -
Berlin wall is built
The Berlin wall was built to divide Berlin into the west and the east. The east side was controlled by the Soviet union. This led to lots of tension in Berlin. -
Cuban missile crisis
The Soviet Union wanted to build a nuclear weapon center in Cuba. This was very close to the US and could be a threat. The two countries had a political standoff for almost two weeks. -
Second Vatican council
This council was held to reform the church once again. It resulted in the separation of Church and state. -
Fall of the Berlin wall
The Berlin wall was taken down. The division between the sides of Berlin was over. Communism crawled back out of Germany. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union dissolved from within and became a sovereign state. This led to the end of the Cold War as well as the fall of communism. It also led to the fall of the Berlin wall. -
European Union forms
The countries of Europe joined together to form the European Union. They established basic human rights in Europe as well as promised peace.
