Emergence of Today’s Europe
There are several events and treaties that shaped the Europe in the past more strongly than the others. These events and treaties have carved Europe into the current condition.
The peace of Westphalia ended “Thirty Years War” of religion (1618-1648), sparked by the Protestant Reformation. The treaty tried to solve the conflicts by dividing Europe into Catholic and Protestant countries. Catholics were mainly in the southern Europe while Protestant occupied in the northern part. This peace also settled the principles of national sovereignty. In other words, each country had the right to determine its own internal issues.
During seventeenth century, the whole south Eastern Europe was occupied by Ottoman Empire. Central Europe, Austria, Prussia, Switzerland and Poland, was struggling to build their own sovereign states out of the mist of Holly Roman Empire. In the north, we saw a dominant state, Sweden. More importantly, the states in Atlantic shore started to become dominant power. Spain, Portugal, England, Netherland and France became effective states in the world arena earlier than the other European countries. They were the frontiers of the imperialism between seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. On the contrary, the power in Italy and Germany was in the hand of loose and ineffective empires.
The second important event is Treaty of Vienna. It was signed to finish conflicts caused by wars in Napoleon Bonaparte era. This was followed by French revolution (1796 -1815). The revolution had very huge effect especially on the empires. It led to the dissolution of Holly Roman Empire and the retreat of Ottoman Empire. At the same period, Poland and Finland was gobbled by Russia and Prussia had started to build a strong state.
We see the “Holly Alliance” of conservative monarchs in early nineteenth century of Europe. They tried to prevent social revolution to keep their powers. Later, Europe became more concern with an increasing power of Germany. It was unified in 1871 under Prussian leadership. England, the dominant power of that era, was economically being overtaken by Germany. It was clearly seen that this would lead the demand of sharing pie again. Moreover, the unified Italy emerged during the same period. Whereas, on the south east side, Ottoman Empire almost lost whole lands in Europe.
World War I is the disastrous results of the great rival powers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The postwar Treaty of Versailles (1919) established the national right to self determination. The results of WW I was hard to the Empires. Ottoman Empire was defeated. Austro-Hungarian Empire was split into Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. German empire replace by a fragile republic. The Russian Empire collapsed in 1917 and was substituted by Bolshevik Russia.
World War II came to Europe because of aggression of Axis powers ( Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and authoritarian Japan) They main motive was to get their share which is not taken because of being late in imperialism. At the end of the war, Europe divided into two main blocks. To keep the peace, the United Nations was founded.
The most resent change in Europe map happened after the collapse of Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. All communist governments were forced to move from power. East and West Germany were united. 15 independent political entities emerged after withdrawing Soviets. Five countries, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, have become independent after dissolution of Yugoslavia.
The final change rooted the time (1957) that six states of Western Europe agreed on creating an economical union. Then, the joining of nine other states made the union stronger. Finally, the number of the countries reached 25 in the year of 2004. Moreover, four other countries are waiting to join.
--- Summarized from book, European Politics Today
The peace of Westphalia ended “Thirty Years War” of religion (1618-1648), sparked by the Protestant Reformation. The treaty tried to solve the conflicts by dividing Europe into Catholic and Protestant countries. Catholics were mainly in the southern Europe while Protestant occupied in the northern part. This peace also settled the principles of national sovereignty. In other words, each country had the right to determine its own internal issues.
During seventeenth century, the whole south Eastern Europe was occupied by Ottoman Empire. Central Europe, Austria, Prussia, Switzerland and Poland, was struggling to build their own sovereign states out of the mist of Holly Roman Empire. In the north, we saw a dominant state, Sweden. More importantly, the states in Atlantic shore started to become dominant power. Spain, Portugal, England, Netherland and France became effective states in the world arena earlier than the other European countries. They were the frontiers of the imperialism between seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. On the contrary, the power in Italy and Germany was in the hand of loose and ineffective empires.
The second important event is Treaty of Vienna. It was signed to finish conflicts caused by wars in Napoleon Bonaparte era. This was followed by French revolution (1796 -1815). The revolution had very huge effect especially on the empires. It led to the dissolution of Holly Roman Empire and the retreat of Ottoman Empire. At the same period, Poland and Finland was gobbled by Russia and Prussia had started to build a strong state.
We see the “Holly Alliance” of conservative monarchs in early nineteenth century of Europe. They tried to prevent social revolution to keep their powers. Later, Europe became more concern with an increasing power of Germany. It was unified in 1871 under Prussian leadership. England, the dominant power of that era, was economically being overtaken by Germany. It was clearly seen that this would lead the demand of sharing pie again. Moreover, the unified Italy emerged during the same period. Whereas, on the south east side, Ottoman Empire almost lost whole lands in Europe.
World War I is the disastrous results of the great rival powers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The postwar Treaty of Versailles (1919) established the national right to self determination. The results of WW I was hard to the Empires. Ottoman Empire was defeated. Austro-Hungarian Empire was split into Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. German empire replace by a fragile republic. The Russian Empire collapsed in 1917 and was substituted by Bolshevik Russia.
World War II came to Europe because of aggression of Axis powers ( Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and authoritarian Japan) They main motive was to get their share which is not taken because of being late in imperialism. At the end of the war, Europe divided into two main blocks. To keep the peace, the United Nations was founded.
The most resent change in Europe map happened after the collapse of Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. All communist governments were forced to move from power. East and West Germany were united. 15 independent political entities emerged after withdrawing Soviets. Five countries, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, have become independent after dissolution of Yugoslavia.
The final change rooted the time (1957) that six states of Western Europe agreed on creating an economical union. Then, the joining of nine other states made the union stronger. Finally, the number of the countries reached 25 in the year of 2004. Moreover, four other countries are waiting to join.
--- Summarized from book, European Politics Today
