Modern European History

Modern European History

A particular thematic concern characterizes every historical period; among some of the most prevalent themes in history include; war such as the first and second world wars, drought, famine, disease outbreaks e.g., the Black Death among other occurrences in history. European history in the dates ranging between 1500 and 1914 was also characterized by various circumstances which included; division, reaction, identity as well as unification. The above themes took place at different times, where a particular specific topic characterized each period. For instance, concerning the issue of division, could be viewed in the religious wars that occurred between Christians and non-Christians (Fitzpatrick & Gellately, 1996).

On the other hand, the division was observed in the political sphere where events such as the French revolution as well as the glorious revolution were all characterized by the theme of rebellion. Identity was also exhibited in movements such as nationalism and unification could be seen in nations such as Germany and Italy coming together to achieve a common goal. All these are thematic concerns that were witnessed in modern Europe from 1500-1914.

The theme of division- Religion in 1500

In the year 1500, Christendom unity was the principal and ideal option for Christians around Europe. This is because Christianity had managed to withstand any forms of external attacks by non-Christians and other religions such as Islam through the maintenance of a united front. However, it is necessary to observe that religion was a vital ground through which divisive agendas got driven. For instance, the war between the pagan Vikings and the Christians in Europe was primarily based on the religious beliefs where each side upheld their spiritual vies and orientations as the correct and accurate path. Besides fighting in divisive religious wars with other religions, another major contributing factor to division on religious grounds was the renaissance period. This period was characterized by an upsurge in paganism where the people embraced the secular ways of life more, thereby making Christianity doctrines less observed. As a result, the society was divided into believers and the seculars causing a significant rift in the communal and social integration.

The theme of identity- Nationalism

In Europe, the years from 1500-1900 were characterized by the formation of some of the greatest empires as well as civilizations that the world had seen.  This was primarily contributed to by the theme of nationalism. People became more patriotic and willing to expand the legacy of their heritage, thus leading to the formation of large armies as well as empires that developed far and wide within Europe. Probably one of the best-known empires that existed in the time was the Ottoman Empire conquered most of the European colonies and also paved the way for the formation of other realms such as the British Empire after its collapse.  The primary key to the success of the ottoman empire as well as other fields in Europe from the 15^th to the 20^th century could be attributed to the nationalism, which was a virtue that most of the members of these empires held in high regard.

The theme of unification- (Germany and Italy)

The unification between Italy and Germany took place in the year 1866, where the two countries came together to fight Austria to acquire more territory. The main contributing factor that propelled the unification between Italy and Germany was nationalism, where each of the empires intended to increase their dominance in other parts of Europe. Italy, for instance, was focused on empire expansion in order to increase the popularity of Roman Catholicism as the dominant religion across Europe. This was after Rome was made the state capital for Italy.

In later developments, nationalism and unification were identified to hurt Germany after Hitler used the same virtues to bling the people and the consequences of which led to the various undesirable outcomes. Although nationalism served a crucial purpose in asserting self-dedication as well as unification and determination, there were shortcomings to the movement where aftermath effects such as nepotism became prevalent in the global sphere with the onset of globalization.

Political division in Europe- (the French revolution)

Political alignments started to gain popularity in Europe in the early 15^th century when political governance started to take shape, and democracy was setting in in the various publicly managed sectors. Political division was observed in France during the French revolution in 1789 when social and political upheaval was found between France and its colonies (Clavin, 2010). During the revolution, the French Monarchy got overthrown, and there was the establishment of the French republic. The overthrowing of the French monarchy resulted in the establishment of a dictatorship regime under Napoleon.

Conclusion

History is a reflection of the events and occurrences that took place in society and how these events went ahead to shape the community as it is today. From the above research, it is possible to see that the years from 1500-1900 were the formative years of most European empires as well as the formation of some of the highest states in the world. History plays a significant role in the development of a nation and could, therefore, be defined as a perfect depiction of the future.

References

Fitzpatrick, S., & Gellately, R. (1996). Introduction to the practices of denunciation in modern European history. The Journal of Modern History, 68(4), 747-767.

Clavin, P. (2010). Time, manner, place: Writing modern European history in global, transnational, and international contexts. European History Quarterly, 40(4), 624-640.