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Period: 1556 to
Reign of Phillip II
Phillip II inherited Spain, the Spanish Netherlands from his father, Charles V in 1556. In 1580 he seized the Portuguese kingdom after the death of the king of Portugal. He was a devout Catholic and his steps to crush Protestantism as well as his raising of taxes due to the numerous bankrupcies during his reign led the Dutch to revolt in 1568 and continue to do so long after Phillip's reign was over. -
1571
Sinking of Spanish Armada
Phillip launched the Spanish Armada in an attempt to punish Protestant England and it's queen, Elizabeth I, but his fleet was defeated and Spain seriously weakened in the process. -
Period: to
Reign of Louis XIII
Louis XIII was a pretty useless king, and the real unofficial ruler during his reign was a man named Cardinal Richelieu, who did two very difficult things in his career, including establishing absolute monarchy in France, and breaking the political power of the Huguenots -
Period: to
30 Years War
The 30 Years War started as a battle among the Catholic and Protestant states that formed the Holy Roman Empire that evolved into a conflict between the ruling families of Europe. -
Period: to
Reign of Charles I
Charles I poor financial decisions are what lead the country to split itself into two sides resulting in the English Civil War, in which Charles was defeated. -
Period: to
Reign of Louis XIV
Louis XIV, also known as "The Sun King", had the longest reign in french history, and did incredible things for France during his rule, including expanding French influence in Europe and establishing overseas colonies. -
Period: to
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political maneuvers between Parliamentarians and Royalists over, mainly, the manner of England's governance. -
Period: to
Oliver Cromwell
Led England for a short time as a military dictator after the English Civil War. -
Period: to
Reign of Charles II
The beginning of his reign marked the start of the Restoration period, so called because the monarchy was reinstated in England after the English Civil War. -
Signing of the English Bill of Rights
Parliament passed a Bill that creates separation of powers, limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election and bolsters freedom of speech. -
Period: to
Reign of Catherine the Great
During her time as empress she expanded the Russian Empire, improved administration, and vigorously pursued the policy of Westernization. -
Period: to
Reign of Frederick the Great
During his reign he brought Prussia much military prestige by winning the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He also encouraged religious toleration and legal reform in regards to domestic affairs. -
Period: to
7 Years War
The 7 Years War was a war with Austria, France, and Russia allied against Britain and Prussia. This war was important because not only had Austria and Prussia switched allies, but for the first time, Russia was playing a role is European affairs. That being said, this war did not change the territorial situation in Europe at all. -
Period: to
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was an 18th-century war between Great Britain and its Thirteen Colonies which declared independence as the United States of America. -
Signing of the American Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring freedom of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain. -
Period: to
French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France and its colonies. Starting as the people wanting more of a political vote, the revolution slowly got more and more violent as revolutionists started to kill members of the royal family and the court. The revolution ended up failing as France would later allow itself to be taken control of by a political dictator. -
Period: to
Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon was a French-Italian general who rose to power in the wake of the French Revolution and almost took over all of Europe during his reign. -
Period: to
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was an international conference called to create a balance among the European powers in such a way so as to prevent future wars and maintain peace and stability on the European continent.
