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476
Fall of the Roman Empire
The fall of the Roman Empire was when Romulus was overthrown. Romulus was the last of the Roman emperors in the west. He was overthrown by a German soldier named Odoacer who became the first barbarian to rule in Rome. After being around for over 1,000 years, the Roman Empire was no more. http://www.ushistory.org/civ/6f.asp -
Period: 500 to 1500
The Middle Ages (Dark Ages)
The Middle Ages, sometimes known as the Dark Ages started right after the Fall of the Roman Empire in about 500 A.D. and lasted until about 1500. These times were not very good, hence the name "Dark Ages". Later in the Middle Ages around 1350 the black plague took over Europe and killed an estimated 75-200 million people. These times were rough, but were significant because it put into perspective how bad things can actually be. http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/middleages.html -
Period: 1095 to 1291
Crusades
The Crusades were a time span of religious wars primarily between Christians and Muslims from 1095 to 1291. Many people were fighting in these crusades for their religion and to try to protect it. But the main reason these crusades occurred, were because they wanted to take back Jerusalem. The crusades initially started because Christians were trying to get control back of land that the Muslims then controlled. http://www.history.com/topics/crusades -
Period: 1450 to
Renaissance
The Renaissance was somewhat considered of a cultural bridge that separated the Middle Ages and modern history. It lasted for approximately 200 years and was an art movement that revolutionized art. Many famous artists that we know today came from this time including people like Michelangelo and Raphael. Many of these creations by these artists have been inspirational to future generations which makes the Renaissance so important. https://www.brainscape.com -
Period: 1517 to
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a schism ( a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief) from the Catholic Church. Reformers that included people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII went against papal authority and questioned the church's ability to define Christian practice. One of their main arguments was a religious and political redistribution of power into different people. http://www.history.com/topics/reformation -
Period: to
The Age of Enlightenment
Also known as the "Century of Philosophy", the Age of Enlightenment was a philosophical and intellectual movement which dominated the world of thinking and ideas in Europe for nearly 150 years. Many enlightenment thinkers began to question traditional authority and had the idea that humanity could be improved through rational change. The Age of Enlightenment led to many books being wrote, many inventions, many scientific discoveries, and much more. http://www.history.com/topics/enlightenment -
Period: to
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was about a period of 80 years where predominantly rural societies in America and Europe became more industrial and urban. Before the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing was often done inside of people's homes, but the industrialization marked a switch to high powered machinery, factories, and mass production. Some of the important things created in the Industrial Revolution were the steam engine, textile industries, etc. http://www.history.com -
Period: to
French Revolution
The French Revolution lasted only a little over a year, but it was a turning point in European, and overall, world history. The French Revolution was inspired by the Age of Enlightenment and the ideas of popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. The revolution, led primary by the people, and Napoleon Bonaparte, was bloodbath and didn't succeed to reach all of it's goals, but it played a critical role by showing the world the power of the will of people. http://www.history.com -
Period: to
World War I
WWI, the world's first global conflict, lasted about 4 years and was a battle between the Allied powers (Great Britain, U.S, France, Russia, Italy, and Japan) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). The war originally started with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. The introduction of modern technology (at the time) caused a severely damaging and deadly war which ended with more than 9 million soldiers dying. http://www.history.com -
Period: to
World War II
Just about two decades after World War 1, came World War 2. The second World War was the deadliest war in history resulting in more than 50 million military and civilian deaths. The war started when German leader Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, which led France and Great Britain to initiate war on Nazi Germany. The U.S. were entered into the war in 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The Allies finaly defeated both Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
Period: to
Cold War
The Cold War started almost immediately after World War 2. The Cold War was between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Cold War wasn't necessarily a deadly war, but it brought scares to many civilians who lived in these countries. The war was more revolved around political and economic differences. The way the war started was that the U.S. and Great Britain were concerned on how much power and control that the Soviet Union had over Europe. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War -
NATO
NATO is an acronym for North Atlantic Trade Agreement. NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between multiple European and North American countries which was intended to go against the Soviet Union. This organization is based on the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on April 4, 1949. NATO was founded 68 years ago, and is still being used today. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/nato -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a direct result from the creation of NATO. The treaty was signed in Warsaw, Poland, therefore getting the name "Warsaw Pact". The treaty included the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria as members. It's intention was to counteract NATO, and to come to defense if any of the countries got attacked. The Warsaw Pact was dissolved on July 1, 1991. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-warsaw-pact-is-formed -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
On August 13, 1961, the creation of the Berlin Wall was started between East and West Berlin by the communist government of East Germany. Their reasoning behind this was to keep western fascists from going into East Germany. The wall stood until November 9, 1989 when the leader of the East German Communist Party said that citizens could cross the border when they wanted to. That night, crowds of people came and started to help destroy the wall. http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
The collapse of the Soviet Union was the dissolution of the S.U. into independent republics and it was also the end of the Cold War. It divided into 15 different countries and a "victory for freedom" for the west. Instead of totalitarianism and socialism, it showed capitalism and a democracy were superior. On Christmas day is 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as President of the S.U. and handed over his reign to Boris Yeltsin as the President of Russia. https://history.state.gov -
Creation of the European Union
The European Union was created by the Maastricht Treaty on November 1, 1993. The European Union is an economic and political union between European countries that makes its own laws and policies. It's set up to end the frequent deadly wars between European countries. There are 28 countries in the European Union including countries like Germany, Poland, and the U.K. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-history-of-the-european-union-1221595
