Major Events
By Robert Wilde, About.com Guide to European History
Perhaps the easiest way to divide European history into manageable chunks is by the major events, be they revolutions or socio-cultural changes like the Reformation.
French Revolution
Beginning in 1789, the Revolution affected every aspect of France and much of Europe, often being called the start of the modern era.
- French Revolution 101
- History of the French Revolution
- Timeline of the French Revolution
- Books on the French Revolution
- The Guillotine
Industrial Revolution
The second half of the 18th century, scientific and technological changes began to radically change the world. Mechanization and factories altered the nature of economics and society, while urbanization, and industrialization reshaped both the physical, and mental, landscape.
Russian Revolution
In 1917 two revolutions convulsed Russia, leading to civil war and the creation of a communist government. The events of this period helped transform the world and remain in evidence today.
The Reformation
The Reformation was a split in the Latin Christian church during the sixteenth century which introduced Protestantism to the world and created a major division which lasts to this day.
The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural and socio-political movement of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries which stressed the rediscovery of texts and thought from classical antiquity.
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual and cultural movement of the 17th and 18th centuries which stressed reason and criticism over faith and superstition.
