Europe Unit II, Section 2

This section will allow you the opportunity to become acquainted with the physical,

historical, cultural, and modern challenges, issues, and topics associated with Europe.

We will look at artistic movements, historical events, governmental characteristics, and traits that make Europe a center of history,

culture, and political dynamics.

Section Overview

Define how geographic features have influenced European development economically, culturally, and socially.

Analyze variables in European governmental structures.

Describe aspects of European art movements.

Define Europe’s place as a force economically and globally.

Objectives

Geographic Features

Scoured by glacial activity Stretches from Southern England to the Ural

Mountains Highly productive farmland

◦ Fertile soils◦ Major waterways

High in mineral resources◦ Coal

Terrain suitable for urban expansion◦ London, Paris, Berlin, & Moscow

Northern European Plain

Ural Mountains◦ 1,500 miles in length

Polar Russia to Kazakhstan◦ Natural border between Europe

& Asia◦ Comparative to the Appalachian

Mountains Aged, Eroded

Alps◦ 750 miles in length

Crescent shaped range◦ Glacial melt provides

headwaters for Europe’s rivers◦ Historic natural barrier◦ Major source of regional tourism

Mountains

Otzi the Iceman Discovered in 1991 Oldest naturally

preserved mummy◦ 5,300 years old

Believed to have been attacked and killed

Valuable resource to study Copper Age Europe◦ Clothing, Diet, & Health

Alpine Victim

Apennines◦ Forms “spine” of Italy◦ 870 miles in length

Italian Alps to Sicily◦ Part of the Alpine mountain

group Pyrenees

◦ 270 miles long◦ Border between France &

Spain◦ Renewed mountain range

Old mountains folded and made higher

◦ 6th smallest country, Andorra

…Continued

Mt. Vesuvius◦ Only active volcano on

mainland Europe◦ Bay of Naples ◦ At present, 4,203 feet high◦ Most famous eruption, 79

A.D.

Mt. Etna◦ Located on Sicily◦ Tallest volcano in Europe,

over 10 thousand feet high◦ Most recent eruption in 2013

Volcanoes

Thames River◦ England◦ 215 Miles◦ Deep water port

Rhine River◦ 766 Miles long◦ Runs through the heart of

Europe◦ Connections from

agricultural centers to seaports

Rivers

Danube◦ 1,777 miles long◦ Water highway for Europe◦ System of canals connect

North & Black Seas

Volga◦ 2,294 miles long◦ Europe’s longest river◦ Empties into the Caspian Sea◦ Majority freezes 3 months out

of the year◦ Southern Volga home to

pelicans & flamingos

…Continued

Baltic Sea◦ 120 miles wide◦ Scandinavian waterway◦ Fjords

North Sea◦ 360 miles wide◦ Major oil industries◦ Issues with overfishing

Black Sea◦ 730 miles long◦ Bosporus & Dardanelles Straits◦ Russian warm water resorts/ports

Odessa

Seas

2,500 miles in length Connects to the Atlantic at the

Straits of Gibraltar Bordered by Africa, Europe, & Asia Once known as a “Roman lake” Hundreds of island and history of

seismic activity◦ African, European, & Asiatic plates

Encompasses four smaller seas◦ Adriatic, Aegean, Ionian, & Tyrrhenian

Seas

Mediterranean Sea

Iceland◦ Lies along Mid-Atlantic

Mountain Range◦ Active in volcanic, hot spring,

& geyser activity Many home & industries

heated by geo-thermal waters

British Isles◦ Two major islands

Great Britain & Ireland◦ Rugged cliffs, rolling hills,

and green meadows

Islands

Agriculture◦ Mild climate supports heavy agro-industries◦ Cereal crops, olives, grapes◦ Major exporter of sheep & cattle globally

Peat◦ Used as a heating source across Europe

Fossil Fuels◦ Coal reserves along N. European Plain◦ Russia major exporter of oil and natural gas◦ North Sea drilling ventures

Fishing & Forestry Fur industry

Resources

Historic Backgrounds

Homo erectus, heidelbergensis, & neanderthalensis all made successful forays into Europe

Neanderthal would last until about 24,000 years ago

“Modern” humans arrived around 40,000 years ago

Competition, interbreeding, or species die off would contribute to a single human species

Farming arrived between 10 and 12 thousand years ago

Early Man

Greeks◦ Predated by the Minoan culture

Civilization vanished◦ Developed distinct societies among city-

states Democratic/philosophic Athens Militaristic/hard lined Sparta

◦ Spread Hellenism across the known world Alexander the Great (356-323) Conquered from Greece to Egypt to the Indus

River ◦ Greek style of learning, art, and language

dominated known world for centuries

Greco-Roman World

Rome◦ Predated by the Etruscan culture

Conquered by the Romans in 264 B.C.E.◦ Pushed out off the Italian Peninsula for need of conquest

Europe, Northern Africa, & the Middle East◦ Highly advanced civilization

Sophisticated plumbing systems City development/lay out

Roman roads Forums, baths, entertainment venues, markets

Government Senate, Tribunes, Emperor

Highly skilled and advanced armies

…Continued

Roman Empire divided in 285 C.E.◦ Outward attacks from barbarians◦ Withdrawal from Provincial Rome◦ Western Empire (Rome) falls in 476 C.E.

Europe plunged into the Dark Ages◦ Loss of Roman infrastructure◦ Tribal invasions◦ Inadequacies of local governments; power vacuums

The Church emerged as a beacon of hope◦ Preserved learning◦ Spiritual leadership

Middle Ages & Renaissance

Series of nine Crusades◦ 1095-1291◦ Recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims◦ Reintroduction of Classical learning

Black Death◦ Arrived in 1346◦ Spread across Europe; decimating the population

Renaissance◦ Emerged after the Black Death◦ Humanist approach to life, art, etc.◦ Reemphasis on artistic expretion and higher learning

…Continued

Reformation◦ Splitting away of Protestant faiths from the Catholic

Church ◦ Early leadership in Martin Luther (1517)

Protested the selling of Indulgences◦ Led to new forms of the faith, war, and continental

division Age of Enlightenment

◦ 18th Century ◦ Questioned traditional ruling ideas◦ French Revolution

Dissolution of the Monarchy Execution of the king & queen

Shifts in Ideas

1492-Columbus discovers the New World

Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese, & the English race to lay claim◦ Germany & Russia minor players

Europe influences expand◦ South America, Africa, Asia, &

Oceania Western ideas/influences &

Christianity spreads Colonialism would last until

after WWII

Imperialism

Advancements in technology◦ Transportation◦ Communication

Spread of Nationalism & push for regional independence◦ Balkans States◦ Leading into WWI

WWI (1914-1918)◦ Central & Allied powers◦ Early advancements lead to bloodier warfare◦ Tanks, airplanes, mustard gas

Turn of the 20th Century

Fall of the Russian Czar◦ 1917, Nicholas II overthrown during WWI

Highly unpopular◦ Replaced with Socialism movement◦ July 1918, Czar and his family executed

WWII (1939-1945)◦ German aggression rises after economic turmoil◦ Hitler begins German expansion◦ Holocaust◦ Axis & Allied forces

Cold War◦ Nuclear tensions◦ Division of Europe

Communist East Democratic West

…Continued

Region Today

Constitutional Monarchies◦ Great Britain◦ Denmark◦ Spain

Republican Democracies◦ France◦ Germany◦ Italy

Theocracy◦ Vatican City

Communism◦ Eastern Bloc◦ Communism Collapsed, 1989-1990

Governmental Traits

PM of the United Kingdom

David Cameron

PM of Spain

Mariano Rajoy

PM of Denmark

Lars Rasmussen

Chancellor of Germany

Angela Merkel

President of France

Francois Hollande

Prime Minister of Italy

Matteo Renzi

President of Russia

Vladimir Putin

Pope Francis (Vatican City)

President (Monsignor) Giuseppe Bertello

Crowned Heads Of Europe

King Philippe, Belgium Queen Elizabeth II, Great Britain

Queen Margarthe II, Denmark King Willeim-Alexander, the Netherlands

Prince Hans-Adam II, Liechtenstein Grand Duke Henri, Luxembourg

Prince Albert II, Monaco King Harald V, Norway

King Felipe VI, Spain

1925-2013 UK’s first and only female Prime

Minister Tenure in Office

◦ Reduced influence of the Unions◦ Privatized industry◦ Changed public benefits system

Cold War ally/friend of President Reagan

“The Iron Lady”◦ Survived IRA assassination attempt

Resigned Nov. 28, 1990◦ Pressure from her party

Margaret Thatcher

The European Union◦Created After WWII◦27 Member States◦Mutual Military Aid & Support◦Legislative Body House In Strasbourg, France

◦Justice Body House In Luxembourg◦Prepares Budgets For Eurozone

Cross-Border Unity

The European Union◦ Common Currency & Common Market Across Much Of Europe

Bank Headquartered In Frankfurt, Germany P.I.I.G.S Debt Crisis

Capitalist System◦ Stock Exchanges

Socialistic System◦ “Cradle to Grave System”

Sweden◦ Spawned from Marxist ideas◦ Government Ownership ◦ Some Private Ownership

Economy

Bosnia◦ 1992, Bosnia-Herzegovina declare independence

Balkan states looked for independence after WWII Dictator Josip Tito died in 1980

◦ “Serbian National Assembly” seeks a part of a regional Serbian State

◦ Ethnic cleansing begins after Bosnian independence recognized internationally Bosniak civilians & Croats

Forced relocation/expulsion Killings & Military harassment July 1995, attack on Srebrenica (7-8,000 men killed)

◦ International response was slow Push to deal with leaders

Regional Unrest

Northern Ireland◦ Conflict between Catholics & Protestants

Irish Republican Army (Catholic) Loyalists (Protestants) & British forces

◦ Bombings and assassinations Police, soldiers, politicians, & civilians

◦ 1998, “Good Friday” Agreement, shaky peace Ukraine

◦ Ethnic Russians in Eastern portions of the country◦ Overthrow of Pro-Russian President Yanukovych

Replaced with Pro-EU/Western government◦ Separation of Crimea, tensions in Eastern Ukraine◦ Seizing of Eastern military bases by para-government forces

backed by Moscow

…Continued

Conflict in the Middle East & Sub-Saharan Africa forcing people toward Europe◦ Estimated 19 million migrants◦ Trek through Turkey in spill into European

countries Hungary & Greece major hubs

Hunger, disease, violence, drowning, interment, etc. face migrants

Germany European goal◦ Other Western countries pressured to come on

board

Refugee Crisis

American cultural heritage traced back to European roots

NATO◦ North Atlantic Treaty Organization◦ Began as anti-communism organization◦ Mutual protection for all members

US/British European alliance one of the World’s closest

Historic tensions between the US/Russia◦ The Cold War◦ Regional conflicts/tensions

U.S./European Relations