A Divided Continent Case Study

During the 1950’s, all of Europe tried to recover from World War II. Germany separated into Western and Eastern Germany. Eastern Germany was given to Russia. While

During the period of 1492 to 1750, Europe experienced drastic changes during their Age of Discovery. As a result of contact and colonization, Western Europe’s economy, political, social, and military systems changed, but also maintained certain aspects that enabled them to build strong civilizations. Such changes include increased (international) trade routes, more centralized governments such as monarchies, decreased unifying influence of the Catholic Church, and increased interest in military conquest and expansion.

The era that preceded the formation of the Soviet Union was earmarked with social unrest, famine, and failed governments. After many struggles, many smaller soviet republics joined to form a large conglomerate nation, known as the Soviet Union in 1922. Vladimir Lenin, leader at the time, replaced the failing capitalist government with a communist government. . At the end of WWII, most of Eastern and Central Europe’s countries were being occupied by the soviet army. They came to be controlled by the Soviet government and pulled back behind an “iron Curtain”. Winston Churchill’s famed Iron curtain remark refers to the countries that fell under the spell of the Soviet Union and shut out the western world ways of capitalism. The countries of

Nationalism was formed with the idea that a nation is made up of people who are joined together by common language, customs, cultures and history. It held the belief that one should be loyal to the people of their nation, not a king or empire. Nationalists believed that people of a single nationality should unite under a single government. The concept of Nationalism emerged in the French Revolution and was spread to the rest of Europe by Napoleon’s conquests.

The Western Allies landing position in Europe, as proposed by Russia, has been branded as a major reason for tension between the USA, Britain and Russia by historians Phillips and Roberts. However, other historians including Vasori, Levering, Lafeber and Tucker have challenged this particular perspective, suggesting that other factors also played a part in causing tension. The conflicting ideology and individual roles and

There were two main causes of tension between Russia and the West from 1941 and 1945. One cause, according to historians was the disagreements over a Second Front being opened. Tensions arose due to the West’s perceived delay in opening a front, the front being used as a political tool by Stalin and the perceived lack of supplies and materials being sent to the soviets as aid. A more significant cause of tension, however, is believed by some to be Stalin’s attempts to create a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe and his actions in Poland.

Nationalism: is a strong feeling of pride in one’s country and believing that one’s country is better than other country and this aggressive nationalism in the early 1900’s was a source of tension in Europe, which fueled the war. Nationalism was very strong in France and Germany; it unified the Germans, as they were proud of their growing military and industrial strength. While, France wanted to regain its position as a leading European power. Similarly, Russia had encouraged a form of nationalism in Eastern Europe called Pan Slavism. It drew all Slavic people and Russia was the largest Slavic country ready to defend small Serbia. Multinational Austria Hungary opposed Slavic national movements. After Napoleon’s exile to Elba congress of Vienna was held and it tried to solve the problem in Europe. Delegates of Britain, Austria, Russia, and Prussia agreed upon a new Europe whereas Germany and Italy were left as divided states. So there

Moreover the USSR began to have impact in Eastern Europe. Leaders from the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union met to discuss what to do with Europe. They agreed for the

The political/geographic situation in Europe at the beginning of World War I was full of conflict and strife with nations already seeped in rivalry and hatred, bidding for power with military might and seeking to obtain it no matter what the cost or how much human life it would take to attain. Alliances are formed in a amalgamation of shared hatred for equal enemies and desire for power , Europe is abound with chaos. European borders seem to be ever changing like that of a snaking river. Austria-Hungary is full of minorities each vying for its own independence and country. Germany and France have an undying enmity for one another. Russia also hated by the Germans is seeking to protect its interests in the Balkans,while creating alliances with France and England. The continent is as a sleeping volcano waiting to erupt in a violent cataclysm of war and destruction with its epicenter between Serbia and Austria-hungry, pulling each of its respected allies into the First world war. It seems every country has some disposition towards another country over disputes not its own but of its allies. The great powers of Europe came to War after The Archdukes assassination in response to each of its respected allies becoming engulfed in a conflict between the Serbian people and Austrian-hungry nation. With both sides drawings in their alliances made prior to the war initial beginning like a domino effect, reigniting flames on animosity. Germany declaring war on Russia soon after, siding

Europe was the immediate victim of the Cold War. Europe was cut into the Western side that supported democracy and capitalism and the Eastern side that were communist (document 1). Germany, as the

     It was less than a year after war ended in Europe that Churchill revealed in his “Sinews of Peace” address that, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent”. The Soviet Union became extremely

The allies did liberated large parts of Western Europe and recreated democratic nations. This divide Europe into two blocks and each occupied by armies America and the Allies and in the east Russia. The United States wanted a democratic Europe and Russia wanting a communist Europe. The difference was added fear of the Soviet invasion in the West and Russians fear of the atomic bomb. There was also fear of economic collapse in the west versus fear of economic domination by the west. This lead to the clash of ideologies; capitalism versus communist. The Soviet feared a rearmed Germany hostile to Russia. Churchill described the dividing the lines between East and West Germany as an Iron Curtain.

By the early 1990s, Soviet domination in Eastern Europe had ended. A number of individuals played a part in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Understanding the role that each played is an important part of understanding the process that changed European politics and geography.

Before period 3 came the fall of many great empires across the world. Han China and Gupta India were falling to invaders and revolts. However, one of the most important downfalls of an empire in the classical period was the fall of the Roman Empire. Due to many contributing factors, Rome broke apart towards the end of period 2 and changed the entirety of Europe and the Middle East. This fall more importantly increased the divide between Eastern and Western Europe. After the fall of Rome, the administrations of Western and Eastern Europe showed more drastic differences in both centralization and religion. However, even with this major differences they still shared the same ambitions and values.

Throughout Europe empires were in decline, socialism was spreading, as were principles of self-determination, by-products of the slow introduction of democratic ideals of free speech and press, and increased suffrage. Britain, Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary exemplified these changes, and their internal domestic conflicts