What is the most important Event in European History

**Redleg** · 08-12-2005, 17:08

Since I spotted this particlur question concerning the United States History - and my European History outside of WW1 and WW2 is not as informed as I would like it - I thought maybe a discussion on what is the most important event or group of event (to be fair to European History) in the development of the world.

My prespective is skewed from the viewpoint of the United States. From my prespective the Exploration and Colonization of the New World (The Americas) had a dymantic impact upon the course of world events.

However I am also thinking the Greek experiment in Democracy is also one of the most important historical events in the development of the world.

**Pindar** · 08-12-2005, 17:44

I don't know how broad a brush we are allowed to paint with given you mentioned event and groups of events as qualifiable, but I would argue the rise of the rational tradition (5th/4th Century Greece) as the most important.

**Louis VI the Fat** · 08-12-2005, 17:53

If we are talking about a single event the French Revolution. Sorry, skewed perspective here too.

For a chain of events, the flowering of the twelfth century. The century Europe was really born in, IMO. From here on, Europe started on it's radically new course which would eventually lead to the modern world.

**Templar Knight** · 08-12-2005, 18:08

I would say the Franco-Prussian War. That began the long, slow military buildup in Europe, allowed Germany to become a single nation (massively influencing European affairs), and started a growing hatred between nations, which reached a head in 1914, WWI. The damage brought upon Germany afterwards caused Hitler's rise/WWII, and you know the story from there, Cold War, terrorism.....

**Redleg** · 08-12-2005, 18:11

Originally Posted by Pindar

I don't know how broad a brush we are allowed to paint with given you mentioned event and groups of events as qualifiable, but I would argue the rise of the rational tradition (5th/4th Century Greece) as the most important.

I think you have to approach European History with a fairly large brush stroke considering some of the events - like the Hundred Years War.

So yes a broad brush stroke would be apporiate (SP) in this particlur thread given the scope of time and number of cultures involved.

**yesdachi** · 08-12-2005, 18:33

Nice topic. It will be interesting to see the difference between posts from the variety of nationalities around here.

The WW’s really set the stage for who Europe is today but there is so much more that happened… The rise and fall of the Roman Empire, The Philosophy, medical advancements, inventions, Mel Gibson in Bravehart

, etc. but the one thing that impacts everyday life for so many people I think is...

The rise and spread of the Catholic/Christian religion.

Now that’s a broad brush stroke.

I think there are a lot more topics that are more interesting to me but when I think of an event as a stone and its results as the waves caused by it being tossed into a pond, the near fanatical

spread of Christianity (or whatever term it should be called) was a pretty huge stone that has reached every corner of the world.

**Hurin_Rules** · 08-12-2005, 19:39

I would have to say the Fall of Rome.

It meant Europe would not be another China; it gave rise to multiple new kingdoms that competed with one another; it gave Europe a written heritage but did not dictate how Europeans interpreted it; it gave rise to struggles between Church and State; it undermined slavery and reoriented the European economy northwards; it transformed social relations, providing fertile ground for everything from feudalism to city-states; it united Germanic vigor and concepts of personal freedom with Greco-Roman language and learning; it not only allowed a new Europe to be born (in the age of Charlemagne and, much more strongly, in the 11th/12th centuries) but also gave it its educaton.

P.S. Can't wait for Barbarian Invasions!

P. P. S. Honourable mention goes to the Industrial Revolution.

**cunctator** · 08-12-2005, 20:07

Most important chain of events:
The devolpment of modern science, especially physics and chemistry since the renaisance. that really changed the face of civilization.

**Grey_Fox** · 08-13-2005, 00:59

Magna Carta? Limited the powers of the English King. Set in motion the movement to democracy.

French Revolution is a worthwhile mention.

Perhaps when the Mongols went home after crushing the Polish and Hungarian armies.

**Aenlic** · 08-13-2005, 02:57

Interesting topic.

I'll go with the sack of Rome by the Celtic tribes under Brennus in 387 BCE. This massive humiliation and defeat of the fledgling Roman state, in my view, led to their militarization which in turn led to their conquest and expansion and eventually to the Empire of Rome which affected the history of all of Europe and the Mediterranean from then until now.

**Steppe Merc** · 08-13-2005, 16:56

I think the most important event in European history be the apreance of the heavy armored lancer pionered by the Sarmatians and Parthians that the Goths and otherr Germanics, as well as the Romans adopted.
Without it, there would be no knights, and the warfare of Europe would have gone down a very different path.