About Western Civilization

Selected Events and Rationale for their Selection

Europe and the Mediterranean had key transformative experiences during the time when Western civilization developed there. It was characterized by important occasions that aided in the region’s development and civilization. Because it was the most prevalent religion at the time, Christianity was crucial to the development of western civilization. In addition, due to a variety of events that were occurring, western civilisation was synonymous with the transfer of dominating civilizations from one part of the world to another. This essay focuses on five significant occurrences in the history of western civilization. It also covered how the incidents related to one another and how they influenced western civilisation.

The Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance was one of the events that marked the western civilization and contributed to the spread of dominant cultures around the globe. The Italian Renaissance was the earliest manifestation of European Renaissance and was characterized by cultural change and in Italy. This particular event began in 1420 at a time when Italy was one of the powerful nations in Europe. At the time of Italian Renaissance, Italy was an influential country that was divided into several city states with their governments. The Italian Renaissance began in an independent state known as Florence. At the time, Florence was an important commercial and banking capital inhabited by wealthy patrons, intellectuals, artists, and supporters. The battle between various groups to control the wealth regions contributed to the start of the Italian Renaissance. This particular event is significant to western civilization because it shows the role of Italy in the entire process and how the battle for control led to infighting among different groups.

The Siege of Vienna

The second event that was selected for consideration in this paper was the siege of Vienna. This important event occurred in 1529, and it marked the first attempt by Suleiman the Magnificent-led Ottoman Empire to capture Vienna. The siege of Vienna is critical because it signaled the pinnacle of the Ottoman Empire’s influence and power. During the western civilization, the Ottoman Empire was powerful, and it strived to exert its influence in Europe by expanding to various regions and cities. After over 150 years of bitter attacks and military tension, the Ottoman Empire was able to stage a serious attack into Vienna with the goal of putting it under its control. It is also important to note that this event was significant to the western civilization because it gave the Ottoman Empire more reason to stage similar attacks in both eastern and central Europe. The Ottoman Empire engaged in similar opportunistic maneuvers with the goal of taking control of a significant portion of central and Eastern Europe.

The Age of Enlightenment

The third important event is the Age of Enlightenment. This period marked the rejection of superstitions in favor of logic and science. It occurred between1500–1800. The enlightenment period witnessed the emergence of a broad range of ideas such as fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of the church from the state, and tolerance. Also, it saw nations emphasize new scientific methods and beliefs such as reductionism. This particular event is important since it demonstrates the importance and influence of logic and science on the western civilization. Nations and scholars began to question institution and other conventional concepts and beliefs such as religious orthodoxy. These changes led to the emergence of a new body of scientific knowledge that would eventually lead to the advancement and development of Europe.

The Napoleonic Wars

The fourth event is the Napoleonic Wars. These wars pitted the French Empire and Napoleon I against some European powers who were led and financed by the Great Britain. The events occurred between 1803 and 1815. The Napoleonic Wars were caused by the unresolved disputes associated with the French Revolution. Those who were opposed to the influence of France such as Britain teamed together to fight against Napoleon I. The Napoleonic Wars are critical events of western revolution since they served as major turning point in European history as they led to the fall of Napoleon and his strong empire. Napoleon had successfully fought previous wars and managed to exert his control in Europe. Therefore, his loss in the war meant that the French Empire was no longer as powerful like it used to be before going to the wars.

The Spanish-American War

The final major event was the Spanish-American War. These were wars that were fought between the US and Spain in 1898. The Spanish-American War marked an end to the Spanish rule in America. Moreover, it led to the independence of the United States. In the context of western civilization, the Spanish-American War marked the fall of one of the nations that were formerly exerting its influence in a number of colonies in American and other regions. The defeat meant that Spain could no longer control America and exert its influence in the region.