West Vs East: A Comparison Between Western and Eastern History

Western history is the period of Western civilisation. It started as the spread of Greek civilisations across the world. It encompassed the Roman, Medieval and Renaissance periods. It gave birth to European greats such as William the Conqueror, Charles V and Napoleon Bonaparte. The influence of Islam, Indian, Chinese and other cultures on European societies cannot be ignored. It can be considered as a defining period in the history of mankind.

The west globe refers to the world as we see it today. It has been shaped by human beings since its creation. It includes the United States of America, Canada, Central Asia, Europe, South America, Australia, Western Asia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Tibet, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is widely accepted that the modern day world is a part of the west.

Western history can be divided into four phases. The first phase, known as the dawn of western civilisation, is the first instance of organised government in the developing world. It gave birth to European law, political institutions, currency, science and technology. Its impact on the world at large can be gauged with the wonders that it brought into the world like the Medici Crystal, Renaissance Masterpieces and Leonardo Da Vinci. However, it left behind a dark cloud on the world and started the dark age.

The second phase, western civilisation, gave rise to the third type of development, international trade. It was responsible for the opening up of economy in the world to the east. With the west backing liberalisation, it also opened the door to mass culture, thus the flowering of arts, literature and music. The west even sponsored some of the greatest minds of the 20th century such as Einstein, Picasso and de Kooning.

After this period the west century dawned the fourth stage, the industrial revolution. This was accompanied by profound changes in the way people lived their lives. With it came changes in the lifestyle and structure of cities. The west shaped the standard of living of most of the developing world. It also helped to overcome the centuries old belief that only Europeans could write, draw and paint.

Thus we can see how different the world would be in the coming century. The west started shaping the course of global history even before the first world war. However, it is important to note that the west did not manage to form a monopoly on the use of technologies and the manufacturing of goods. This has been the result of the different cultural influences from all corners of the world, which have been brought by the west.