What Is Western World History?

Western world history is the study of events that have occurred throughout much of Europe, North America and parts of Asia. It includes the early development of human civilization in Mesopotamia and Egypt, the rise of ancient Greece and Rome and their contributions to philosophy, mathematics, theater and science. It also covers the European Age of Discovery and exploration, the Reformation and the Scientific Revolution. In addition to studying important historical figures, students will learn strategies used by historians to understand world history.

The idea of the West, as opposed to other parts of the world, first emerged in ancient Greece. The Greek city states fought the powerful Persian Empire to their east and believed themselves to be freedom-loving people. They looked to their past, specifically the great city-states of ancient Greece and Rome, as examples of this freedom.

When Alexander the Great conquered parts of the Middle East and India, he created one of the largest empires in the history of the world. His military prowess made him an important military leader of his time and the conqueror of a region that came to be known as the “West” as he spread the gospel of Christianity to many of its new territories.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Christianity quickly grew in power and influence as the dominant religion of the West. But with it came religious wars, including the Crusades and the Thirty Years’ War.

With the onset of the Protestant Reformation, the concept of the divine right of kings became an issue in Western countries and eventually led to major conflict between Protestants and Catholics. This period also included the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, which contributed to the development of modern technology.

In the 18th century, Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in France and began to lead the world with his revolutionary ideas of democracy and freedom. This period also saw the start of a global struggle between the industrialized Western powers and the emerging socialist powers of Eastern Europe.

The end of the war brought global decolonization to a large extent as the Western world gained control of many parts of the globe that were previously controlled by the Russian and British Empires. Then came the Cold War, which spawned two nuclear rivals and resulted in numerous international conflicts.

The 20th century saw a massive influx of refugees from the communist world and an increase in global terrorism, which has led to a more complicated political situation for the world. In the 21st century, terrorist attacks are still taking place on a regular basis around the world. The US and its allies are involved in heavy fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United States and its allies continue to be the dominant force in global politics, but there is a growing hostility towards the West from some members of the Muslim world. There is also a continued debate over the best way to integrate non-Westerners into the Western societies.