An Introduction to Western World History

The history of Western civilization has produced a large share of the political, philosophical, artistic and religious aspects of modern international culture. It has been the crucible of Catholicism, Protestantism, democracy and industrialization; the first major civilization to try to abolish slavery during the 19th century; and one of the earliest to attempt to enfranchise women. The world has also been shaped by its conflict with the rest of the planet over such issues as colonization, imperialism and globalization.

The world was shaped during the period known as the Middle Ages, spanning from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance. This period produced many good history essay topics, such as the development of feudalism; the religious fervor of the Crusades; and the shift from paganism to Christianity. It was also a time of expansion for Europe, as nations grew in wealth and autonomy. It was also a time of exploitation of the world’s natural resources and people by European powers, as seen in the slave trade or in the subjugation of indigenous populations in the Americas.

By the 19th century, however, this traditional narrative of Western world history was beginning to implode. The two world wars of the 20th century brought a much greater proportion of the globe into the theater of conflict; the Holocaust and the Cold War further eroded the idea that the West was the only true civilized culture in opposition to the barbarian “others.”

A more realistic approach to Western world history is one that seeks to understand how the world shaped the West, and what the West has learned from its interactions with the rest of the planet. This is an approach that requires a greater emphasis on cultural and social history, a stepping away from the high-level political history framework of most textbooks. It also abandons the pretense that all of the historical events and developments that shaped Western world history were generally progressive, with the living conditions and understanding of the natural environment of most of the world’s people improving over time (as they did not).

This more expansive view of western world history also requires the inclusion of new subjects like globalization, terrorism and the role of religion in contemporary society. It seeks to understand how the experiences of different peoples from all over the world have influenced our own worldview and the values we hold most dear. It also seeks to explore how Western societies have changed over the years as millions of immigrants from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America have joined our communities. In some cases, these have been welcomed into the mainstream, while in others they have met with suspicion or outright hostility. It is a difficult story to tell, but an important one to study and consider.