Western History – Past and Present

Western history is the history of Europe as a whole. There are many who study European history or that part of the world in general and they find that there are many differences between what they call Western history and what they call Eastern history or that part of the world that includes the cultures and peoples of other areas. For example, even though most Americans consider the period before the French revolution to be Western history, this is actually Russian history because these were the years when the Russians began their rise to power. This can be a little confusing because some people refer to the French revolution as having nothing to do with Western civilization and others believe that it was the most important event in all of European history.

Western history is also divided into three parts. These parts include ancient Greece and Rome, which were two major pillars of world power at the time. It’s connected to medieval Europe that emerged out of the Middle Ages with the Christianization of society and later became known as Catholic Church.

Ancient China and Ancient India also have very large effects on world civilizations. In fact, it seems as if every time a new civilization arises that includes a different branch of the family tree, it affects how Western Europe looks at things. For example, China’s rise to dominance changed how the Western world thought about itself and the way it treated other nations. After the country came to a standstill, it seemed like all that had happened was a matter of history – until the reappearance of the infamous Boxer Rebellion.

Then there was Ancient Egypt, which is the earliest civilization on the African continent. Its rise and fall are part of Western history. The Ptolemaic dynasty, the slave trade, the rise and fall of the pharaohs, their legacy and finally the Dark Ages all became important parts of that long-lasting history. All of this is covered in just over 200 years. That’s quite a bit of time for history to play out.

When you study world history, you learn about civilizations as a whole, not just individual countries or even regions within a country. The effects that the European Renaissance had on the world can be seen today in places like Italy and Spain. The Industrial revolution had an enormous effect on the world as well. The West has often been referred to as the greatest single force ever created by human beings, but only until recently has that been considered true. Without the advancements that were made by the West, many parts of the world would still be populated by primitive beings who have never known any other way of life.

If you are looking for a good book on Western history, then you should definitely look into “The Wisdom of crowds: why the kings and the crowd do the thinking.” Not only does this book examine how the kings and the crowd made history happen, but it also gives you a realistic perspective based upon real examples from history. It’s an excellent primer on the history of Western society. It will surely make you think about the events that have occurred and how the decisions that have been made by kings and emperors truly worked out in the end. You might even learn something new about your own history.