AP Euro Timeline Project

By overton
  • The Printing Press
    1450

    The Printing Press

    The Printing Press was invented in Germany, and was used to quickly reproduce texts, which would have previously been done by hand. This caused a large increase in literacy among the lower classes, and the quick spread of information across Europe.
  • The Fall of Constantinople
    1453

    The Fall of Constantinople

    The siege of Constantinople led to a block in the Silk Road, and to the social isolation of Eastern Europe. This eventually caused the birth of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and the spread of greco-roman ideas and texts into Western Europe.
  • Period: 1485 to

    Tudor Dynasty

    The Tudor family ruled over England, and created the Anglican church to protect the interests of the royal family. They often collaborated heavily with Parliament, eliminating the need to become absolutist to maintain power.
  • Completion of the Reconquista / Fall of Granada
    1492

    Completion of the Reconquista / Fall of Granada

    The Renconquista was the attempt to unify Spain under the rule of Isabella and Ferdinand through the use of cultural campaigns and military conquest against Muslims. Granada was the last Muslim stronghold on the Iberian peninsula, which causes the unification of Catholic Spain.
  • Alhambra Decree
    1492

    Alhambra Decree

    A decree that forced the people of Spain to either convert to Catholicism, or leave Spain. This was done to reinforce the power of both the Catholic church and the Spanish monarchy.
  • Columbus Voyage
    1492

    Columbus Voyage

    Columbus sailed West in hopes to wrap around the world and land in India to avoid the monopoly the Dutch had on the African ports. He eventually landed in the Caribbean, which led to the colonisation of the Americas.
  • Painting of the Sistine Chapel
    1512

    Painting of the Sistine Chapel

    Painted by Michelangelo as a commission by the Catholic church. Example of Renaissance art and the humanist movement, which emphasized realism, perspective, and strategic composition.
  • The 95 Theses / Protestant Reformation
    1517

    The 95 Theses / Protestant Reformation

    A list of criticisms against the Catholic church nailed to the door of a church by Martin Luther, which was the reproduced and spread around Europe through the use of the printing press. This kicked off the Protestant Reformation, where many Catholics separated from the church and became Protestants.
  • Diet of Worms
    1521

    Diet of Worms

    An assembly to have Martin Luther redact his criticisms of the Catholic Church, which he didn't do. Eventually, it caused the Edict of Worms, which declared Martin Luther and anyone who propagated his ideas as a heretic.
  • The Prince is Published
    1532

    The Prince is Published

    A book written by Niccolo Machiavelli, that claimed that rulers should consolidate power by any means necessary, because the security of the state is more important than any morals or religious convictions.
  • Act of Supremacy
    1534

    Act of Supremacy

    A proclamation that declared that the official religion of England was the Anglican church, which was headed by the ruler of England.
  • On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
    1543

    On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres

    The novel On The Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres by Nicholaus Copernicus was published during the Polish Renaissance, and developed the idea of a heliocentric solar system, or the idea that planets revolve around the sun instead of the Earth.
  • Period: 1544 to 1563

    Council of Trent

    An ecumenical council of the Catholic Church that worked to reform the church from within in response to the Protestant Reformation through clarifying texts and doctrines to be available to the common people.
  • Peace of Augsberg
    1555

    Peace of Augsberg

    A treaty that allowed the rulers of the Holy Roman Roman Empire to chose whether their kingdom and their subjects were Catholic or Protestant.
  • St. Bartholomew's Massacre
    1572

    St. Bartholomew's Massacre

    A massacre committed against the Huguenots, or French Calvinists, for the consolidation of political power and unification under Catholicism, which ultimately failed and kicked off the thirty year war.
  • Period: to 1582

    War of the Three Henrys

    A war fought between King Henry III of France, King Henry of Navarre, and Henry of Lorraine over who would inherent the French throne. It was won by King Henry of Navarre, who became King Henry IV as a result, and is known to be one of the last wars of religion.
  • Defeat of the Spanish Armada

    Defeat of the Spanish Armada

    The English Navy, under Queen Elizabeth I, defeated the Spanish Navy in the Battle of Gravelines, preventing the plot to overthrow the Tudor Dynasty and implement a Spanish monarch.
  • Edict of Nantes

    Edict of Nantes

    A decree written by Henry IV of France declaring religious freedom for Huguenots, or French Calvinists, outside of Paris.
  • Period: to

    Thirty Years' War

    A continental war that began as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the HRE, but slowly shifted into a war for power over Europe.
  • Defenestration of Prague

    Defenestration of Prague

    When Protestant nobles threw Catholic officials out of a window, which effectively kicked off the 30 Years War.
  • Period: to

    English Civil War

    A conflict between King Charles I and Parliment over who held power, religious uniformity, and taxation, which eventually led to Charles' execution and replacement by Oliver Cromwell.
  • Peace of Westphalia

    Peace of Westphalia

    A series of treaties which ended the 30 Years War and established state sovereignty over their individual territories.
  • Execution of Charles I / Establishment of the Commonwealth

    Execution of Charles I / Establishment of the Commonwealth

    After the English Civil War, Charles I was executed for treason. This execution generally ended the idea of a absolute monarchy through the means of divine right.
  • Glorious Revolution

    Glorious Revolution

    Where Parliament overthrew King James II, who was Catholic, and he was replaced by protestant William of Orange. This helped solidify the authority of parliament and limited the power of the monarchy.
  • English Bill of Rights

    English Bill of Rights

    Passed after the Glorious Revolution, this document limited the power of the monarchy by forcing them to work through parliament to pass laws, and guaranteeing rights to the people, like free speech.
  • Treaty of Ulrecht

    Treaty of Ulrecht

    Ended the War of Spanish Succession by giving the throne to the Bourbons, and curbing the power of the French by banning marriage between the two countries
  • Period: to

    Maria Theresa

    She was a powerfully Habsburg ruler, known for her enlightened absolutionist ideals, such as reforms in administration, schooling, and taxation.
  • Period: to

    Seven Years' War

    A conflict between England/Prussia and France/Austria that established the power of England as a superpower, but left them with a lot of debt that was attempted to be resolved via taxation of the American colonies.
  • Period: to

    Early Industrial Revolution in Great Britain

    Began the shift from home based work to machine based production, which was continually compounded on by the financial advantage given by the new exports.
  • Period: to

    Reign of Catherine the Great

    Used the ideas of enlightened absolute monarch to build Russia through military expansion and social improvements.
  • Diderot's  Encyclopedia Published

    Diderot's Encyclopedia Published

    A series of books that attempted to compile all human knowledge into writing, which both acted as a symbol of the enlightenment, but also made information and education accessible to the lower classes.
  • Period: to

    Pugachev's Revolution

    Russia's largest peasant uprising, led by Yemelyan Pugachev who impersonated Tsar Peter III, which was crushed but still revealed the discontent over Russia's oppressive rule.
  • American Revolution

    American Revolution

    While not in Europe, it heavily influenced the way power and abuse of authority were viewed by the people, and helped in kicking off the French Revolution.
  • French Revolution

    French Revolution

    Multiple uprisings driven by social inequality and radical social changes in the view of power eventually caused the French Revolution, which overthrew the absolute monarchy and replaced them with a republic.
  • Period: to

    Haitian Revolution

    A slave revolt inspired by the French Revolution, which allowed Haiti to become the first free black republic, and inspired more anti-colonialism movements globally.
  • Reign of Terror

    Reign of Terror

    The most violent part of the French Revolution which used public executions via the guillotine as both a fear tactic, and as a way to continue feeding into the animosity between social classes.
  • Napoleon Bonaparte Seizes Power

    Napoleon Bonaparte Seizes Power

    After a long string of military victories, Napoleon seizes power of France in a coup d'état, establishing himself as the Emperor, or the sole dictator.
  • Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor

    Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor

    Napoleon crowned himself in front of the pope, symbolizing that his power came from himself, not from the Catholic Church or God.
  • End of the Holy Roman Empire

    End of the Holy Roman Empire

    While the surrounding states grew in power, the HRE continued to weaken and break apart. Eventually, due to the military pressures of Napoleon, the HRE completely dissolved in 1806.
  • Battle of Waterloo

    Battle of Waterloo

    This battle was the final defeat of Napoleon, which ended the Napoleonic Wars and established the Congress of Vienna to help re-balance the power within Europe.