THE CONFIGURATION OF EUROPE

Where does Europe start and where does it end? Europe has been described since ancient times as a differentiated element, forged by culture and history. But the truth is that, geographically, Europe and Asia constitute a single continent.

Europe's interest in maps and cartography has a long and varied history that dates back to Greco-Roman antiquity. For Europe, the discovery of sea routes to America in the 15th century changed not only its vision of the known world but also its vision of itself.

Europa, mythical princess of Phenicia - today Lebanon - is kidnapped by the Greek god Zeus, who manifests herself in the form of a white bull. In love with the beauty of Europe, Zeus takes it to the island of Crete.

From ancient times until today the name of Europe has been associated with this myth, appearing in art, in literature, in religion and in politics, with successive recreations of the story and imagery to adapt them to the themes of the moment.

What unites the European continent? What can be understood by European heritage? Europe is more than the mere sum of national histories. But is it a civilization and a culture characterized by specific traditions and values ​​developed throughout history?

There are basic elements that are originally European and have spread throughout the continent. Can they be considered distinctive features of European culture? If so, what parts of this European heritage should we preserve? What do we want to change and what should we question?

If we remember the past, can we avoid repeating their mistakes? Memory is perceived as essential. Both individually and collectively, it is the basis of learning and self-perception.

But memory is a complex phenomenon. It is selective and inseparably linked to oblivion. Our memories are a vital part of history and have a profound influence on our present and our future. The way we remember the same story is constantly changing.

The history of Europe can be said to be the history of much of the world from its origins, along with other cultures, such as China or Egypt, the history of Europe has marked the development of life in the planet.

From the Greek Talasocracy of 2500 years before Christ to the present day, there are several empires that have been prevailing in Europe. The first were the Greeks, 500 years before Christ they were the rulers of the continent, then came the Romans, the Arabs, the Byzantines, the Franks, the Venetians, the Carolingian empire, the Papal States, the English, the Spanish, the Russians , the Italians, the empire of Napoleon ... and more recently, the two world wars that arose in Europe, as well as the creation of the EU. All this is part of the history of a continent, the European.

Based on the investigations, it can be said that Europe is a continent that has been populated for at least 40,000 years before Christ, during the Upper Palaeolithic. Classical antiquity was dominated by the Greeks, who spread their culture throughout the rest of the continent.

Greek hegemony gave way to the Romans and the Empire, which spanned the entire continent for centuries, reaching the modern age. With the modern age, Europe began the process of conflicts between peoples, which continue today. Power and religion were succeeding each other as the origins of the various conflicts.

The Greeks had their fort in the maritime empire, their form of government was democracy, being the oldest of all those that exist, during its peak period, there were many battles fought by these, battles for the lands, such as the that they had in front of the Persians centuries before our era, the Greeks were the founders of the first great cities of Europe.

In the West, the Republic of Rome grew by leaps and bounds, once they resolved their conflicts with the Etruscans. They became strong, and began their extension. In the late BC years they became an Empire. In a few centuries they took over the power of practically the entire European continent.

Parallel to the Romans, the Germans also commanded in central Europe, above the Alps it was they and not the Romans who had power. The Danube marked that border between these two towns.

In the third century the Romans began their decline, chaos seized the empire, which took advantage of the Germans in the north to seize land from the empire. At this same time, the Catholic Church begins to gain strength. The Germans on the one hand, the Visigoths on the other, the Vandals ... began the dismemberment of what had been the Roman Empire.

Right now, the Germans on the one hand, and the fledgling Muslims and Byzantines on the other hand are growing up to try to have control over the continent. Costantinople, now Istanbul, is founded, and the Ottoman empire becomes successor to the Roman. On the other side of Europe, in present-day Spain , the Arabs settled after entering what is now Morocco . The name of Charlemagne stands out from this period.

Already in the second millennium, another class of struggles replaced the struggle for power and territory, the struggle for religion , religious beliefs became strong, on the one hand the Roman Catholic Church, who created the Inquisition, which was not but a way to punish, torture and murder all those who did not have the same belief. It was a dark time, of crusades and conflict. The era of the Popes begins.

Already in the 16th century, the political situation in Europe began to take shape and resemble the current one, the church was always behind any conflict or any form of government of the different countries, and the different royal houses took over the power of the different parts of the cake that was Europe. Luther's Reformation also brought with it numerous conflicts.

From the 15th century, in addition, another reason for conflict between European powers, the discovery of the new world and the explorers, at this time, the Europeans, mainly Spanish, English and Portuguese, began to colonize places in Africa, islands in the Pacific or in the Indian Ocean, and the new world, America. It is the time of maritime development in Europe, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, begin their expansion throughout the world, colonizing everything in their path, which caused not a few conflicts.

Already in the eighteenth century another of the high points of the evolution of Europe as a continent, the industrial revolution, took place in England . In those same years, in France, another type of revolution takes place, the French, and the coming to power of Napoleon Bonaparte.

After that time, that of Prussia and Otto Von Bisckmark arrived, with an important evolution of Prussia or of what we know today as Germany, during the 19th century the wars with the French were important. Italy , another divided country, was also unified at this time.

The 20th century, the most contemporary, has also been the bloodiest, the most important in the future of Europe. In 1914, Prussia, together with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire formed the central powers in the First World War, against the rest of Europe. This war ends with the defeat of the central powers, but the germ had not been eliminated, and in 1939 the Second World War exploded, with Germany again in the first row, along with countries like Italy . This war lasted until 1945.

After World War II, Europe began to divide into two blocks, the western and the eastern, formed by Russia and its satellite countries under a communist regime. It is a period between tensions between the United States andRussia , the period is known as the cold war. But not everything is conflict at this time, in 1950, in Rome , the foundations of the current European Union are laid.

The following visionary leaders inspired the creation of the European Union in which we live today. Without their energy and motivation, we would not have this zone of peace and stability that we now take for granted.

From members of the resistance to lawyers and parliamentarians, the EU pioneers were a group of people from different backgrounds who shared the same ideals: a peaceful, prosperous and united Europe.

In addition to these pioneers, many others have worked tirelessly and inspired the Europe project. Hence this section on EU pioneers is in the process of being drawn up.

The European Union was born with the desire to end the frequent and bloody conflicts between neighbors that had culminated in the Second World War. In the 1950s, the European Coal and Steel Community is the first step in an economic and political union of European countries to achieve lasting peace. Its six founders are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. That period is characterized by the cold war between east and west. Protests against the communist regime in Hungary are crushed by Soviet tanks in 1956. In 1957 the Treaty of Rome is signed, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) or "common market".

The 1960s is a good time for the economy, favored, among other things, by the fact that EU countries stop collecting customs duties for commercial transactions with each other. They also agree to jointly control food production so that everyone has enough to eat. This soon results in a surplus of agricultural production. May 1968 is remembered for the student revolt in Paris, and many changes in society and life habits are related to the so-called "generation of '68".

On January 1, 1973, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom entered the European Union, bringing the number of Member States to nine. The brief but cruel Arab-Israeli war of October 1973 gives rise to an energy crisis and economic problems in Europe. With the overthrow of the Salazar regime in Portugal in 1974 and the death of General Franco in Spain in 1975, the last "right-wing" dictatorships in Europe disappear. EU regional policy begins to transfer large amounts of money for job creation and infrastructure in the poorest areas. The European Parliament increases its influence in EU affairs and, in 1979, is elected for the first time by universal suffrage. In the 1970s the fight against pollution intensified.

The Polish union Solidarność and its leader, Lech Walesa, became famous in Europe and worldwide after the Gdansk shipyard strikes in the summer of 1980. In 1981 Greece became the tenth member of the EU and five years later, Spain and Portugal join. In 1986 the Single European Act was signed, a treaty that forms the basis of a comprehensive six-year program, aimed at eliminating obstacles to the free movement of goods across the borders of the EU, and thus giving rise to the "market only". On November 9, 1989, there was a major political turnaround when the Berlin Wall was demolished and, for the first time in 28 years, the border between the two Germanies, the East and the West, was opened, leading to their unification in October 1990.

With the fall of communism in central and eastern Europe, Europeans feel closer. In 1993 the creation of the single market culminates with the "four freedoms" of movement: goods, services, people and capital. The 1990s was also that of two treaties: that of Maastricht (Treaty of the European Union) in 1993 and that of Amsterdam in 1999. Citizens are concerned with the protection of the environment and joint action in matters of security and defending. In 1995 three more countries entered the EU: Austria, Finland and Sweden. The agreements signed in Schengen, a small town in Luxembourg, gradually allow citizens to travel without having to present their passport at the borders. Millions of young people study in other countries with the help of the EU.

The euro is the new currency of many Europeans. More and more countries adopt it during this decade. September 11, 2001 became synonymous with "war of terror", after the hijacking and collision of several planes against buildings in New York and Washington. EU countries begin to collaborate more closely against crime. When, in 2004, ten new countries joined the EU, followed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, the political divisions between Eastern and Western Europe are finally closed. The financial crisis shakes the world economy in September 2008. The Lisbon Treaty, which brings modern institutions and more efficient working methods to the EU, is ratified by all EU Member States before its entry into force in 2009.

The global economic crisis is hitting Europe squarely. The EU helps various countries to cope with their difficulties and establishes the "banking union" to create a more secure and reliable banking sector. In 2012 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the European Union. In 2013 Croatia becomes the 28th member of the EU. Climate change continues to be high on the agenda and leaders agree to reduce harmful emissions. In 2014 the European elections are held and Eurosceptics win seats in the European Parliament. A new security policy is established following the annexation of Crimea to Russia. Religious extremism increases in the Middle East and in various countries and regions around the world, leading to revolts and wars that lead many people to flee their homes and seek refuge in Europe.

A melting pot of states and nations, Europe has always been plagued by small countries governed, in turn, by various elites and monarchs. The listing is as long as the history of the old continent is extensive. Since the fall of the Roman Empire dashed all hope of political and cultural unification, multitudes of kingdoms and, more recently, republics, have spread throughout Europe. And from all of them, little kings of all kinds and magnitudes have arisen.

Naturally, having direct access to the listing is a titanic task. Except if we do it using two of the most popular narrative techniques in recent years: a map and a video . The author of such a fascinating find is Cottereau , who owns a channel devoted overwhelmingly to making world history accessible on a small scale. The video map , which evolves as the years go by, lasts 19 minutes. And they are all worth it.

Especially for the fickle character of the history of the continent. From the hand of the monarchs we can glimpse the existence of multiple political autonomies throughout the centuries, very far from the centralized and united ideal that we Europeans enjoy today. In times of weak states, kings and rulers emerged in most unknown territories, and accessing their history and evolution is a way of better understanding the events that shaped Europe.

Of special amusement is the stage dedicated to the Visigoth kings in Spain or the permanent changes of 13th-century Russia, in permanent flux of invasions and in the genesis of which, centuries later, would become the predominant state in Eastern Europe. Of course, tiny names and states appear every second, so the viewing (Wikipedia through) can become a real trip to the remote corners of continental history.

Well, faced with such a melting pot of kings and heads of state, which is the most durable? Records say that Bernardo VII of Lippe , a small German state (one of many) that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. No less than 81 years lasted in power. He is closely followed by William IV , ruler of Henneberg-Schleusingen (78 years old, they were contemporaries). The list is covered by small German princes of the Modern Age, almost always from tiny states.

If we talk about Great Rulers, the prize goes to Louis XIV : the Sun King spent 72 years shaping the destiny of modern France (it started with 4 years). Only Elizabeth II is on her heels in Western Europe: she has been on the throne for 66 years, three years above Victoria. If he lives six more without ceding the crown to his heir, he will have broken a record that has lasted since 1715.