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Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global war fought between 1756 and 1763. It involved all five European great powers of the time plus many of the middle powers and their colonies. It lasted for (who knew?) seven years, and was one of the factors that lead to the American Revolution -
George III is coronated.
King George III is coronated in Britain. King George would oversee a tumultuous time in Britain's Empire during his 60 year reign, from 1760 to 1820. Though he is best known for losing the American Colonies, George capably lead Britain through the Seven Years' War and the Napoleonic Wars to the love of his people. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act is introduced into the American colonies by the British Parliament. This widely unpopular act--intended to pay for the Seven Years' War--required any printed material in the colonies to be on specially marked paper imported from Britain. This lead to the widespread slogan "No Taxation without Representation!" -
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The American Revolution
This is important for us for obvious reasons, but it impacted Europe in different ways. The greatest way was by showing the weakness of Britain and others in their colonial holdings. This inspired other colonies to start their own revolutions. -
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The French Revolution
Inspired by the Americans and their success, the French people rise up against an oppressive government, drafting a document similar to the Declaration of Independence. The Reign of Terror commences. -
Napoleon Rules
Napoleon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of France after a successful military coup. Napoleon would go on to be synonymous with dictator for the next 150 years, and would change the political landscape of Europe dramatically. -
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Napoleonic Wars
Napoleon, Emperor of France, attempts to conquer Europe. He mostly succeeds, but gets imprisoned. Eventually he would escape, recapture parts of Europe, and get recapture. This time he dies on a remote island. -
Slavery Abolition Act.
The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 banned the use of slave labor across the British Empire, except for territories held by the East India Company. Slave owners were compensated for their lost slaves. -
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Great Potato Famine
A famine of potatoes in Ireland causes much of the population to leave or to die. The island's population went down by an estimated 25% by the end of the famine. The famine and Britain's inadequate response to it inspired nationalistic feeling among the Irish. -
Revolutions of 1848
In the Year 1848, the citizens of over 50 European nations revolted in a method similar to the French, with the aim of replacing the monarchy with a people's government. The many revolutions from this year had lasting impact, leading to the Austrian abolition of serfdom, the end of the absolute monarchy in Denmark, and the introduction of democracy to the Netherlands. -
The Great Exhibition
The first world's fair is held in London this year, in a magnificent crystal palace. This exhibition demonstrated the industrial future of Europe, and Britain's industrial present, with over 13,000 exhibits in all, from 45 nations. This started a tradition of exhibitions which would reach until 1984, when the last one was held in the United States. -
Indian Rebellion
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a rebellion of native Indians revolting against the British East India Company. Most of the insurgents were former or current members of the British military, called sepoys, who were forced to violate their religious beliefs by their British superiors. the Rebellion lasted through 1858, and took 2,392 British lives and 150,000 Indian lives. India was then put under the direct control of the British crown. -
Suez Canal Opens
The Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea opens. It reduced shipping miles by sea by over 5,000 in some cases, and offered a more direct route to India. This increased the capabilities of European commerce dramatically. -
Franco-Prussian War
A war over territory between France and Prussia ended up with the prussian leader, Otto Von Bismark uniting the German states to emerge victorious over France. The German States stayed together, leading to a vastly different political climate in Europe. -
Little War
A group of Cuban rebels start a war against Spanish rule. The rebellion is quickly put down, establishing that colonialism is not yet to end, and cementing Spanish power in the region. -
Berlin Conference
All of the major European Nations meet to discuss the fate of Africa, which they see as ripe for the taking. This begins a scramble for Africa. The conference determined to end the use of African slaves by anyone anywhere, and promised free trade throughout Africa. -
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
The IMRO was an organization that advocated for rebellion in many Ottoman States. Founded in 1893, it would continue to be an influence in the Balkan region for many years, eventually becoming a terror organization. They were ended under communist rule of the Balkans. -
Franco-Russian Alliance
The Franco-Russian Alliance was formed in 1894 between the French and Russian Empires to better defend themselves. This treaty was a major treaty that would stand until 1917, when the Russians would break it off after the Bolshevik Revolution. This treaty impacted the start of WWI. -
Greco-Turkish War
The Greco-Turkish War was a minor conflict that demonstrated a greater trend, namely, that the Ottoman Empire had fallen so low so as to be attacked by even the smallest European powers. At its core, this 30 day long war was over the island of Crete, and whether Greece or the Ottoman Turks should rule it. At the end of the war, the island of Crete had some small measure of autonomy. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish-American War was an 1898 conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. It also showed the nations of Europe that the United States were a force to be reckoned with, and led to the decline of the Spanish Empire.
