One of the reasons Europe is a popular tourist destination is the fascinating history of Europe. The first large civilizations in Europe were established by the Minoans in Crete, and then neighboring Myceneans. The classical Greek civilization came next. The Romans and Celts were contemporaries.
The early middle ages are a fascinating period in the History Of Europe. Western Christianity became popular in Poland, Hungary and Bohemia, and the Roman Catholic Church came into being. That was the start of the struggle for power between the Church and the State that was to influence the History Of Europe for the next few centuries.
Italy began to develop as a major center for art and culture in the 11th century. The states of Venice and Florence became powerful, and the formation of France, England, Spain and Portugal began. The bubonic plague in the 14th century took its toll on a major part of the European population.
The most well known chapter in the History Of Europe is the Renaissance. It started with Petrarch and Palmieri in the 14th and 15th centuries. Turkey practiced Islam, and Russians were not yet come into the Christian fold. The Renaissance led to a fall in the power of the Church, and a scientific way of thinking was established.
During the same time, the European states started out on an expansion mission, locating new lands to conquer. Portugal and Spain colonized most of America, and France, Holland and England expanded their empires to North America and Asia.
The period from 16th to 18th centuries set the stage for modern Europe, where republicanism slowly began replacing feudalism. A thriving middle class came into being, as opposed to the nobles and merchants on one hand, and the poor, exploited peasant on the other.
The period saw the French Revolution; and set the stage for the rise and fall of Napoleon. The 19th century did not see major wars except the Crimean and Boer wars. 1914 was a black period in the History Of Europe, as it marked the beginning of the First World War. Almost 25 years later, the 2nd World War changed not just Europe, but the world.
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