Unit 5 Study Notes: Europe 2013-2014
Unit 5: Europe
History Notes: Lesson 1
European countries had a history of invasion and fighting until the mid 1900s when peace
treaties and alliances were formed that have made the continent much more stable. What
happened in the mid-1900s that brought about this change toward more cooperation in
Europe? The answer is The treaties after World War II set the stage for more cooperation.
The idea was to bind themselves together economically and therefore they would have a
financial stake in NOT going to war. They sought peaceful solutions to conflicts so trade
would not be disrupted. This led to the formation of the European Union.
The countries of Europe were trying to expand and build empires. Their history involved conquest
and colonization in many parts of the world. The movement was a migration of people to other parts
of the world. This movement had a purpose. The European powers were trying to increase their power
by expanding their territory and therefore building their empire. This territorial expansion has been
described as Imperialism. Imperialism is where one nation takes over lands that was not theirs but
had been under the control of other powers. As good analogy would be…..Movement : migration ::
Territorial expansion : Imperialism
Over the years, many wars have been started by acts of people who thought they were acting in a
patriotic way. Most of the time they were very wrong in their ideas. These ideas are often referred to as
extreme forms of nationalism. As a result, many conflicts have been started by such actions. Conflicts
and invasions in Europe have been blamed on the idea of excessive patriotism and loyalty to one’s
own country, so that its interests are put above all others. This concept is called nationalism.
Vincent Van
Gogh
(1853‐1890)
One of the greatest
influences in
twentieth century
painting
Leonardo Da Vinci
(1452-1519)
Author of the most
famous painting of all
time the Mona Lisa.
Spanish painter and
sculptor who
experimented with
different techniques
Pablo Picasso
(1881-1973)
The artwork of the European masters have had an important impact on all the world. The
painters listed above created some of the most well know art in all the world. So, what is
the lasting contribution of the Europeans listed above? It is simple. They were master
painters who contributed to a major part of culture in Europe and throughout the world.
The artwork of the master artists listed above have spanned a long period of time. Da
Vinci worked and lived in the 15th and 16th centuries. Van Gogh in the 19th century and
Picasso in the 19th and 20th centuries. Art reflects interests of societies at the time it was
being produced and after too. During which centuries did these Europeans work? Well,
they lived and worked from the 15th century through the 20th century.
Geography notes: Lesson two
Europe is a peninsula of peninsulas. It is basically surrounded by water and water is one of
the most important economic influences on Europe. As a result, most countries are highly
dependent on the ocean for food, jobs, and money. So, what is the most important effect of
Europe being a peninsula of peninsulas? Most countries depend on the sea for much of their
livelihood.
Anytime there is rapid or fast unplanned immigration to a country there are
going to be issues inside that country. Many times these issues cause problems
and changes. As a result, rapid unplanned immigration from the Middle East to modernday Europe would probably cause clashes between the cultures. It could also cause
overcrowding in housing there. Also cultural borrowing would probably occur. What you
would NOT see would be things like decreased birth rate.
What common characteristic do most of the countries with oil as a natural resource have in
common? Look at the map. Most of the countries are near the ocean where the oil has been
discovered. All the petroleum shown on the map is in or near the ocean.
Sweden
Norway
England
France
Spain
Italy
The heavy dark line is the Iron Curtain. How did the Iron Curtain divide Europe? The USSR and
its allies were basically in Eastern Europe. The Allies of the US were in Western Europe. Therefore, the
Iron Curtain divided Europe between east and west.
Which of the following is supported by information in the map about England, France, Spain and
Italy? On the test you will have to know where these three countries are. They are marked here for you
to learn. Look at the map key. What does the key tell you about the three countries? All of them were
allies of the United States.
Culture Notes: Lesson three
Europe has long been the seat of many instances of conflict and cooperation between and among
cultures. Conflicts resulted in WWI and WWII. Both did incredible damage to many countries and
millions of lives were lost. Efforts were started soon after WWII to try to do something that would
stop all the destructive wars. The idea was to bind themselves together economically. They wanted to
find good reasons to NOT start wars and cooperate, so open trade seemed the best way to do this. This
is how the idea of the European Union took hold. As a result, the most recent examples of cooperation
in Europe is the European Union.
Cultural Diffusion is where one culture spreads parts of their culture to other lands in
many ways. There are many example of cultural diffusion in Europe’s history. When the British
colonies were started, they spread the English language to North America. When Spain moved into the
Americas the Spanish colonies spread the Spanish language to Latin America. In southern Europe,
migration and immigration of Muslims to Europe spread the religion of Islam. All of these are
examples of cultural diffusion.
When the European Union was formed, it was done so to provide an economic reason to keep peace
among the countries. As a result, the formation of the European Union has had the greatest effect on
the economies of countries.
As said, the European Union was established as a way to make peace among countries in Europe tied
to economic success. But the question as to how this was possible has a lot to do with changing the
relationship the countries had with each other. Free movement of people and goods became a major
factor in whether the EU would be successful. Modern transportation made it easier for people to
move about Europe almost as if it was one country. That contributed to the formation of the European
Union as a way for European countries to be more successful.
We have discussed in earlier units how protests can come in many forms. One example
could be A rock band that writes lyrics to a song that calls for peace in a time of war. Another could
be A young artist that creates a mural showing how his culture is being lost over time. And still
another could be a poet who creates poems and other works that yearn for a simpler time when people
respected each other more. All of these are correct examples various forms of protest.
France and Germany, as well as other European countries, are multicultural. There are several
examples of multiculturalism and the challenges brought about by multiculturalism. One is Native
populations were overtaken by people from other cultures and slowly lost some of the characteristics
of their original culture. Another would be Cultural clashes and mistrust that grew out of immigration.
Also, distrust of religious and cultural differences during the 1930s led to the Holocaust. These are all
examples of multiculturalism. A non-example exception would be if European ethnic populations took
part in political and social decisions.
The dropping population in working age people is a serious economic problem facing all of Europe.
The big question is what is a solution for a dropping population in the labor force? Fewer people are
being born in Europe, so what is another way to increase the population and therefore the labor force
there? The best answer is for more people to be born, but that would take many decades to reverse the
current trends. The only way to solve the problem right now would be an increase in the number of
people moving to Europe, or an increase in immigration. So the solution to the economic problem
shown in the table is an increase in immigration.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MAJOR RELIGIONS OF EUROPE
ISLAM
The Quran is the
Islamic Holy Book
The 5 pillars of
Islam guide Islamic
life
There is a final
judgment day.
Belief in only one
God.
CHRISTIAN
ORTHODOX
Jesus Christ is the
head of the Church
PROTESTANT
Belief in the
teachings of Abraham,
Moses, and Jesus
ROMAN
CATHOLIC
Belief in only one
God
There is a final
judgment day
There is a final
judgment day.
Belief in only one
God.
The Bible is the
ultimate authority
The Pope in Rome
is the head of the
church
Belief in the teachings
of Abraham, Moses, and
Jesus
Belief in one God
There is a final
judgment day.
The use of sacred
images in worship
There are several similarities and differences between the major religions of Europe. Based on the
information above which of the following statements is true? Although there are differences between
the major religions of Europe, there are also several things that they all have in common. They all
believe on one God. They all believe in a final judgment day. They all have their own holy book.
Economics Notes: Lesson four
Entrepreneurs are the people that start businesses. They are the driving force behind many of
the most important additions to our economy. All of the following are ways that
entrepreneurs influence economies; job creation, inventiveness, & economic growth.
Employment Trends in the 21st Century
The table below shows the projected growth of the working age population over the next five
decades. It shows that the labor force in Europe will level off by 2010 and begin to decline
thereafter. Already, population growth has become negative in some parts of Europe.
Region
Europe
Working
Age Population
World Working
Age Population
Europe share
(per cent)
1995
2010
2025
2050
488
million
496
million
452
million
370
million
3.5
billion
4.5
billion
5.3
billion
6.0
billion
14
11
9
6
The European Union can expect a large problem in production in their economy over the next
40 years. As you can see in the table, the population of working age people will keep dropping
over the next 50 years in Europe while in the rest of the world it is increasing. Also, the
percent of Europe’s share of the world working population will also drop. So, which factor of
production shown in this table will be in short supply? That would be labor.
The dropping population in working age people is a serious economic problem facing all of
Europe. The big question is what is a solution for a dropping population in the labor force?
Fewer people are being born in Europe, so what is another way to increase the population and
therefore the labor force there? The best answer is for more people to be born, but that would
take many decades to reverse the current trends. The only way to solve the problem right now
would be an increase in the number of people moving to Europe, or an increase in
immigration. So the solution to the economic problem shown in the table is an increase in
immigration.
Country
Life
expectancy
Literacy rate
Per capita
GDP
Calorie intake
(daily)
75 male
3,588
99%
$24,400
83 female
74 male
3,265
Germany
99%
$23,400
81 female
69 male
3,307
Poland
99%
$15,888
78 female
75 male
3,338
Spain
97%
$18,000
82 female
United
75 male
99%
$22,800
3,149
Kingdom
81 female
Remember, we have already learned that the standard of living of a country is directly
connected to the GDP a country has. The higher the dollar value of the GDP, the higher the
standard of living in that country. Using the table above, which country seems to have the
highest standard of living? In other words, what country has the highest GDP and therefore
the highest standard of living? That is France. Second highest is Germany.
France