Western Europe
I) A History of Cultural Divisions
France and Germany are the dominant countries in Western Europe. They are also the two largest countries, and their access to recourses, ports, and trade routes helped them to build productive economies.
A) Rome to Charlemagne
1) Roman Empire conquered the Celtic tribes in France by 50 B.C.
2) French is one of the Roman languages evolved from latin.
3) In the late 700s Charlemagne, a German King, conquered most of the region.
4) His empire fell apart after his death.
B) The Reformation
1) The Reformation was a religious movement during The Renaissance
2) In 1517, Martin Luther published 95 statements that criticized church practices that he personally believed was wrong.
3) Christians broke away from the Catholic Church and started Protestant churches.
4) Hostility between the Catholics and Protestants led to fights and tore up Europe.
5) France is mostly Catholic. The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany contain both Protestant and Catholic.
II) The Rise of Nation-States
Between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance, it is called The Middle Ages.
A) Nationalism
1) Feudalism was a political system in which powerful lords owned mist of the land.
2) Nationalism is the belief that people should be loyal to their nation, the people with whom they share land, culture, and history.
3) France was one of the first nation-states, and by the late 1600s, held absolute power.
4) Western Europe experienced industrial growth, and had caused the European nations to set up colonies in other lands in order to gain raw material and markets.
B) Modern Conflicts
1) A competition for colonies among European nations, helped cause World War I.
2) German resentment caused World War II.
3) During World War II, Germany was led by Hitler and the Nazi party.
4) The Nazis carried out the Holocaust, a program in which two-thirds of the European population, were murdered.
5) In 1989, anti-Communist reforms swept Europe, because of the protests. East Germany opened the Berlin Wall.
III. Economics: Diversity and Luxury
Since the Middle Ages, Western Europe has been rich in agriculture.
A) Agriculture to High-Tech
1) Dairy farming and livestock provide most of the agricultural income in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
2) The Netherlands, Germany and France continues to be the top manufacturing nations.
3) Germany also provides electronics and scientific instruments.
4) France has one of the worlds fastest passenger trains, (the TGV) and a space program.
5) Switzerland specializes in the service industry of banking.
B) Tourism and Luxury
1) Due to the scenery, mild climate, and historical sites, Western Europe is popular with tourists.
2) German cars and Swiss watches are considered status symbols because Western Europe exports luxury items to the world.
3) France is famous for its high-fashion clothing and gourmet foods.
IV. Great Music and Art
A) Music
1) Germany and Austria are famous for music.
2) The famous artist Johann Sebastian Bach happened to be from Germany as well.
B) Painting
1) Art is a very respected and an important career in Europe. The Europeans take a lot of pride in what they do.
A) City Life
1) Western Europe has good transportation, and offers many cultural attractions.
2) Many Europeans live in small homes as do Americans.
3) One thing that is different between Americans and Europeans is that Europeans get more vacation days.
B) Recent Conflicts
1) In recent decades, immigration has been a source of conflict here. in the 1980s, increasing numbers of "guest workers" from Yugoslavia and Turkey came to West Germany for jobs.
2) Political leader Joerg Haider made controversial remarks that defended former Nazis and that immigrants found offending.
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