The votes are in: We are testing more in-depth notes Politics and Society 4.2 | Europe West of Russia The votes are in: We are testing more in-depth notes

Origin of Political Power After Rome fell in 476 AD… Europe was comprised of petty kingdoms They struggled to become strong kingdoms Feudalism resulted in the decentralization of power It protected kingdoms from invaders (Vikings, Magyars) But kings fought for control with their nobles They missed Rome and adopted its language and traditions (Western Europe)

Growth of Political Power By the 1600s, absolute monarchies began to emerge The kings became so powerful they had absolute power Western European kingdoms were particularly powerful France, England, and Spain Germany was a mess and Eastern Europe struggled to centralize Eventually, the people were fed up with the power of kings They believed that political power should be shared Republicanism became popular Revolutions in Europe England, France, et cetera Some win, some lose, but kingdoms realized they needed to share power

Political Power Today West East After WWII ended in 1945… Western Europe agreed to fall into the American sphere of influence They were rewarded for this through the Marshall Plan America spent billions of dollars rebuilding Europe but secured their loyalty Democratic and capitalist countries Eastern Europe was occupied by the Soviet Union They defeated Nazi Germany there during WWII They were subjected to communism, which drained the wealth of their country Communism meant centralization at Moscow Freedoms were restricted and people were upset 1982 Poland began the Solidarity movement for independence By 1989 all of the Soviet bloc states had left the Warsaw Pact The Berlin Wall came down the same year 1991 the Soviet Union dissolved into 15 states, some say Putin wants it back

Society How the people of Europe lived then, and then a little later, and how they live today

Origin of European Society After Rome fell in 476 AD… Western Europe Small farmers, Romanized, and Roman Catholic Eastern Europe Small farmers, Slavic, and Eastern Orthodox Christians

Growth of European Society During the Renaissance around 1453 AD Society slowly became less religious They began to educate themselves Greek and Roman education They embraced new ideas The Enlightenment c. 1700 AD Science, advancement, and progress Democracies developed

European Society Today Church attendance is very low, but education is very high German Gymnasium students learn 4 languages Northern Europe Advanced, liberal, and social societies Comes from Socialized Governments, which provide for its citizens Southern Europe Advanced, but slower and more corrupt than the north Eastern Europe Catching up after the communist era: Conservative Newly emerging capitalist countries Football