The Rise of the West: Western Europe's Gain of Power

1237 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Westward expansion

The rise of the West refers to a period of time when Western Europe rose to power due to many environmental, political, and social factors. Many historians attribute the Rise of the West to the time period of 1450 to 1850. This power surge of Western Europe has been attributed to the global dominance of Western Europe and America in the 21 century. The interesting aspect regarding the Rise of the West is how Western Europe developed so differently from other parts of the world, leading it to be the superpower of the world. Over the past 50 years, the idea of the rise of the West has been closely re-examined. Prior to the 1950s, historians believed that the rise of the West occurred because it was destined to; because Europe is the best and strongest. It was luck, fate, and destiny that helped Europe and America reach where they are today. In the past 50 years, many historians begin to disagree. They do give credit to luck as being a factor in the rise of the West; however, they also credit the ideas, political climates, culture, and economics as driving forces behind the rise of the West. Three of the most widely accepted theories regarding the rise of the West are the theories stated by historians Andre Gunder Frank, David S. Landes, and R. Bin Wong. The ideas of the rise of the West are not merely only one of the three theories by Frank, Landes, or Wong; but rather a combination of all three.

Andre Gunder Frank was a historian and social economist from Germany. One of Frank’s main theories regarding the Rise of the West links the wealth in Western Europe from their explorations in the Americas and Africa prior to 1800s to how Western Europe used that wealth to become a world superpower in the mid-1800s. Frank is a deep believer...

... middle of paper ...

...ped fuel the rise of the West. Such an abundance of coal can only be credited to the location of where Europe is. Such location is based on fate and luck.

The rise of the West refers to a period of time from about 1450 to 1850 when Europe developed so differently from the rest of the world that it became a global superpower after the Industrial Revolution. The idea of the rise of the West has been re-examined over the last 50 years. Before, many historians credit fate and luck as the main reasons for the rise of the West. Recently, historians have come to view politics, economics, culture, innovation, and luck all making the rise of the West a reality. It is by studying the works of historians such as Andre Gunder Frank, David S. Landes, and R. Bin Wong, and researching the nature of Europe in the 1800s, can the true ideas of the rise of the West come into light.

Show More
Related

  • Charlemagne and the Saxon War

    1617 Words  | 4 Pages

    Clifford R. Backman, The Cultures of the West: A History. Volume 1: To 1750. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.

    Read More

  • How Did European Monarchs Increase Their Power In The 17th And 18th Century

    1090 Words  | 3 Pages

    The European monarchs and rulers of the 17th and 18th centuries wanted to increase their power both domestically and globally by adding to their territories and populations. Both in merging their power internally and expanding their power externally, they employed three features of state-building: control, extraction, and integration. In the late 1700s, both the Industrial revolution and French revolution of 1789 strengthened the idea that Europeans were different from the rest of the world. It also strengthened that Europeans were “succeeding” promptly while the rest of the world seemed to be declining, that Europeans were somehow extraordinary and better than the rest.” (Robert Marks page 10).

    Read More

  • Case Study: What Shaped The Renaissance Worldview?

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    The western worldview grew out of ideas that were brought about by the Black Death, the humanist movement, and religious reform. The Black Death killed most of Europe’s population, opening spots for jobs and spots to move in the feudal system. This caused people to think out of the box, it also helped people see that everyone had something in common king or serf. The humanist movement also had a key role that helped people see the bigger picture. Last but no least the religious reform also played a key role. After new ideas came from the humanisms people questioned things they hadn’t before. These are the three main topics for the growth of the western worldview.

    Read More

  • How a Capitalist Society Affects Family Life in The Decline of the West by Hanif Kureishi

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    The short story “The Decline of the West” is written in 2010 by a man named Hanif Kureishi. It focuses on the how the modern capitalistic society is and how it affects the family life. It also questions the ethnicity of capitalism.

    Read More

  • Europe on the Brink of Change at the Turn of the 20th Century

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    Europe being on the brink of change at the turn of the 20th century is

    Read More

  • Exploring the Effects of the West on The Ottoman Empire

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the course of approximately four hundred years, Western European colonists and prominent historical figures were particularly known for exploiting and devastating distant cultures and civilizations around the world. This included groups ranging from the Aboriginals and the Aztecs in the remote “New World”, to groups in East Asia such as the Chinese and the Mughals. However, historians today debate whether or not these prevailing and prospering Western European nations were as successful at influencing the cultures of nearer empires such as the Ottoman Empire. It is questionable as to whether or not the Ottoman Empire should be compared to other cultures devastated through their interactions with the West, largely due to the Ottomans’ vast success in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and eventual internal problems. However, the Ottoman Empire’s inability to remain as successful as its adjacent Western neighbours indicates that they too, were a victim of Western dominance. As the Ottomans began its descent, much of the West continued its prevalence. Therefore, it is fair to say that the Ottoman Empire’s considerable interaction with the West led to the demise and alteration of its culture. The Western powers’ economic supremacy, exploitation of the Ottomans’ internal failures and influence on its religious state each significantly contributed.

    Read More

  • The Decline of the West

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    AUTHOR: Oswald Spengler, (1880-1936), was a German philosopher who acquired his conservative views from his father, a postal official in Germany. Spengler attended the Universities of Munich, Berlin and Halle in Germany, where he studied natural science and mathematics. In 1903, he wrote his dissertation on a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus, though he failed due to a lack of references. Spengler resubmitted his revised thesis in 1904, earning him his doctorate degree. Shortly after earning his degree, Spengler suffered a mental break down, secluding himself from the world. In 1906, he recovered and began working as a teacher in secondary schools until he received some money from his mother. In 1911, Spengler gathered his inheritance and moved to Munich as a private scholar.

    Read More

  • The Great Divergence Analysis

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kenneth Pomeranz‘s The Great Divergence tries to examine the classic question of ‘How do we account for the economic divergence between Europe and Asia? He acknowledged that ‘a surge in European technological inventiveness was a necessary condition of the Industrial Revolution’, but stressed on the crucial role of ‘coal and colonies’ and their critical geographic location, in lifting the constraints for sustained growth of per capita income. First the local coal deposits in Europe were closer to the cities than in China and this gave Europe a clear advantage. Second, the off-shore colonies, in particular, the closeness of Europe to the New World resources (Jones 1981, Wrigley 1988, Allen 2009) helped Europeans to overcome the difficulties

    Read More

  • The Novel 1984 by George Orwell

    1784 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hunt, Lynn, et al. The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2009. Print.

    Read More

  • The Development of Europe and Western Culture

    2725 Words  | 6 Pages

    The development of Europe and Western Culture are highlighted by five key dates. The main four key dates and there are as follows:

    Read More

  • Expansion of the West

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    During late seventeen hundreds and the early eighteen hundreds America focused on growth and development. In 1803, America bought from France 828,000 square miles of land that ranged from the Mississippi to the Rockies for the bargain price of $15,000,000. This pristine land had not yet been ravaged by the rigorous process of growing cotton, so Southern farmers were excited about the prospect. However, most farmers were also afraid of what lay in the West, be it “savages,” dangerous wildlife or inhospitable terrain. The government believed that American citizens needed convincing that travelling west, settling and stabilizing this new land was a smart thing to do. To help convince the populace, the government turned to a new media, photography. The product of this invention astounded and perplexed many viewers who believed that the photos they saw depicted the absolute truth. Their ignorance of the selective bias of photographers paved the way for rumors and myths that influenced many to venture into dangerous areas, having little idea what really lay ahead. Photography in the early American West was a manipulative tool of the government’s interest by portraying the West as a safe land filled with opportunity.

    Read More

  • Why did the Great Divergence Occur

    1372 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Great Divergence is term used to portray the gradual shift of dominance that Europe gained by establishing itself as the most powerful world civilization by the 19th century. While a case could be made that the Great Divergence occurred because of the pre-eminence of Europe and Britain, as well as their supposed superiority in invention and innovation above anywhere else in the world, this argument is flawed. A more compelling argument would be to state that it was rather through the geographical advantages that Europe obtained that lead it into eventually becoming the most powerful civilization after 1500 A.D., as this essay will strive to demonstrate.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The West Unique, Not Universal

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    Analysing The West: Unique, Not Universal. Throughout history, Western civilization has been an emerging force behind change in foreign societies. This is the concept that is discussed in the article, the West Unique, Not Universal, written by Samuel Huntington. The author makes a very clear thesis statement and uses a variety of evidence to support it. This article has a very convincing point.

    Read More

  • The Age of Imperialism

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stott, Anne. "Europe 1700-1914: A Continent Transformed." europetransformed.blogspot.com. University of London, 7 March 2011. Web. 30 November 2013.

    Read More

  • Western Civilization Essay

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Western culture has evolved over a span of several years with various civilizations specializing in specific aspects of life or nature. In essence, Western civilization dates back to the BCE periods when Ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Rome reigned. Each of the Western civilizations came with a clear lineage that portrayed such attributes as property rights, free market economy, competition, personal freedoms, and innovation (Perry, 2013). Besides, the western civilizations came at different periods with some of the attributes evolving or remaining unchanged throughout the lineage. However, the non-western civilizations contributed towards such attributes to a given extent, primarily because of the interactions among

    Read More

More about The Rise of the West: Western Europe's Gain of Power

Open Document