Something I am rather curious about, is that how Europe came to be the dominant continent on the earth over the past 600 years.
In the late 14th and early 15th centuries, Europeans had it quite tough in comparison with other places. The Church was facing many internal and external problems that was causing it to lose power and allowing for rebellion to break out everywhere. The Bohemian peasantry managed to rise up and fight a protracted war against the knights. All over Europe, the old Feudal system was breaking down and causing widespread unrest, with massive peasant rebellions becoming more common. (One example being the Poll Tax revolt in 1381.)
There was also the Ottoman Empire which smashed the Byzantines in multiple wars, and eventually eradicated it. It followed up by continual encroachment into the Balkans that did not finally stop until the end of the 17th century. Multiple wars broke out between various kingdoms, France and England had a bloody series of wars to obtain the crown of France and after that the English had a civil war between the house of York and Lancaster. The black death killed vast scores of people, and the mini-ice age ruined agricultural output and caused starvation and weakened immune systems. Rampant inflation rose as the costs for warfare spiralled out of control and taxes rose. The Holy Roman Empire lost political unity as the individual states within them followed their own policies more and more.
However at the same time, elsewhere other countries saw this time more favourably. The Chinese Ming dynasty began and the economic output of the empire rose by a large amount, the Ottoman Empire rapidly expanded its power-base and became a large power after the collaspe of Byzantium. Many other entities outside of Europe during this time were doing extremely successful.
What is interesting is how that the impoverished, war-torn Europeans managed to not only recover, but managed to eventually push the Ottomans out of Europe into terminal decline, colonised and dominated the New World, and developed industrial economies that dominated the rest of the world from the 19th century onwards until the First and Second World wars moved these nations off the global stage.
What does Facepunch think happened in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Era that led to Europe dominating the globe and irreversibly changing the course of human history?
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_of_the_Late_Middle_Ages[/url]
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Middle_Ages[/url]
Because that war torn impoverished Europe was still a technological powerhouse. Just take that bohemian uprising that was very successful. In a large way they thanked Blackpowder firearms to their success.
On top of that, technological progress in Europe never really halted as opposed to a number of other nations, were maybe because of a lack of war, it begun to stagnate.
You could see the beginning of this in the early middle ages already.
They didn't.
The main thing is the caravel, combined with bronze cannons. Europeans were not the first to use either, but with both of them they could go anywhere and destroy anything out on the ocean. Germs that wiped out native populations didn't hurt either.
The thing that is special about the caravel was that it could sail into the wind, was seaworthy enough to cross the Atlantic, and could still go into shallow water.
[QUOTE=BigOwl;34863216]They didn't.[/QUOTE]
I would say that wiping out the Native Indians of the New World and the Oceanian peoples, followed by turning those places into essentially replicas of their homes in Europe probably shows their domination.
The English, Spanish, Portuguese and French languages are the dominant ones in many former colonies, and are still being taught to billions worldwide, to the point that many languages are rapidly dying out as the Indo-European language family becomes dominant is a pretty big one. In the year 1900, all the European nations combined owned about 85% of the worlds land area. I would say this is significant because Europe only covers 6.8% of the worlds land area.
[QUOTE=BigOwl;34863216]They didn't.[/QUOTE]
usa is dominate!!1!
GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL
They had better resources available to them, the climate didn't kill them constantly, and their technology flourished better in those conditions. I had to write a report about it.
[QUOTE=DesolateGrun;34864327]GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL
They had better resources available to them, the climate didn't kill them constantly, and their technology flourished better in those conditions. I had to write a report about it.[/QUOTE]
Dammit, ninja'd.
But seriously, the book, [I]Guns, Germs and Steel[/I], by a chap named Jared Diamond, will pretty much answer your questions. It's a bit of a hard read, but very informative.
[QUOTE=DesolateGrun;34864327]GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL
They had better resources available to them, the climate didn't kill them constantly, and their technology flourished better in those conditions. I had to write a report about it.[/QUOTE]
Don't forget that their climate wasn't as beneficial to agriculture which forced them to develop a number of technologies to improve it.
I'd also argue that germs weren't as important in the early stages of dominance and only began to play a fairly large role in the later ones. The standard indian and african colonies didn't require those.
Don't forget that diseases also wracked the european population pretty heavily. But in the very least they were used as an opening to some sciences as well.
Europe was really one of the major powers because of the land and resources they lived on, the middle east only real advantage then was being the middle man between trade with China, however when Europeans started doing it for themselves the middle east largely dwindled and collapsed. Climate was also not as extreme as places in the East where it was either very hot or incredibly cold. People who lived in Europe were better defended against disease because they were constantly exposed to it.
China was pretty strong but was constantly feuding among itself (much like Italy).
[QUOTE=Super_Noodle;34865039]Tea Cups
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0OhXxx7cQg[/media][/QUOTE]
except that's wrong and the image they used was a Japanese tea cup.
[QUOTE=Vasili;34865109]except that's wrong and the image they used was a Japanese tea cup.[/QUOTE]
[img]http://www.whoaorno.com/images/772.jpg[/img]
So you think that this had absolutely no effect on the way history played out?
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Image Macro" - Megafan))[/highlight]
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Fixed - Meme image / This is NOT how you debate" - Craptasket))[/highlight]
In Mass Debate we have fun?!
[QUOTE=Zally13;34865220]In Mass Debate we have fun?![/QUOTE]
Apparently not. :v:
[QUOTE=Super_Noodle;34865151][img]http://www.whoaorno.com/images/772.jpg[/img]
So you think that this had absolutely no effect on the way history played out?[/QUOTE]
uh what a retarded image macro
how is refuting that the video is incorrect mean 'no fun allowed'?
the video is wrong - factually incorrect, they talk about Chinese tea but bring up a Japanese satsuma tea set and go to say the Chinese did not have glass until the 1900's when they actually had glass and glass making technology ever since the 5th century AD. China lacked future technology because as I stated earlier they were constantly feuding among themselves with its bureaucratic structure. The Chinese only believed literary talent was valuable, which sidelined all other talents including ones in math, medicine, music, etc.
p.s I would of figured after your last ban you would realize not to use image macros, especially in the mass debate section were that shit gets you banned fast.
[QUOTE=Vasili;34865312]uh what a retarded image macro
how is refuting that the video is incorrect mean 'no fun allowed'?
the video is wrong - factually incorrect, they talk about Chinese tea but bring up a Japanese satsuma tea set and go to say the Chinese did not have glass until the 1900's when they actually had glass and glass making technology ever since the 5th century AD. China lacked future technology because as I stated earlier they were constantly feuding among themselves with its bureaucratic structure. The Chinese only believed literary talent was valuable, which sidelined all other talents including ones in math, medicine, music, etc.
p.s I would of figured after your last ban you would realize not to use image macros, especially in the mass debate section were that shit gets you banned fast.[/QUOTE]
Holy butthurt, batman. I was just posting the video as a "fun fact" sort of thing.
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("This is NOT how you debate" - Craptasket))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Vasili;34865312]Chinese did not have glass until the 1900's[/QUOTE]
19th Century is not the 1900s.
[editline]25th February 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Vasili;34865312] glass making technology ever since the 5th century AD[/QUOTE]
what.. fire and sand?
[QUOTE=Super_Noodle;34865356]Holy butthurt, batman. I was just posting the video as a "fun fact" sort of thing.[/QUOTE]
except you posted something incorrect so its not even fact is it
posting videos is also bannable in this section
maybe you shouldn't cry when someone refutes a crappy QI video you decided to post for 'fun'
[QUOTE=AK'z;34865402]19th Century is not the 1900s.
[editline]25th February 2012[/editline]
what.. fire and sand?[/QUOTE]
Actually chinese being ahead in basic technology but lacking technology application is pretty common.
Printing press, black powder, glass and a whole lot of other things. They tended to fall into the same pitfall as the japanese, in that they grab one technology and refine it over any other.
Europe was actually on the road to the same pitfalls but the plagues hurt the guilds and faster urbanisation helped in spreading technology as well.
[QUOTE=Vasili;34865456]except you posted something incorrect so its not even fact is it
posting videos is also bannable in this section
maybe you shouldn't cry when someone refutes a crappy QI video you decided to post for 'fun'[/QUOTE]
Instead of derailing the thread into oblivion, just ignore the QI post and move on.
QI is still awesome.
[QUOTE=wraithcat;34864776]Don't forget that their climate wasn't as beneficial to agriculture which forced them to develop a number of technologies to improve it.
I'd also argue that germs weren't as important in the early stages of dominance and only began to play a fairly large role in the later ones. The standard indian and african colonies didn't require those.
Don't forget that diseases also wracked the european population pretty heavily. But in the very least they were used as an opening to some sciences as well.[/QUOTE]
well the germs that they dealt with before gave them immunity later on, allowing them to spread it to the americas.
My 9th grade teacher had a boner for Jared Diamond
[QUOTE=AK'z;34865661]Instead of derailing the thread into oblivion, just ignore the QI post and move on.
QI is still awesome.[/QUOTE]
the video is related to the thread
[QUOTE=Vasili;34865765]the video is related to the thread[/QUOTE]
Good. I am glad you mellowed out.
go take a basic social studies class
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("This is not how you post in Mass Debate." - Megafan))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=AK'z;34865876]Good. I am glad you mellowed out.[/QUOTE]
lmao
>a guy post a video related to the thread
>its incorrect for the reason why china did not advance like the Europeans did
>point that out
>get called butthurt and mad and no fun allowed
kiddies first debate
Because Europe's dick was bigger than everyone else's dick.
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("This is not how you post in Mass Debate." - Megafan))[/highlight]
You guys are going to want to start effort posting, some of these are atrocious.
Because everything was nice and separate. Church, State and little principalities to rule themselves and the odd war.
[QUOTE=BigOwl;34863216]They didn't.[/QUOTE]
Why are you saying this?
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