The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD 500), the Middle Ages (AD 500–1500), and the modern era (since AD 1500).
The first early European modern humans appear in the fossil record about 48,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic era. Settled agriculture marked the Neolithic era, which spread slowly across Europe from southeast to the north and west. The later Neolithic period saw the introduction of early metallurgy and the use of copper-based tools and weapons, and the building of megalithic structures, as exemplified by Stonehenge. During the Indo-European migrations, Europe saw migrations from the east and southeast. The period known as classical antiquity began with the emergence of the city-states of ancient Greece. Later, the Roman Empire came to dominate the entire Mediterranean Basin. The Migration Period of the Germanic people began in the late 4th century AD and made gradual incursions into various parts of the Roman Empire.
The fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476 traditionally marks the start of the Middle Ages. While the Eastern Roman Empire would continue for another 1000 years, the former lands of the Western Empire would be fragmented into a number of different states. At the same time, the early Slavs began to become established as a distinct group in the central and eastern parts of Europe. The first great empire of the Middle Ages was the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, while the Islamic conquest of Iberia established Al-Andalus. The Viking Age saw a second great migration of Norse peoples. Attempts to retake the Levant from the Muslim states that occupied it made the High Middle Ages the age of the Crusades, while the political system of feudalism came to its height. The Late Middle Ages were marked by large population declines, as Europe was threatened by the bubonic plague, as well as invasions by the Mongol peoples from the Eurasian Steppe. At the end of the Middle Ages, there was a transitional period, known as the Renaissance.
Early Modern Europe is usually dated to the end of the 15th century. Technological changes such as gunpowder and the printing press changed how warfare was conducted and how knowledge was preserved and disseminated. The Reformation saw the fragmentation of religious thought, leading to religious wars. The Age of Exploration led to colonization, and the exploitation of the people and resources of colonies brought resources and wealth to Europe. After 1800, the Industrial Revolution brought capital accumulation and rapid urbanization to Western Europe, while several countries transitioned away from absolutist rule to parliamentary regimes. The Age of Revolution saw long-established political systems upset and turned over. In the 20th century, World War I led to a remaking of the map of Europe as the large Empires were broken up into nation-states. Lingering political issues would lead to World War II, during which Nazi Germany perpetrated The Holocaust. After World War II, during the Cold War, most of Europe became divided by the Iron Curtain in two military blocs: NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The post-war period saw decolonization as Western European colonial empires were dismantled. The post-war period also featured the gradual development of the European integration process, which led to the creation of the European Union; this extended to Eastern European countries after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The 21st century saw the European debt crisis, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The historyofEurope is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD 500)...
The genetic historyofEurope includes information around the formation, ethnogenesis, and other DNA-specific information about populations indigenous...
historyof the Jews in Europe spans a period of over two thousand years. Jews, an Israelite tribe from Judea in the Levant, began migrating to Europe...
the population ofEurope vary according to the particular definition ofEurope's boundaries. In 2018, Europe had a total population of over 751 million...
military historyofEurope refers to the historyof warfare on the European continent. From the beginning of the modern era to the second half of the 20th...
The Maritime historyofEurope represents the era of recorded human interaction with the sea in the northwestern region of Eurasia in areas that include...
The historyof elephants in Europe dates back to the time of the Roman Empire, but previously, during the Ice Age, relatives of elephants were spread...
The historyof lions in Europe is based on fossils of Pleistocene and Holocene lions excavated in Europe since the early 19th century. The first lion fossil...
EuropeanHistory Online (Europäische Geschichte Online, EGO) is an academic website that publishes articles on the historyofEurope between the period...
and Asia to the east. Europe shares the landmass of Eurasia with Asia, and of Afro-Eurasia with both Asia and Africa. Europe is commonly considered to...
Europeans are the focus ofEuropean ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states ofEurope. Groups...
educating greater numbers of students as professionals. Prof. Walter Rüegg, editor of A Historyof the University in Europe, reports that universities...
The historyof the forest in Central Europe is characterised by thousands of years of exploitation by people. Thus a distinction needs to be made between...
This is a bibliography ofEuropeanhistory focused on some of the main books in English. Blum, Jerome et al. The European World (2 vol. 2nd ed. 1970) university...
Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion ofEurope, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The term is used in geographic...
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural...
Immigration to Europe has a long history, but increased substantially after World War II. Western European countries, especially, saw high growth in immigration...
Southern Europe is the southern region ofEurope. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions...
University Press. The journal covers the historyofEurope from 1914 onwards and publishes three main types of article: research articles, review articles...
Advanced Placement (AP) EuropeanHistory (also known as AP Euro, or APEH), is a course and examination offered by the College Board through the Advanced...
In the historyofEurope, the Middle Ages or medieval period (also spelt mediaeval or mediæval) lasted approximately from 500 AD to 1500, although some...
A Historyof the University in Europe is a four-volume book series on the history and development of the European university from the medieval origins...
Largest cities in Europe List of cities in Europe List of largest cities throughout history List of metropolitan areas in Europe List of oldest continuously...
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