The Early Modern period spans the centuries between the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution, roughly from 1500 to 1800, or from the discovery of the New World in 1492 to the French Revolution in 1789. They also faced high government deficits and growing unrest led by militant labour unions. Full Bio. Romulus Augustus, the last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, surrendered to the Germanic King Odoacer. Kaloyan of Bulgaria defeated Baldwin I, Latin emperor of Constantinople, in the Battle of Adrianople on 14 April 1205. The European Union (EU) is a unification of 28 member states (including the United Kingdom) united to create a political and economic community throughout Europe. Palmer and Joel Colton argue: The era of the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic wars was a difficult time for monarchs. Katherine Ann Lerman, "Bismarck, Otto von." Europe saw massive migrations from east and southeast which also brought agriculture, new technologies, and the Indo-European languages, primarily through the areas of the Balkan peninsula and the Black sea region. [2] Lézignan-la-Cèbe in France, Orce[3] in Spain, Monte Poggiolo[4] in Italy and Kozarnika in Bulgaria are among the oldest Palaeolithic sites in Europe. These new powers of the west built upon the Roman traditions until they evolved into a synthesis of Roman and Germanic cultures. The European religious wars were fought between German and Spanish rulers. The history of Europe concerns itself with the discovery and collection, the study, organization and presentation and the interpretation of past events and affairs of the people of Europe since the beginning of written records. Mongol armies expanded westward under the command of Batu Khan. The Catholic Church concentrated more power in the papacy and fought against secularism and socialism. Technological advancements, most notably the invention of the steam engine by Scottish engineer James Watt, were major catalysts in the industrialisation of Britain and, later, the wider world. Most of Europe scrambled for imperial colonies in Africa and Asia in the Age of Empire. Hundreds of old Republican leaders were arrested and deported. Walter Laqueur, "The Slow Death of Europe", David Priestland, "Margaret Thatcher?" The Second World War was fought on an even larger scale than the First war, killing many more people, and using even more advanced technology. Eastern Front/Western Front meetings among leaders in Yalta proved inconclusive. Will Durant referred to it as "the first link in the European chain".[9]. Before then harsh penalties were imposed for homicide (severe whipping or execution) but they proved ineffective at controlling or reducing the insults to honor that precipitated most of the violence. The League was undermined by the bellicosity of Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, the Soviet Union, and Mussolini's Italy, and by the non-participation of the United States. Supported by the United States and some European countries, Kosovo's government unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. They had obsolescent heavy industry, and suddenly had to pay very high energy prices which caused sharp inflation. The origin of the Catholic Church is debated. The most famous are the great cathedrals as expressions of Gothic architecture, which evolved from Romanesque architecture. The last Neanderthals seem to have been forced to retreat during this process to the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula. Britain, France and the US remained neutral and refused to sell military supplies to either side. Oceanic explorations soon followed by France, England and the Netherlands, who explored the Portuguese and Spanish trade routes into the Pacific Ocean, reaching Australia in 1606[59] and New Zealand in 1642. In the best-known version of the Europa myth, Europa—the daughter either of Phoenix or of Agenor, king of Phoenicia—was abducted by Zeus, who had disguised himself as a white bull.