West European Studies

The so-called Greco-Italian War was a conflict between fascist Italy and Greece which lasted from October 1940 to April 1941. The defeat of the Italian army forced Mussolini to ask for Hitlers assistance. In April 1941, Nazi Germany simultaneously invaded Greece and Yugoslavia to prevent British forces from occupying those countries. Background By mid-1940, Mussolini became more and more jealous of Hitlers military conquests in Europe. To boost Italian morale, Italy occupied Albania in 1939 and...

THESIS The history of the rise and fall of the Ancient Rome is like a fictitious story. Many historians and scholars have written numerous books and journals in a bid to explain the flow of events in ancient Rome up to the 1600s, not all have given relevant information. However great historians like Marvin Perry, Margaret Jacob, Von Laue and Myrna Chase have done exemplary work and written educative and informative articles and books on the same. In this paper, the main focus will be to explain...

The French Revolution was fueled by the political, social, and economic inequalities that existed under the rule of King Louis XVI. Enlightenment thinkers like Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu and Voltaire discussed the natural rights of man that could not be infringed upon.  These Enlightenment ideals and examples of the English Bill of Rights and the American Declaration of Independence led the French citizens to fight for their liberty, equality, and brotherhood in France.      ...

Culture wars, (or cultural struggles) in the United States can be traced back to the 1960s and have taken dynamic forms since. They reflect on conflicting cultural values, specifically depicting a clash between conservative (traditional) and liberal (progressive) values. The re-alignment of American politics is best described by the phrase culture war (Claerbout). This paper will reflect on American politics in relation to the culture wars and the issues around it. In literal terms, radical means...

The decline of the Ottoman Turks Empire despite the interventions to save it has always attracted the attention of historians. The decline which started in the second half of the 19th century is believed to have been as a result of conflicting political and social aspect in the empire as well as the economic situation of the empire. This led to the dismissal of the ottoman rulers by the Europeans as competent rulers who could lead the empire to modernization. The empire was faced with rebellions...

There is no single and concrete definition of the Enlightenment largely due to the fact that it was not an aspect confined to one region. Yet, the Enlightenment has often been defined as a movement that swept the Western nations between the 1670s and 1790s affecting the major Protestant nations of Europe, the United Provinces and England and then spread into neighboring countries.  The movement then spread into France where, headed by Voltaire and Montesquieu, the French onwards took the leading...

Millions of love stories have been narrated over time, and each one describes the joys and complexities of love. But what makes a love story sell and stand out What elements does one story have to possess to capture the hearts of many Definitely, a love story should have a well-defined plot supported by a touch of passion, devotion, struggles, and tragedy. The Letters of Abelard and Hloise has it all, and the fact that it is a real-life love story makes it more interesting. The story has drawn millions...

The popes dominant and supreme position within the modern Roman Catholic Church, in addition to the extraordinarily independent state-like status accorded to the Vatican in institutions such as the United Nations where it holds membership, can in many ways be traced to the Early Middle Ages and the actions and advocacy of Pope Gregory the First.  Historically, Western Europe was in decline, the Byzantine Empire was increasingly formidable, and Romes early Christian institutions faced a number...

In the year 1936, King-Emperor Edward the VIII desire of marrying Mrs. Simpson an American socialite who had been divorced twice brought about a crisis in the Empires constitution. The proposed marriage between the two was greatly opposed by the governments of the king in the UK and also the Dominions that were autonomous of the Commonwealth. Political, legal, moral, and religious objections were raised from all corners of the British Empire. Those opposed to this marriage perceived Mrs. Simpson...

Throughout the course of history, stories of witchcraft controversies have been scattered in different parts of the world. The practice of witchcraft was feared and condemned in history because the practice was believed to be equal to making an overt or tacit agreement with the Devil, which would mean renouncing the baptismal vows and religious affiliation of the people who participate in it (Homza 153). Also, many of the extraordinary and harmful events in the past were attributed to magical results...

The term Renaissance refers to a period in human history when a series of diverse cultural developments took place in various parts of the European continent over a period of several hundred years between the Medieval or Middle Age and the Early Modern Period. Spanning between the 14th and 17th Centuries, this cultural transformation brought together various thinkers and artists and modern society can be traced back to the major breakthroughs in philosophy, political thought, science, technology...

Group 1 Hans Holbein the Youngers portrait of George Gisze captures the mysterious stare of the subject while seated in his workroom. His surroundings suggest that he is a businessman or merchant going about his daily work, and at his midst are various objects that suggest not only his profession but his state in life  his age, his view of the world (assumed to be symbolized by the scales), his relationships (the flowers, letter in hand, seal on the desk). The lighting also implies that the...