what is the significance of each of these historical events?

Question

This is building on a previous question I asked, what are the ten most significant events in modern history? This was the best answer but there was no explanation. WHY and HOW are each of these significant, how did they shape the way the world is today, or send it in this direction?

1) The Fall of Rome.
2) Constantine and the rise of Christianity.
3) The Reformation.
4) Invention of the printing press.
5) The Renaissance.
6) The Industrial Revolution.
7) Both World Wars
8) The Great Depression
9) Invention of the PC
10) Creation of the Internet

Answer 1

1. I'll assume you mean the fifth century fall of Western Rome, not the fifteenth century fall of Eastern Rome. Because this was the result of several significant changes, the fall of Rome was, to me, more of a signpost than a cause of much. Rome fell because of external pressures, so it cannot really have been the cause of the Germanic tribes' expansion in Europe (and even to North Africa). It was the result of internal decay, so it cannot have been the cause of the division of the Empire.

That leaves us with a power vacuum in the Mediterranean, and a demonstration of the instability of empires. I think causing a vacuum isn't all that exciting sounding, so I'll stick with signpost - Imperial Rome as an example of how NOT to govern.

2. The rise of Christianity associated with Constantine was the ascension of Christianity to the stateus of a national religion, only a century after its practitioners were regularly executed for violating the state cult of Rome. I think it was a decline. The religion of the persecuted Christians was more connected to the Sermon on the Mount, and the religion of the officially sanctioned Christians was more connected to power, which corrupts. Witness the persecution of non-Christians after Constantine.

3. The Reformation seems to have initiallly pulled Europe down into a spiral of war - a truly devastating conflict (30 Years War). The settlement of this war (Westphalia, 1648) arranged European diplomatic structures for awhile. This stability helped Europe develop economically, including the vastly significant agricultural improvements of the 17th century, which opened the door to the industrial revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries.

4. The printing press had been around for awhile, and in a number of places, before somebody (Gutenberg) figured out a way to make one with moveable type. It's the invention of moveable type that really brought about change. And only moveable type in a Roman alphabet. The Korean monarchy may have invented moveable type a few centuries earlier, but their written language (I think it was essentially the same as the Chinese writing of the time - since greatly reformed and simplified) required an enormous storehouse to accomodate only a few of each word.

Moveably type in Roman script (Cyrillic would have been as good) allowed for quick reproduction of texts, but literacy took awhile to develop even in the elites, so it was largely a curiosity until general standards of living rose.

5. Art, ok, but don't forget trade, economic concentration, and the Black Death. Trade: Venice and Genova (Genoa) were major trade ports. Their elites - and those of other trade cities like Florence (Firenze), London and Amsterdam - got rich off of trade and spornsored scientific research and art (monuments to vanity).

The Black Death helped bring about changes in government in many parts of Europe, and may (see James Burke, The Day The Universe Changed, and Connections I) have spurred economies by freeing up dead people's resources. He also traces cheap books to the rags of the dead. Tenuous, but interesting to think about.

6. There were several IRs, but the overall significance is probably best expressed as the origin of Western world dominance.

7. The World Wars transferred world dominance from Western Europe to the United States.

8. The Great Depression certainly helped lead to the second world war. I believe it also helped to (re) create the middle class in America. Good or bad? Jury's still out. (However, the fact that we think of having a jury is sort of middle-class.)

9. PC - games! Obesity! Wrist injuries!

The PC is part of the explosion of worker "productivity," and the effects of this might be a diffusion of wealth through globalization - as more work is able to be performed in more locations. This is obviously still playing out. I'd check out Thom Hartmann and Paul Krugman on this. And maybe Robert Reich.

10. In Meier's Civilization III, the Internet accelerates scientific discovery. I'm not sure. I think it helps globalize commerce, and it may have some ripples in politics, but it's a bit too much of a shiny toy for me to think of it as significant. Certainly, this is too much in the present for us to assess its historical impacts.

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edit: Dee's right - the cost to our natural environment is a serioous consequence of the Industrial Revolution(s). Good call, Dee. I clearly wasn't taking enough time with this.

Answer 2

1) The Fall of Rome.
This was an end to a dominant empire that controlled the civilized world. The fall of Rome allowed way for other cultures of different origins to develop and expand as well giving a more cultural diversity to the power and rule of the world.

2) Constantine and the rise of Christianity.
The conversion of Constantine and his empire was probably the single most significant event in history. Ancient civilizations and religions were wiped out and millions of people have died in the name of God since that day in the 4th century.

3) The Reformation.
The reformation was another event that led to the death of countless people but yet allowed millions of others to worship in a way they felt more appropriate.

4) Invention of the printing press.
This one is a no-brainer. Without Guttenberg and his press, the world would be far less educated now. Religion wouldn't have been taken and offered to people who didn't have access either.

5) The Renaissance.
A Golden Age in it's own right...it was a time of healing after many dreadful incidents including the plague.

6) The Industrial Revolution.
The environment met it's future death with this one. At the same time, this event allowed for the progression of the human race to make way for technology and ultimately a more comfortable life.

7) Both World Wars
Strictly a political effect. Not much different than any war preceeding them.

8) The Great Depression
A black eye to the new nation that was recovering from the first world war. It gave humility to many, inspired compassion and inspiration to others.

9) Invention of the PC
Another "convenience" event. Also another event to accomodate the comfort of humanity. Made it possible to push forward with technology to bring more prosperity to a world that is rapidly moving forward.

10) Creation of the Internet
Finally an outlet for perverts and porn addicts so they can stay at home and entertain themselves. Completely ended the era of the lecher in the trench coat waiting to flash little old ladies. It also makes knowledge and information more available which is a definite advantage but the downside is that the youth of today are becoming dumbed down due to the lack of focus on simple things like grammar and spelling.

:)

Answer 3

I just wanted to add a few words to the previous answers about the Industrial Revolution. Its significance is in the fact that it led to the emergence of two new social classes - bourgeoisie and proletariat. Before the Industrial Revolution the main classes in society were landowners and serfs, after the IR the main classes were bourgeoisie and proletariat (or, in other words, capitalists and workers).