The Role Of Non-Westerners On Western History
Western history is a history that has seen so much of the world come and go. It can be characterized by the westward expansion of the Roman Empire which eventually absorbed most of the known world. This was followed by the rise of medievalism in Western Europe and its collapse a few centuries later. The next great thing to happen in the West was the Industrial Revolution that gave rise to the cotton industry in England and later, textile manufacturing spread all over Europe. With the onset of the Industrial Age, the wealth of Western society grew tremendously giving the middle classes a standard of living that they had never enjoyed before.
Western history as a whole can be divided into three major periods. The first one is the medieval period which saw the introduction of the European feudal system where land owning aristocrats would become overlords of the less wealthy lands which would be conquered and put under their control. The second period was that of the Renaissance which was marked by the development of the Printing House that changed the face of Western history forever by the publication of the great works of the Renaissance era. In the sixteenth century, the Counter-Reformation became an important player in changing the face of European history when the reformed church tried to reform the faith and life of the people of Western Europe. Finally, the seventeenth century saw the development of the Industrial Revolution when the new industries of the United States, Canada and Europe sprouted up giving rise to the so-called Industrial Revolution.
Some of the biggest changes in the history of Western society include the introduction of the printing press, the laws of the enclosure of the farmlands, and the Industrial Revolution which would greatly affect the working conditions of the people of Western Europe. Other important events in Western history include the French revolution, the Thirty Years War and the rise of the nation state. The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte in France symbolized the ascendancy of the Directory of France and the consolidation of the entire power of the Napoleonic administration.
Throughout the years, several world wars would also play a very prominent role in the development of Western history. The world war I devastated the economies of Germany and England which led to the absorption of those nations into the British Empire. Similarly, World War II destroyed Japan which resulted in the flight of many Japanese citizens into Australia where they sought refuge. Ultimately, the allied victory over Japan led to the formation of the United States as a world power.
During the Cold War era, the Western world would experience intense struggle between the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union would invade parts of Western Europe while Western Europe would become completely isolated from the Soviet Union. With this in mind, there emerged the concept of the united states as a result of the German reunification process. The Cold War would last for more than 20 years which is considered as one of the longest periods of world war in modern history. Some of the notable figures who played a key role in theasion of the concept of the united states are:ences, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, Robert Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchov, and others.
In addition to these leaders, there were numerous non-westerners who also shaped the direction of the world’s history including: Sir Alfred Nobel, Konstantin von Mishler, Hans relativism, Karel Jacquier, Elihu quote, Nelson Rockefeller, and others. In the present period, some of the non-western writers are Albert Camus, George Clooney, Alexander Fleming, Aldo Leopold Bloom, and others. All these individuals have contributed to the shaping of the world’s understanding of western history. Moreover, some of their works have inspired other writers as well. Therefore, it can be said without a doubt that the influence of non-westerners on the creation of western history can be classified under major categories.