writing a history essay

writing a history essay

Exploring the Impact of Major Historical Events on Modern Society

1. Introduction to the Study of History and Its Relevance Today

Yes, we must all be familiar with the basic knowledge of our past so that we can understand the how’s and why’s of our great heritage. But doesn’t it also aid us in solving the challenges of our world today? Of course, our fields of technology and science are ever-expanding. We have developed where generations before us could not. Yet are new developments not an outgrowth of discoveries of earlier generations? Consider the historical impact of the Greek and Roman Empires or of the Renaissance upon our society. Without the passing on of these earlier advancements, could present-day society have evolved to the level it has? So as technology continues to develop and we become increasingly reliant upon specializations in order to solve the issues we face, the prospect of making connections between history and other fields like the biological sciences, chemistry, fine arts, as well as questions of the unsuspected effects of major historical events should, therefore, become increasingly important.

We all respect the study of history as an integral part of education. It is an intrinsic component of a liberal arts education because, without it, we’re deprived of invaluable knowledge of human civilization. Who would deny the fact that knowledge of the policies of Woodrow Wilson, of the tactics of Napoleon, of the possible causes of World War II has made us more knowledgeable citizens? We would recognize the name of Copernicus and Galileo, but without the study of history, we wouldn’t comprehend the enormous impact of their work.

2. The Influence of Ancient Civilizations on Contemporary Culture

On the one hand, the architectural, urban, social, and political features of the Mesopotamian people are to be found in the Greeks and Romans, and on the other, their religious elements actually are the basis of the three most important monotheistic religions in the world (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). This part of the historical itinerary proposes to deepen those characteristic elements that are a consequence of the indelible influence of Mesopotamia on modern culture.

Given the number of invasions and emigrations that the Fertile Crescent has faced over time, it is not surprising that the region is considered the cradle of the oldest civilizations in history. Following the development of writing in Sumer, the link between ancient civilizations has been studied through the science of paleography. Ample remains of the architectural, artistic, religious, domestic, and funerary aspects of the various peoples who inhabited it have also been found. This shows that prehistoric and historical epochs in the ancient Near East are interconnected through a nucleus of common characteristics and elements.

3. The Legacy of Colonialism and Its Effects on Global Politics

One of colonialism’s most resilient legacies is the enhanced state structures of the colonial powers themselves. The rise of centralized states with sophisticated military and material capabilities has profoundly affected the colonial world and international affairs. Former colonies have been emphasizing their need for strong governments and, arguably, have experienced foreign relationships that enabled their persistent beliefs that militarism and exploitation were more feasible tools for increasing national power than education and economic development. Indeed, the international preoccupation of former colonies has long revolved around political and security arrangements; colonial powers often created artificial states without regard to historical and linguistic distinctions or expectantly manipulating fragile national borders as a future safeguard for the colonial powers’ own security. Throughout and following the process of decolonization, indigenous populations have continued to rely excessively on the character of military regimes for the operation of their colonial institutions. In the more deeply involved discussions, re-evaluated levels of militarism and state security have taken precedence over efforts for true redistribution of resources and democratized political identities for former colonial subjects. The recently acquired state influences their subjection and their self-esteem, using political and military resources for their own benefits, rather than for their populations’ welfare.

Of the many events that left their mark on the modern world, few are as influential or as misunderstood as the process of European colonization. From the fifteenth to twentieth century, Europeans traveled the world, exploiting the indigenous people by conquering, settling, and setting up colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. Hostile to the interests of the indigenous people and often to each other, the European nations created their own version of a new world civilization. In their colonial possessions, Europeans ruled and administered the local populations. After centuries of colonial governance, whether by direct rule or indirect influence, the broad shape and the fundamental simplified international relations framework that are evident today are largely the creation of colonial rulers. The global political environment still felt the long-term impacts of colonial decisions in the economic, social, and political disparities within and among nations.

4. The Role of World Wars in Shaping the Modern World Order

The two world wars in the 20th century have predetermined a prolonged global confrontation between the two superpowers, a long-term ideology-based confrontation of the communist and capitalist camps, commonly referred to as the Cold War. The clash of the two opposing human life philosophies in the personification of the Soviet Union and the United States has played an essential role in the history of humankind right up to the end of the 20th century. The Cold War has complicated world relations, heated the arms race, and produced direct and public proxy wars in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Far East, and the Caribbean.

The closing part of the book will concentrate on two major wars of the 20th century that had a profound impact on the global world order history. The legacy of WWI, followed later by another global confrontation, has shaped the modern structure of the world, producing such characteristics of the current international relations reality as the abundance of political regimes, the spread of democratic values, the extensive use of international institutions for addressing global economic issues, and the strengthening of national sovereignty of the majority of the states, etc. Attempting to undermine the existing world order and promote the emergence of a new paradigm and a new form of global governance are the issues regularly raised by the ongoing discussion in international relations.

5. Conclusion: Reflecting on the Continuity of History and Its Lessons for the Future

The notion of social anger attended to the idea that a decrease in party system responsiveness would lessen the consent of citizens, and that high levels of dissent were indicative of social anger. Dissension among citizens would, in turn, when reaching a tipping point, lead to a decrease in the levels of trust in elites, promoting anti-state and anti-society attitudes. These circumstances, however, can result in some parts of the political elites questioning the social contract and society as a whole. Much of the literature on social anger suggests that the substantive backlash in the aftermath of the 2008 crises has led to ‘spillover effects’, encouraging populism and anti-establishment movements alike, and so it is worth considering the relevance of the Great Recession when studying the Dutch voting for the Eurosceptic PVV.

The Great Recession and Eurozone crisis had a negative impact on trust and political involvement across many democratic countries. Nevertheless, in the context of the economic crisis, the Dutch political response was particularly salient, as opposition to the bailout of Southern European member states led to the decline of the historically large social democratic party, the revitalization of the radical right, and the election of the first eurosceptic party to the national parliament since the Second World War. The erosion of trust in elites that occurred has led to fears about the decline of societal cohesion, with concerns about the possibility of serious threats to the political future of the Netherlands and the goals of the Dutch state model, which is known to have high levels of performance.