The Role of Governments in European History - Anne Sun & Madeline Davis: 3D Gallery

Ancient Athens Becomes A Democracy

In Ancient Greece, there were several city-states that were ruled by their own separate governments. Athens started out as a monarchy. Then, it become an aristocracy, and thanks to Solon, Pisistratus, Cleisthenes, and Pericles, Athens eventually became a direct democracy in which all of its citizens could participate. The ancient times was an example of how people explored different types of governments and their outcomes.

Charlemagne: The Franks’ Strong Monarch

Charlemagne was the leader of the Frankish Empire in the Early Middle Ages. He was a very strong leader with lots of great military victories, causing the Frankish Empire to gain a lot of land and power. He also had many other accomplishments that benefited society as the sole leader of the Frankish Empire, such as promoting education. However, his son and successor, Louis the Pious, was a very weak leader. After Louis’s reign, his three sons split up the empire, leading to internal battles and invasions. As you can see in the image, Charlemagne is sitting on a throne, giving directions to his subjects. Because a monarchy does not allow for checks and balances, whether the ruler is strong (Charlemagne) or weak (Louis, the three grandchildren) determines whether an empire grows stronger or falls apart.

Not Just A Job Application - Machiavelli’s The Prince

Niccolo Machiavelli was considered an expert on politics during the Renaissance. He wrote The Prince as a job application in the French government, but despite his wishes, it was published as a book. He gave advice on how a ruler can keep power, as explained in the video. Machiavelli’s advice has been used by many leaders since its publication. By following his advice, a ruler can help keep an empire stable and might raise the people’s status of living, but only to keep them happy. Under his advice, the people do not get any say in the government.

Absolute Monarch Rulers

After the Renaissance, the Age of Absolutism started as dictators took control of many European countries. The absolute monarchs had full control and was the only governing body. An example of an absolute monarch ruler during this time is Louis XIV. He did not give the people any power during his reign. He kept control by keeping the nobles in check, forcing uniformity by making everybody Catholic, and showed his military strength in battles. Although an absolute monarch meant that the government can quickly make decisions and present a uniform message, citizens typically have very little civil liberties and only one person’s opinion is heard. Even though the people do not have a say in the government, their lives would be stable if the monarch was a strong leader.

Catherine the Great: An Enlightened Despot

During the Enlightenment, new ideas shaped the government which lead to enlightened principles and theories. Catherine the Great was one of the rulers that accepted the idea of Enlightenment. She made great changes in the Russian society by making reforms that benefited the people. Catherine the Great is a good example of an enlightened despot, who were leaders that listened to and accepted the new set of ideals proposed by the people. Although enlightened despots were still monarchs in control of the government, the people were slightly more involved.

Vive la France!

Before the French Revolution, France had been ruled by monarchs for a long time. When the current monarchs, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette ignored the people’s needs, the people grew very angry and decided they needed more of a say in the government. Throughout the revolution, France tried different types of governments. They transitioned from a monarchy to a limited monarchy to a republic. However, soon, Napoleon took charge and France became a monarchy again.

One Man Down, One Whole Continent To Go

The spark of World War I was when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, as depicted in the image. In the early 20th century, most European countries were no longer absolute monarchies. The people had some representation. But, because of this event, it can be shown that ruling families were still very important to their countries. Franz Ferdinand was not even the king of Austria, but he was still important enough to start a war over. As many countries started getting involved in the conflict, the government had a big role in settling this feud and trying to bring peace. The government has a duty to keep peace with other nations so the people are not forced to fight in a war that is avoidable.

Hitler Rises and Takes Over

During the interwar, Hitler rises to power and takes control of the government. Before Hitler’s rule, the people had more of a say in the government. However, when Hitler and the Nazi party took control, Germany became a dictatorship. The Nazi power enforced Hitler’s way of ruling by using force. Hitler came up with different kinds of strategies to brainwash his people and fulfill his desire to control a large empire. Despite a push for democracy by other countries, Hitler was able to bring back a brutal dictatorship. Hitler’s rule shows that one leader can bring much difference to an entire nation of people.

No Peace for Our Time

This image depicts Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain, using the policy of appeasement to appeal to Hitler. Chamberlain told a speech titled “Peace of Our Time” the day before Hitler invaded Poland, marking the time where appeasement failed. Luckily, Britain was not an absolute monarchy anymore. They had a prime minister and a representative body. Whereas before in history, if a monarch was bad the whole nation could fall apart, when Britain had a failing prime minister, they could have a new, better leader take over. So, Neville Chamberlain stepped down and Winston Churchill took over.

Censorship during the Cold War

During the Cold War, the government of the USSR took full control using propaganda and censorship to maintain morale of the citizens. The government wasn’t truthful to the people and censored what the press had to say. This image shows a man’s eyes and mouth being covered, which could be a symbol for how the government of the USSR controlled its citizens. Compared to the governments throughout European history, the USSR was different because it followed communism, an ideology where there wasn’t supposed to be a government in charge but everyone is treated equally. In reality, a single leader controlled the government, and almost everyone was treated horribly.

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The Role of Governments in European History - Anne Sun & Madeline Davis